Rupali Court

Designed by Triangle Architects and delivered by main contractor Deeley Construction for Housing 21, the scheme introduces a thoughtful approach to later-living accommodation.

IG Masonry Support was appointed to design and supply a range of our prefabricated brick slip systems across the development. The building design features a wide variety of arch types, including large double-faced arches, oriental-style pointed arches, and tall single-faced arches, each requiring careful design and production planning. Working closely with Deeley Construction and Triangle Architects, IG Masonry Support developed highly-bespoke solutions for each arch type.

In total, 44 Brick Slip Arches were supplied across the ground and first floors, each manufactured to suit the project’s unique structural and aesthetic requirements, ensuring the finished façade reflected the architectural intent throughout.

IG Masonry Support faced several key challenges on this project.

The first was the sheer volume and variety of arches required – 44 in total – each with differing bond patterns, all of which needed to align seamlessly with the surrounding traditional brickwork.

A further challenge arose from the scale and complexity of certain arches. Several spanned over three metres and were double-faced, requiring brick slips on both sides, while simultaneously supporting significant masonry loads from up to three storeys above. Other arches needed to incorporate decorative metalwork grilles, designed around aspirations raised by the residents’ working group, while the ornamental pointed and broken arches presented their own additional design complexities.

Finally, four tall, single-faced arches which reached up to 4.7 metres in height, raised transportation, installation, and structural restraint challenges.

Close collaboration with the contractor and architect was critical throughout the project.

To achieve each required bond pattern across the large quantity of arches, layout templates were developed, with the design team coordinating closely with the site team to ensure every Brick Slip Arch layout aligned precisely with the surrounding brickwork on site before manufacturing began.

For the large double-faced arches, IG Masonry Support’s brick cutting and bonding specialists carefully managed the bonding process – completing the brick slips on one side of the arch before flipping it to bond the reverse face, ensuring a perfect match across both sides. Where required, heavier steel sections were incorporated into the arches to safely support the masonry loads of up to three storeys above.

The decorative metalwork grilles were accommodated through bespoke gussets, integrated into the arch design to provide secure fixing points. The ornamental pointed and broken arches were developed through extensive coordination and trial layouts, with a bespoke bonded brick slip forming the keystone to preserve the intended architectural appearance.

The tallest arches were manufactured in sections to allow safe transportation and installation on site. Temporary restraints were also provided to enable the site team to stabilise the arches until the surrounding masonry had been completed, ensuring both safe installation and long-term performance.

Through close collaboration with Deeley Construction and Triangle Architects, IG Masonry Support delivered a series of bespoke Brick Slip Arches that combined structural performance with intricate architectural detailing — helping bring the distinctive character of Rupali Court to life.