Brick Veneer in Commercial Design

Brick is a timeless material, capable of withstanding centuries of wear and passing trends. It’s also rather heavy, cumbersome to install, and not always the best choice for remodeling existing structures.

Enter brick veneer. Also known as thin brick or brick tile, brick veneer offers the attractive look of brick with far less weight, cost, and emissions to produce. Even better, our Glazed Thin Brick is glazed with our signature ceramic glazes and available in over 40 unique colors to satisfy any design.

See brick veneer in action as we walk you through some of our favorite commercial projects and applications.

FAQ

Is Brick Veneer Real Brick?

Yes. Our brick veneer is the same material as a conventional brick but are ½” thick flats instead of 3 ¾” thick blocks.

What is the Benefit of Brick Veneer?

Glazed Thin Brick is substantially lighter than traditional glazed brick, resulting in potentially an 85% cost and emissions reduction.

What is the Difference Between Brick and Brick Veneer?

Since brick veneer is only ½” thick, the main difference between brick and brick veneer is that veneer is not structurally sound and should be used for aesthetic purposes only. Unlike standard brick, a veneer is a single wythe of masonry for facing purposes, not structurally bonded as to intentionally exert common action under load.

How Strong is Brick Veneer?

Our thin brick has a breaking strength of 626 lbf.

Commercial Exterior Brick Facades

Our brick veneer is freeze/thaw approved and suitable for exterior applications.

Tile: Custom Brick // Design: Blue Bottle Coffee // Image: Fireclay Tile

Blue Bottle Coffee in San Jose’s Santana Row features an exterior of Glazed Thin Brick in a custom grey colorway similar to our Klamath glaze. We love how the columns are clad in brick on all exterior surfaces.

If you're looking to create a similar design, we carry 7 shapes of Brick Trim, like Corner Trim seen here.

Tile: Big Horn, Elk & Custom Brick // Design: SKB Architects, J&S Masonry // Image: Fireclay Tile

One of the appeals of brick is the natural variation of raw red brick. This design at Seattle’s Dexter Yard plays on that concept with Glazed Thin Brick in a tricolor blend of beige and grey.

Tile: Aleutian, Beartooth, Allegheny, Appalachian, Blue Ridge & Lewis Range Brick // Design: NAC Architecture, LA

Where the former design relied on a random arrangement of colors, this exterior at Buena Park Jr. High School's Music Building features a detailed abstract design comprised of Glazed Thin Brick in Aleutian, Beartooth, Allegheny, Appalachian, Blue Ridge, and Lewis Range.

Tile: Ozark Brick // Design: Forgarty Finger // Image: Alexander Severin

Jersey City’s luxury apartment complex The Hazel gets a luxurious detail across their brick facade with Glazed Thin Brick in a straight stack pattern, adding color and depth to the building’s exterior.

Tile: Bitterroot Brick // Design: Kate Murphy Interior Architecture // Image: Charlie Walker Creative

Dallas’s Billy Can Can is a modern saloon featuring a corner occupancy clad in dramatic black Glazed Thin Brick.

Tile: Bitterroot Norman Brick // Design: David Baker Architects // Image: Patricia Chang

Showing off the future of residential design and the potential of brick veneer, David Baker Architects designed this incredible condominium complex in San Francisco featuring a curved exterior clad in Black elongated Norman Brick.

At Fireclay we’re capable of supplying Glazed Thin Brick for projects over 100,000 SF and can create custom colorways for commercial projects over 5,000 SF.

Tile: Lewis Range Brick // Image: Malcolm Fearon

An advantage of Glazed Thin Brick is it can easily be applied to existing buildings. This San Francisco fast-casual restaurant featured a conventional concrete exterior, later upgraded with a story of clean white Glazed Thin Brick.

Commercial Interior Brick Veneer

In a commercial setting, our Glazed Thin Brick is recommended for vertical applications to provide durable protection and an attractive high-end appearance to walls, bars, and backsplashes.

Tile: Sierra Nevada Brick // Design: Studio One Eleven // Image: Fireclay Tile

Luxury grocer Erewhon decorated the deli of one of their Los Angeles locations with taupe Glazed Thin Brick that provides a stunning background to their very own branding.

Tile: Ozark & San Gabriel Brick // Design: Anand Sheth for Studio BBA // Image: Hover Pictures, Linda Mai Green

We love the raw industrial look of loft-style event spaces, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement. Visual artist Binta Ayofemi and designer Anand Sheth must agree since they put their touch on Oakland’s Commune Bar with a brick bar and backsplash that pair perfectly with the weathered concrete walls.

Tile: Appalachian Norman Brick // Design: A Green Haus // Image: Stylish Detroit

Schools and brick go hand in hand. Detroit Achievement Academy (and their sister school Detroit Prep) is decked out in beautiful design and Glazed Thin Brick.

If you have a good cause in mind that could use beautiful handmade tile, get in touch with our Fireclay Gives program.

Tile: Lewis Range Brick // Design: ISLYN STUDIO // Image: Read Mckendree

Repurposing commercial spaces as economies change isn’t just innovative, it’s much more sustainable than tearing down and starting from scratch. Albuquerque’s Sawmill Market transformed a historic lumber mill into a stunning mixed-use shopping and dining destination, a textbook application for brick veneer.

Tile: Lewis Range, Olympic & White Mountains Brick // Design & Image: FENNIE+MEHL Architects

Brick offers a rough and rustic texture that speaks to several design styles. With a minimum recommended grout joint of 3/16” brick veneer can be hung to mimic the look of zellige. But unlike a lot of the zellige available in the market, our brick is US made with superior environmental and labor standards.

Tile: Ozark & Cascade Brick // Design: AECOM // Image: Wonho Lee Photography

From rustic in the last example to refined here, glazed brick veneer can be styled in a huge variety of ways. This West Hollywood restaurant by Wolfgang Puck is pure luxury, using two colors of Glazed Thin Brick to bring a tropical vibe to the space.

Tile: Columbia Plateau Brick // Design: Sarah Sherman Samuel // Image: John Stoffer

Existing restaurants need an update every now and then and brick veneer is a great way to add a new look with limited construction. After going under new management, this counter service restaurant got a facelift including this counter in glowing Glazed Thin Brick.

Working on a commercial project? We’d love to help—fill out this simple form to get in touch with your Fireclay commercial rep.