York Handmade bricks help build Swiss luxury

A brickmaker has made its mark in Europe with a major contract. 

The York Handmade Brick Company, based in Alne, near Easingwold, supplied more than 40,000 specially crafted brick slips and 30,000 paving cobbles for the new Lo Dze hotel in Martigny, Switzerland. 

Bosses say the £65,000 project is one of the company’s most significant to date and marks a major milestone in its 37-year history. 

They add York Handmade’s recent £1.5 million investment in new machinery played a “vital” role in fulfilling the “very special” order.

Mark Laksevics, York Handmade sales and CPD manager, said: “This is a very prestigious project. 

“It has been a tremendous boost for our factory and a great honour to contribute to a pioneering and innovative development in such a historic town.

“The result is amazing and is a magnificent showcase for our bricks.”

David Armitage, York Handmade chair, added: “These are crucial times for us. 

“We have invested £1.5 million in new machinery, which has transformed how we make our bricks. 

“Over the years, we have undertaken significant technological improvements, culminating in this overhaul and renewal of our manufacturing process, which has speeded up production, facilitated two new products and increased efficiency.

“They have helped to make the new hotel visually stunning and blend in seamlessly with the other historic buildings in the town.”

Lo Dze features a boutique hotel, restaurant, bar and Roman bathing experience, all housed in two buildings surrounding a central courtyard. 

John Cretton, of QDS Leisure, which masterminded the project, added: “I was looking for a brick that was handmade with the right colours and the right size. 

“The massive nature of the architecture - one side of the street facade is windowless apart from a half-moon opening on the ground floor - meant the brick had to be visually strong.

“The result is superb. 

“The exterior at once conveys the mass of the objects and the history of the town, as well as the extraordinary material quality of the underground Roman Baths.

“York Handmade’s products gave us that and a bonus to boot – a building that stands out from the pack; no one just walks by Lo Dze.”

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