Michelmersh bricks feature in three winners at 50th Brick Awards, including St Pancras

Michelmersh Brick Holdings PLC supplied bricks for three winning projects at the 50th Brick Awards on 4 November, including St Pancras Station, which took a one-off Legacy Award created for the anniversary.

The ceremony, run by the Brick Development Association (BDA), was held at the Royal Lancaster London. Skinner Street, a 30-storey residential tower in Leeds, won the Architects' Choice Award and Leon House in Charlton, London, won Medium Housing Development, Michelmersh said.

Sarah Le Gresley, Michelmersh Group Director of Innovation, Sustainability, Technical and Marketing, said the St Pancras award was particularly special. "It is a remarkable demonstration of how clay brick can stand the test of time, creating buildings that remain relevant and celebrated for generations," she said.

Le Gresley also said the group had developments under way to explore how lower-carbon clay bricks can be manufactured at scale.

St Pancras Station

The Legacy Award recognised buildings that have made a lasting impact on the built environment, according to Michelmersh. The group listed Charnwood Bricks as the product used and Irvine Whitlock as brickwork contractor.

Michelmersh's announcement credits Richard Griffiths Architects as architect. The BDA's own shortlist entry for the project credits Rail Link Engineering Architects.

The BDA entry describes the Victorian Gothic station as once threatened with demolition. It says around 50 bricklayers and stonemasons laid and repaired about 1.5 million bricks, using traditional techniques including lime mortars, narrow jointing, brick soaking and bespoke centring.

The station, undercroft and Chambers redevelopment was a multi-billion-pound investment, the BDA said, with the undercroft turned into retail and circulation space and the Chambers into a hotel and apartments.

The judges' comments, as published by Michelmersh, highlighted how contemporary brickwork sits alongside the original architecture and said the restoration preserved the building's heritage while securing a sustainable future.

Skinner Street and Leon House

The Architects' Choice Award is voted for by architects and architectural students rather than the judging panel. Skinner Street was designed by Leach Rhodes Walker Architects, a credit the BDA's winner page confirms, with Forterra named as category sponsor.

Michelmersh said four of its Blockleys bricks were used on the tower: Synthesis S01, Wrekin Berkshire, Wrekin Dark Red and Black Smooth. Brickstone Construction Ltd was brickwork contractor.

Leon House delivers 48 affordable homes, Michelmersh said. The scheme was designed by Gibson Thornley Architects, used Freshfield Lane First Quality Multi brick and was built by brickwork contractor Woodhurst Brickwork Ltd. The BDA's Medium Housing Development category covers schemes of 26 to 100 units.

The judges said Leon House responded sensitively to a challenging site and, despite budget constraints, delivered architectural character, quality and lasting value, according to Michelmersh.

The group

Ryan Mahoney, Michelmersh Group CEO, said: "Combined with our 9 other short listings, this reflects the quality and consistent work of our teams and the architects and contractors we partner with."

Mahoney said the three winners, spanning a restoration, a 30-storey tower and affordable homes, showed the range of the group's portfolio.

Michelmersh was established in 1997 and owns six brands: Blockleys, Carlton, FabSpeed, Floren.be, Freshfield Lane and Michelmersh. Five of its six manufacturing plants are in the UK, according to the company, which says it has sourced all of its electricity from renewables since October 2022 and conducted the world's first 100% hydrogen-fired clay brick trials.

In its half-year results filed with the Financial Conduct Authority, Michelmersh reported revenue for the six months to 30 June 2026 of £32.4m, down 9.5% from £35.8m a year earlier. Adjusted EBITDA rose 1.7% to £6.0m.

Period	Revenue
Six months to 30 June 2025	£35.8m
Six months to 30 June 2026	£32.4m

The BDA said the 2026 ceremony marked the 50th anniversary of the awards, with 19 awards presented on the night.