Marshalls’ Glencoe Vintage brick helps balance aesthetic with sustainability and quality at Exeter housing development
Demand for property in Exeter, the county town of Devon, is amongst the highest in the UK. With proximity to the South West coast, transport links to London, fantastic schools and a wealth of beautiful natural landscapes on the doorstep, it’s an area that appeals to people of all ages and demographics.
In 2018, Acorn Property Group was granted planning permission for a development of 146 dwellings, from one-bed apartments to five-bed townhouses, at Topsham Road in St Leonards Quarter – one of Exeter’s most sought-after neighbourhoods.
Acorn was keen to ensure the properties at St Leonards Quarter would be finished in a way that reflected the existing style of housing in the area, but which also offered sustainability benefits and lasting quality. Construction began in February 2022, and Marshalls was called upon to supply the facing brick used for the buildings.
Contemporary, airy aesthetic
The site of the housing development is situated on one of the main corridors into Exeter city centre which boasts distinctive Georgian and Victorian architecture. To help Acorn understand how best to reflect the local vernacular and achieve its desired light and airy feel in the finish of the properties, Marshalls provided drawings demonstrating how different brick ranges would look on the completed apartments and townhouses.
Acorn selected Marshalls’ Glencoe Vintage for the project – a buff brick with muted red and caramel tones, further enhanced by its tumbled, rustic finish. Not only did the style of the brick enable Acorn to draw upon the heritage of the local area from an aesthetic point of view, but the product offered several other benefits, too.
A low carbon brick solution
Acorn aims to work with suppliers that design, manufacture and supply sustainable products and practices, and opted to work with Marshalls at St Leonards Quarter because of its proactive demonstration of its commitment to sustainability.
Over 96% of all Marshalls’ products are British-made, and 100% of Marshalls’ bricks and masonry products are manufactured in the UK, including the Glencoe Vintage. By manufacturing most of its products in sites across Britain, fuel consumption emissions are kept to a minimum, while customer orders are delivered more quickly compared to imported alternatives. Marshalls also promotes the use of concrete bricks over clay, having uncovered that for every tonne of concrete-facing bricks used instead of more typical clay facing bricks, housebuilders could cut the total carbon lifetime footprint of their project by almost half (49.1%).1
The highest quality products
As well its aesthetic and sustainability benefits, Marshalls’ Glencoe Vintage range provides Acorn with the reassurance that the finished development will retain its quality and durability for years to come.
As part of the manufacturing process, colourfast oxide pigments are used to achieve colour longevity, meaning the apartments and townhouses will long-retain a sense of uniformity with the area’s existing buildings.
Concrete-facing bricks like the Glencoe Vintage boast high thermal performance, fire resistance with a Euroclass A1 reaction to fire classification, and frost protection to the equivalent of a F2/S2 rating for clay bricks. Marshalls’ concrete facing bricks are also manufactured to be a consistent size, aiding laying, while the mix design used for the bricks minimises risk of efflorescence, shrinkage and moisture movement. Additionally, Marshalls’ products undergo rigorous quality checks and are manufactured in accordance with British Standards, specifically BS EN 771-3 +A1:2015.
Successful partnership
Ross Melrose, National Sales Manager for Housebuilding at Marshalls, supported Acorn Property Group throughout the project.
He said: “Having demonstrated our sustainability credentials, range of British-made products designed to offer design versatility at unbeatable value, and technical in-house expertise, Marshalls was selected to partner with Acorn Property Group. Together we worked to bring to life this impressive development which will contribute to Exeter’s future economic success.
“While bricks may form one small part of a building’s envelope, their importance in bringing a vision together can’t be overlooked. The finish of the Glencoe Vintage offers an element of familiarity with Exeter’s history and culture, bringing the past into the present in its use on this modern development.
“Not only that, but the sustainability benefits the Glencoe Vintage offers, as well as its high quality and durability, means it will play a role in the community for many more years to come.”
A spokesperson for Acorn said: “We’re committed to creating homes that not only reflect and blend in with their surroundings but also uphold the highest standards of sustainability and long-term quality. We chose to partner with Marshalls for St Leonards Quarter because its dedication to sustainable practices and low-carbon solutions aligns perfectly with our own values. The Glencoe Vintage brick range enables us to deliver homes that use sustainable materials and are built to last for future generations."
1 Based on comparison of GWP Total A1-C4 withing Marshalls Facing Bricks EPD published 2024 versus Brick Development Association UK Clay Brick EPD issued 2019.
