At a time where clouds of uncertainty loom over the future of physical retail experiences, designers are determined to redefine the way brands engage their customers through memorable and inspiring spaces.

Today, individuals can make purchases with a simple click of a button. And although this model can cater to quicker timeframes and a larger audience at once, there is still something powerful about experiencing a brand’s story through its physical footprint.

Retail and hospitality spaces need to let their personality shine through the forms, materiality, and intricate details of the physical environment. Ultimately, the experience needs to equate to more than just a simple transaction, since we can do that online already. The rise of food and beverage delivery services has also meant that hospitality venues, such as cafes and bars, need to create an ambience and experience that is expressive of their brand. With this in mind, designers are choosing to celebrate authenticity by adding layers to spaces. And one material that is more often than not celebrated for the character it brings when enveloped in a space is brick. Robust, tough, and raw, brick represents history as well as a revival as one of the most genuine materials of all time.

No brick is ever the same – each one is unique, delivering a bespoke authenticity for any designer specifying them. But not all fit-outs, particularly retail and hospitality projects have the scope for standard bricks. This is where brick facings are a good solution, and PGH Bricks & Pavers, one of Australia’s leading clay brick manufacturers, has a diverse range of styles, colours, and textures.

With design flexibility and charm at the forefront, brick facings offer timeless beauty with a myriad of options to create inspiring and engaging retail environments.

From a technical perspective, PGH's brick facings offer a unique alternative for retail and hospitality environments that need a touch of the real deal but would otherwise not be able to accommodate a full-sized brick. The whole brick facings range also ensures a simple installation, which can be fixed to all common substrates. They’re simplicity and authenticity rolled into one – and offer a kind of textural material that retail and hospitality environments need to keep a captive audience.

Architects and designers have the power to create spaces that express a unique narrative. They have the ability to meticulously craft spaces that enhance imperfections, define the beauty of time and history, and elevate the way we experience our environments.