Surat: The brickwork in a Surat house has taken many by surprise by giving an impression that the bricks are floating. Due to this wonderful workmanship, the elevation constructed outside the building has been attracting eyeballs. The first glance at this building makes people wonder whether the bricks are floated in the air. The project, designed by Surat-based architect Ashish Patel, has been nominated for an international award at the BRICS Development Association in England.
Usually, when constructing a wall of any kind, bricks are stacked upon each other for stability, but in this building at Kosad area of Surat, a gap of about two to three inches is seen between the two bricks. Seeing this spectacle makes people think that the bricks are floating in the air. The bricks are also arranged in a wavy pattern making them look like the waves of the sea, hence the name "floating bricks." Many people also worry that the bricks will fall, but they are held firmly in place.
What is the BRICK award?
The bricks used in the construction are made by the Brick Management Association in England and are being experimented with by various architects from all over the world. According to the criteria of this competition, BRICK awards are given to those who do innovative brickwork in residential, commercial construction, small scale construction as well as industrial construction.
The only architectural project entry from India
The floating bricks project by Surat-based architect Ashish Patel is the only entry in the competition from India. The construction work near Amaroli Kosad in Surat was sent by Ashish Patel as a project, which has been selected in the international category. The category includes three projects from Belgium and one each from India, Switzerland, Britain, Iran and China. The award will be presented at the awards ceremony in London on 10 November.
Also read: India will hopefully get highways of American standard in next three years: Gadkari
Elevation was done using red bricks
"We have been involved in this field in Surat for almost 18 years," said Ashish Patel. "We have constructed this elevation on an already constructed building. The entire elevation has been prepared using red bricks. We sent it in a worldwide category in a competition organized by the Brick Management Association. Our project has been nominated in this category in which projects that are BRICKS innovative are sent by any form in the world. A total of 8 projects have been selected, one of which is from India."
Elevation looks like all the bricks are in the air
"The project we have designed is elevation, we have designed bricks like a sea wave," he added. "It looks like a sack that encloses with a drawstring. In which bricks have been inserted. Thus, the lattice is not visible, but looking at the elevation, it seems that all the bricks are floating in the air. The one who owns the house is our contractor and is involved in the brick business. Harshad Parmar wanted to do something new which brought this concept to mind."
