This project adopted traditional 19th Century brickwork techniques, including the use of lime mortar, alongs E20 is the fictional postcode for Albert Square in the BBC series East Enders and was used as the project name  for the rebuilding of the set to facilitate filming in high definition digital. Brick was integral to the project as the set was based on a predominantly Victorian neighbourhood with various post WW2 ‘infill’ buildings.

With regards to the build itself there were two major components that made the build unique. Firstly was the delivery of the project en-masse, not as a conventional group of housing and shops but as a 21st Century film set with many of the buildings timber or steel frame with masonry (brick & stone) facades with functioning sets located behind them.

The second and most unusual element was the fact that the facades had to be exact copies of the original set, down to imperfections in mortar beds, weathering, colouring, etc. This required an exceptional level of workmanship across our team, from the initial surveys of the set in conjunction with the client to the building, tinting and painting of the finished masonry. Each façade was broken down into grids creating a series of quality control hold points that were signed off at each phase – laying of the bricks & raking out, pointing, tinting/colouring. At each phase LMB, Wates and the BBC had to sign off before work progresses 

In total 12 different brick types were used on the project, a mix of metric and imperial sizes, new and reclaimed. Three different blocks were used on the project with different aesthetic properties. Both lime and cementitious mortars were used across the project.

Modern methods of construction were used to accelerate build time. Off-site manufactured arches,  some concrete backed and others on a steel backing structure, were utilised, most notably on the railway viaduct. Within the railway arches the vaulted ceilings were stainless steel backed with brick slips glued in place.  A mix of; decorative wet cast stone, stone paving, GRC cornice, GRP cornice and copings were also installed. Decorative walling blocks were sourced and installed for the garden walls to exactly match the existing set

Tinting was carried out in house by LMB - mixing up different tints specific not only to each individual building but also within each element of the façade. and applying to match the existing set.

In all the project utilised all the talents of both traditional and modern bricklaying as well as modern methods of off-site construction. The key however was, high levels of management, from the Project Manager to individual Charge Hands, attention to detail and a rigorous Quality Management Plan.