Working in partnership with EH Smith Cannock, Traditional Brick and Stone supplied over 80,000 Maranello facing bricks for the Cradley Heath Skills Campus — a landmark £9.3 million investment in further education and vocational training in the West Midlands.
Developed by The Sandwell Colleges and funded through Sandwell Council's Towns Fund Programme, the campus on Lower High Street, Cradley Heath officially opened in January 2026. The Maranello brick was selected to deliver the striking contemporary appearance demanded by this high-profile project.
Why Maranello Facing Bricks Were Chosen
Specifiers chose the Maranello brick for its high durability across a wide range of applications while maintaining a consistently high aesthetic finish. On the Cradley Heath Skills Campus, the brick was used across multiple bond patterns and incorporated purposely cut brick specials, enabling the design team to achieve the varied, visually dynamic elevations characteristic of modern educational architecture.
The Maranello provides:
Aesthetic versatility — suitable for multiple bond patterns and decorative brickwork detailing.
Compatibility with cut brick specials — allowing complex geometric features and refined visual accents.
Proven performance on education projects — a recognised choice for schools, colleges, and training facilities in the local area.
Visual impact at scale — with over 80,000 bricks supplied, the material's consistency of colour and texture was critical to the finished result.
The Project
The campus was designed as a purpose-built training and skills facility, developed through close collaboration between The Sandwell Colleges, Sandwell Council, the Rowley Regis Town Board, and regional contractor Speller Metcalfe.
Architecturally, the building makes a bold statement: structural brickwork forms the primary facade material, complemented by a full-height glazed lightwell and expansive views across the surrounding parkland. The choice of Maranello bricks gives the building a warm, grounded presence while supporting the contemporary design language throughout.
Internally, the campus provides industry-standard workshops for construction, engineering, plumbing, electrical installation, and carpentry; a specialist social and domiciliary care hub with simulated home care environments; flexible digital and computing suites; and accessible community spaces designed to reduce barriers to participation.
Maranello Bricks: A Popular Choice for Education Projects in the West Midlands
The Cradley Heath Skills Campus reinforces the Maranello brick's growing reputation as a preferred specification for education buildings across the Black Country and wider West Midlands. Its flexibility in design application — from standard coursing to complex cut specials and varied bond work — makes it well-suited to the demands of contemporary institutional architecture.
If you are specifying bricks for an education, civic, or commercial project in the region, contact Traditional Brick and Stone to discuss Maranello availability, sample requests, or project supply.
