Project: Paxos Residence, Center Valley, Pa.
Designer: Robert Wade and Associates, Miami
Photos: Jana Bannan Photography
Brick ceilings were once ubiquitous in 19th century buildings, especially in Italy and Spain, and it’s easy to see why: Warm and unexpected, a brick ceiling provides a more architecturally interesting treatment than, say, plaster. But it’s also expensive and difficult to construct, which is probably why you rarely see brick ceilings in new homes. Those obstacles didn’t deter Miami-based Robert Wade and Associates from designing an exquisite brick ceiling for a Pennsylvania custom home.
“The project is a modern farmhouse outside Philadelphia, and the client wanted solid wood beams used throughout,” says designer Laura Wade, the visionary responsible for the brick ceiling detail. “We thought the brick would be a nice complement to the wood.”
Located in Center Valley, Pa., the home by Mid-Atlantic Timberframes, in Paradise, Pa., features heavy wood beams and extensive use of authentic stone inside and out. Brick, Wade says, was an ideal option: “It’s a wonderful material and it comes from the earth, so it was perfect for this application.”
Laid in a running-bond pattern, the brick covers the ceiling in a series of combination barrel vaults above the laundry room, mudroom, kitchen, living room, and wine room. In some areas, the brick forms a groin vault visually anchored by the large wood beams.
How difficult was the ceiling detail to execute? “Very hard,” Wade says. The job was made even trickier because Wade specified authentic, solid, full-size clay bricks. As she explains it, brick veneer would have been much easier for the bricklayers to install, but it would not have been authentic. “For the design of the house,” Wade says, “we used 8-inch-thick stone, so only real brick would do.”
Related Stories
Custom Builder
Five Key Spokes of the Business Bike Wheel
Much like a bike wheel depends on its spokes to work effectively, a business depends on its various departments to find success in the market.
Custom Builder
Top Problems Faced by Builders in 2022
Chief among the concerns was the price and availability of builder materials, though the impact of waning consumer confidence also grew
Custom Builder
Custom Home Building Gets Good News
New data from NAHB shows that while much of the market is in contraction, custom home building continues to gain strength
Custom Builder
Pro Builder 2022 Forty Under 40 Accepting Nominations
Custom Builder
Veteran Builder Talks Group Purchasing and Building Science on DuPont's Residentially Speaking Podcast
Custom Builder
Toronto Home Takes Flight with Dramatic Dragon Scaled Roof
Custom Builder
Windows and Wood Tie Modern Midwest Home to the Outdoors
Custom Builder
Marketing 101: Be the Expert
Rotelle Development gets its brand out there by positioning staff as a resource
Custom Builder
Q+A: Essential Storytelling
Cristina Casañas-Judd and General Judd of Me and General Design speak with Custom Builder about their roots and their take on current housing design.