Hi Markus, I can’t speak for Carl but I have found that different regions of the U.S. have different colored bricks. New England, where Carl is has a subdued red while the South, where I live has a more vibrant red/orange color. Out west they seem, to my eye, to have a darker red. Probably all to do with the local ingredients more than intentional.
Brick construction was the standard for industrial buildings when New England was a manufacturing center—but that era has drawn to a close. There is a lot of color variation, even in this region. More so across the country. Yellow brick is quite common, along with a wide range of red shades. As James mentions, I expect this has more to do with available materials than a conscious aesthetic choice. Use of brick in residential construction is another whole thing. When I was growing up in New Jersey in the 1950s, a suburban house made of brick was a more or less sure bet to be the home of Italian-Americans.
That’s really funny. I grew up not far from Carl, on Long Island (Oyster Bay). We had a large Italian-American community and we could tell their houses because of the lavish use of concrete.
We were in Tuscany years ago and went on a walk guided by a brochure. We came to what was billed as the oldest wall in Italy. We got to the end and some concrete had fallen away, revealing a new brick wall. I immediately labeled it as bogus only to hear my wife read that they were the original bricks from centuries ago. They looked so modern.
Hi Markus, I can’t speak for Carl but I have found that different regions of the U.S. have different colored bricks. New England, where Carl is has a subdued red while the South, where I live has a more vibrant red/orange color. Out west they seem, to my eye, to have a darker red. Probably all to do with the local ingredients more than intentional.
Brick construction was the standard for industrial buildings when New England was a manufacturing center—but that era has drawn to a close. There is a lot of color variation, even in this region. More so across the country. Yellow brick is quite common, along with a wide range of red shades. As James mentions, I expect this has more to do with available materials than a conscious aesthetic choice. Use of brick in residential construction is another whole thing. When I was growing up in New Jersey in the 1950s, a suburban house made of brick was a more or less sure bet to be the home of Italian-Americans.
That’s really funny. I grew up not far from Carl, on Long Island (Oyster Bay). We had a large Italian-American community and we could tell their houses because of the lavish use of concrete.
We were in Tuscany years ago and went on a walk guided by a brochure. We came to what was billed as the oldest wall in Italy. We got to the end and some concrete had fallen away, revealing a new brick wall. I immediately labeled it as bogus only to hear my wife read that they were the original bricks from centuries ago. They looked so modern.