In 1979, the band Pink Floyd released Another brick in the wall. The word brick is used to symbolise a loss of identity. Just another brick in the wall refers to being just another ubiquitous person in a Kafkaesque school system. Bricks have become semiotically synonymous with ubiquity and this diminishes the value of the bricks. As the song suggests, a brick is considered more ubiquitous once constructed in its intended structure. This transformation decreases perceived cultural value and makes bricks less prone for future re-purposing.

By using experimental forms of measurement the usefulness of bricks is re-evaluated. The visual identity of a brick is determent by the place of production, the extracted clay literally represents the geological build-up of a specific place, as well as the production methods and cultural demand. These three interrelated forces determine a brick's visual identity, which can be decoded in shape, color, and texture. Restabilising the identity of a brick becomes a more valuable consideration for salvation since its identity can then be used creatively in reconstruction.

This investigation was part of the FCRBE project which aims to create a road map for holistic deconstruction of buildings in a circular economy. The full essay that was later published in UAL’s Post Grad community’s online magazine, can be found here.

The Identity of a Brick