Brick in the Landscape: A Practical Guide to Specification and Design

The Only Comprehensive Guide to Brick Specifically for Landscape Architects "Nothing remarkable about a brick, is there? A brick is a brick so far as most people are concerned. And it is not a very beautiful thing, is it? But what you can do with it!" –Frank Lloyd Wright Brick was one of the first manufactured building materials. Today, it continues to be one of the most popular building materials in the world, thanks to its unparalleled versatility, durability, warmth, and aesthetic richness. And nowhere are these attributes more evident than in the designed landscape. Brick in the Landscape gives you the information you need to exploit brick′s full potential in your design work. The first and only complete guide to the properties, use, selection, and installation of brick written from the landscape architect′s perspective, it is destined to become a staple in your practice. Brick in the Landscape provides full, detailed coverage of all relevant technical aspects of brick, including materials and properties, finishes and bonds, classifications and shapes. It also familiarizes you with virtually all known bricklaying and masonry methods and techniques, including numerous all–but–forgotten, yet still viable, techniques. At the same time, Brick in the Landscape is an enduring source of inspiration and ideas. Generously supplemented with more than 100 photographs illustrating various building systems as well as both common and innovative applications of brick in landscape design, it will awaken you to the nearly unlimited potential of brick to enhance your designs. Brick in the Landscape is an indispensable tool for landscape architects, landscape designers, and architects who provide site–planning services.

The Tradition of Brick.

Materials and Properties.

Applications.

Design Considerations.

Appendices.

Bibliography.

Index.

ROB W. SOVINSKI, ASLA, is an associate professor of landscape architecture at Purdue University. He has fifteen years of experience in professional practice.