Amber Valley retirement village in Howick is built using a combination of conventionally sized clay face bricks used for the outer skin and CoroMaxi 90 bricks used for the inner skin and partition walls of each of the homes. Architect Doug Morton of Pietermaritzburg-based Delta Design said this construction process had enabled streamlined construction and maximum use of floor space.

The end result is an aesthetically pleasing village and individual units that provide all the home comforts associated with the use of face brick. An added plus is the fact that the use of the Coromaxis for internal walls helped developers Howick Retirement Villages achieve significant construction savings.

Corobrik’s Director of Sales, KwaZulu-Natal, Mike Ingram confirmed that 7.5 million Montana Travertine Face Bricks, 5.6 million Coromaxi 90 NFP and 14 400 Terraforce L22 bricks had been used in the construction of the 795 units at Amber Valley.

One of the prime considerations was to create an environment with an understated ambience. Montana Travertine’s muted tones blend perfectly with the natural surrounds. Situated on the boundary of Howick, overlooking dams, streams and the surrounding countryside, Amber Valley has a strong eco-focus and incorporates substantial open areas. With no internal fences, game is free to roam the estate and graze along the many watercourses weaving through the village.
Low maintenance costs associated with face brick were also of primary importance. In a retirement village, where levies need to be kept to a minimum, clay face brick does not require ongoing painting as with conventional plastered walls.
The combination of facebrick and Corobrik Maxi bricks in conventional double skin construction not only contained costs but also helped optimize the benefits of clay brick construction. .

Ingram said the adjoining Amber Ridge Retirement Village â€" essentially an extension of Amber Valley but with a separate entrance - would use the same products as its neighbour. So far, 60 of the 200 units have been completed with approximately 450 000 Montana Travertine Face Bricks and 500 000 Coromaxi 900 NFP bricks having been delivered so far.