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Alma-nac

Based in Waterloo, London, Alma-nac designs residential, educational, and utility projects defined by expressive masonry transitions, sculptural upper storeys, and graphic surface treatments that manipulate perceived building volumes. This body of work serves as a strong reference when articulating heavy-to-light facade assemblies from corbelled brick to fluted caps, integrating secondary stairwell masses, or applying continuous geometric motifs across complex envelopes.

Exterior courtyard facade of a brick and fluted concrete school building by Alma-nac with children playing in foreground.

studio

An educational facility exterior featuring a robust buff brick lower base and rhythmically fluted concrete upper parapet, creating an inviting courtyard for community scale.

What we like about this project
The transition from a solid, heavy brick base to a light-catching fluted concrete upper storey gives the building a distinct rhythmic crown.

Materials

  • buff-brick
  • fluted-concrete
  • glass
  • timber

Visual identifiers

  • fluted-concrete-parapet
  • buff-brick
  • courtyard-facade
  • punched-windows

Style tags

  • contemporary
  • civic
  • textural
  • rationalist

Visual tags

  • educational
  • institutional
  • courtyard
  • precast-concrete
  • brick-architecture
  • child-scaled
Geometry
An L-shaped massing arrangement enclosing a paved courtyard, featuring a lower brick volume with punched and full-height windows, topped by a fluted precast concrete upper tier.
Facade system
Combination of load-bearing buff brick masonry on lower levels and fluted precast concrete panels with recessed glazing above.
Structural guess
Steel frame or concrete slab construction with masonry and precast panel curtain wall envelope.
Spatial scale
Human and child scale; two to three-story institutional massing appropriate for an educational program.
Lighting
Soft, diffused overcast daylight casting subtle shadows across facades and courtyard paving.
Atmosphere
Calm, welcoming, and institutional yet soft due to natural material palettes and active children figures.
Environmental context
Suburban or campus setting with mature trees framing the courtyard and perimeter landscaping.
Spatial experience
Approaching from the foreground path leads into an open, welcoming courtyard framed by warm textures and child-scaled public entries.
Composition rhythm
Vertical fluting on the upper floor establishes a steady columnar rhythm contrasting with the more solid brick planes below.
Style reading
Contemporary civic architecture with textural precast and brick detailing
Program
Educational facility or school
Perspective
Exterior Facade
Discipline
architecture
Materials
buff-brick, fluted-concrete, glass, timber
Visual identifiers
fluted-concrete-parapet, buff-brick, courtyard-facade, punched-windows
Style tags
contemporary, civic, textural, rationalist
Visual tags
educational, institutional, courtyard, precast-concrete, brick-architecture, child-scaled
Geometry
An L-shaped massing arrangement enclosing a paved courtyard, featuring a lower brick volume with punched and full-height windows, topped by a fluted precast concrete upper tier.
Facade system
Combination of load-bearing buff brick masonry on lower levels and fluted precast concrete panels with recessed glazing above.
Structural guess
Steel frame or concrete slab construction with masonry and precast panel curtain wall envelope.
Spatial scale
Human and child scale; two to three-story institutional massing appropriate for an educational program.
Lighting
Soft, diffused overcast daylight casting subtle shadows across facades and courtyard paving.
Atmosphere
Calm, welcoming, and institutional yet soft due to natural material palettes and active children figures.
Environmental context
Suburban or campus setting with mature trees framing the courtyard and perimeter landscaping.
Spatial experience
Approaching from the foreground path leads into an open, welcoming courtyard framed by warm textures and child-scaled public entries.
Composition rhythm
Vertical fluting on the upper floor establishes a steady columnar rhythm contrasting with the more solid brick planes below.
Style reading
Contemporary civic architecture with textural precast and brick detailing
Program
Educational facility or school
Perspective
Exterior Facade
Discipline
architecture

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  • Firms
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AI Native Apps

  • AI Mode Search
  • SoftMarket
  • 2nd Brain

About HappyCluster

  • About
  • How it works
  • Contact

Connect

  • Waitlist
  • X
  • GitHub

Legal

  • Privacy
  • Terms

HappyCluster

© 2026

Exterior courtyard facade of a brick and fluted concrete school building by Alma-nac with children playing in foreground.

studio

An educational facility exterior featuring a robust buff brick lower base and rhythmically fluted concrete upper parapet, creating an inviting courtyard for community scale.

What we like about this project
The transition from a solid, heavy brick base to a light-catching fluted concrete upper storey gives the building a distinct rhythmic crown.

Materials

  • buff-brick
  • fluted-concrete
  • glass
  • timber

Visual identifiers

  • fluted-concrete-parapet
  • buff-brick
  • courtyard-facade
  • punched-windows

Style tags

  • contemporary
  • civic
  • textural
  • rationalist

Visual tags

  • educational
  • institutional
  • courtyard
  • precast-concrete
  • brick-architecture
  • child-scaled
Geometry
An L-shaped massing arrangement enclosing a paved courtyard, featuring a lower brick volume with punched and full-height windows, topped by a fluted precast concrete upper tier.
Facade system
Combination of load-bearing buff brick masonry on lower levels and fluted precast concrete panels with recessed glazing above.
Structural guess
Steel frame or concrete slab construction with masonry and precast panel curtain wall envelope.
Spatial scale
Human and child scale; two to three-story institutional massing appropriate for an educational program.
Lighting
Soft, diffused overcast daylight casting subtle shadows across facades and courtyard paving.
Atmosphere
Calm, welcoming, and institutional yet soft due to natural material palettes and active children figures.
Environmental context
Suburban or campus setting with mature trees framing the courtyard and perimeter landscaping.
Spatial experience
Approaching from the foreground path leads into an open, welcoming courtyard framed by warm textures and child-scaled public entries.
Composition rhythm
Vertical fluting on the upper floor establishes a steady columnar rhythm contrasting with the more solid brick planes below.
Style reading
Contemporary civic architecture with textural precast and brick detailing
Program
Educational facility or school
Perspective
Exterior Facade
Discipline
architecture
Materials
buff-brick, fluted-concrete, glass, timber
Visual identifiers
fluted-concrete-parapet, buff-brick, courtyard-facade, punched-windows
Style tags
contemporary, civic, textural, rationalist
Visual tags
educational, institutional, courtyard, precast-concrete, brick-architecture, child-scaled
Geometry
An L-shaped massing arrangement enclosing a paved courtyard, featuring a lower brick volume with punched and full-height windows, topped by a fluted precast concrete upper tier.
Facade system
Combination of load-bearing buff brick masonry on lower levels and fluted precast concrete panels with recessed glazing above.
Structural guess
Steel frame or concrete slab construction with masonry and precast panel curtain wall envelope.
Spatial scale
Human and child scale; two to three-story institutional massing appropriate for an educational program.
Lighting
Soft, diffused overcast daylight casting subtle shadows across facades and courtyard paving.
Atmosphere
Calm, welcoming, and institutional yet soft due to natural material palettes and active children figures.
Environmental context
Suburban or campus setting with mature trees framing the courtyard and perimeter landscaping.
Spatial experience
Approaching from the foreground path leads into an open, welcoming courtyard framed by warm textures and child-scaled public entries.
Composition rhythm
Vertical fluting on the upper floor establishes a steady columnar rhythm contrasting with the more solid brick planes below.
Style reading
Contemporary civic architecture with textural precast and brick detailing
Program
Educational facility or school
Perspective
Exterior Facade
Discipline
architecture

Related in this portfolio