Brentwood School, Sir Michael Snyder Building

The Sir Michael Snyder Building creates a new gateway building for the school’s historic campus, bringing together boys’ and girls’ boarding accommodation into a single purpose-built facility overlooking Shenfield Common. Designed by Cottrell & Vermeulen Architecture and delivered by Rooff Ltd and Global Brickwork, the development combines traditional architectural forms, including pitched roofs, chimneys, polychromatic brickwork and feature arches, with a low-carbon structural solution using cross-laminated timber and a concrete podium.

To support these elements, IG Masonry Support designed and manufactured 143.5m of Welded Masonry Support, 77.97m of Brick Slip Arches at ground floor level, and 1,197 precision brick cuts completed at our in-house brick cutting facility. A small package of bespoke masonry support was also supplied to support feature chimney details at third-floor level.

Working closely with the design team, Rooff Ltd and Global Brickwork, IG Masonry Support helped deliver the complex brick detailing while maintaining the architectural intent across the project.

One of the primary challenges of the project was ensuring the Brick Slip Arches aligned seamlessly with the surrounding brickwork. Several of the arches featured wing sections and decorative features that had to align precisely within the brick coursing while maintaining the required movement joints across the façade.

A further challenge involved supporting heavy stonework elements throughout the development. Unlike traditional brickwork, the stone units required a more robust masonry support arrangement to safely carry the additional load while preventing movement during installation.

The project also featured several half arches, where one end of the arch had no traditional bearing. This meant an alternative support solution was required to provide the necessary structural stability while maintaining the architectural appearance.

IG Masonry Support worked closely with design and installation team to coordinate the setting out of each Brick Slip Arch, ensuring the wing sections aligned accurately with the surrounding brick coursing. To achieve the required finish, the arches were manufactured before the wing sections were bonded on site, allowing the brickwork to be adjusted to suit the final coursing.

To support the stonework, bespoke Welded Masonry Support systems were designed with integrated locating dowels to help secure the stone units during installation before they were restrained at the top. This provided a robust solution while maintaining the intended façade appearance.

Where half Brick Slip Arches had no available bearing, bespoke bracket systems were introduced to transfer the loads back to the supporting structure. This allowed the arches to achieve the required structural performance without altering the architectural design.

Through close collaboration with the project team, IG Masonry Support also coordinated the manufacture of the larger and more decorative arches to ensure consistent brick coursing, accurate detailing, and a high-quality finish across the completed façade.

Through bespoke engineering, careful coordination, and close collaboration with Cottrell & Vermeulen Architecture , Global Brickwork and Rooff Ltd, IG Masonry Support helped bring the Sir Michael Snyder Building’s distinctive architectural vision to life. The result is a façade that combines traditional craftsmanship with modern methods of construction, creating a landmark addition to the school’s historic campus.