Located a mile from Leicester city centre next to De Montfort University, the newly completed Vera Mitchell Building delivers 122 high‑quality contemporary apartments across eight floors. Originally conceived as accommodation for healthcare workers at Leicester Royal Infirmary, the scheme later transitioned into open‑market residential use, prompting an internal redesign while maintaining the building’s established external form and striking fenestration.

Designed by Staniforth Architects for developer Mitchian Group, the project sits within an historic industrial context once defined by 19th‑century hosiery and footwear warehouses. This heritage directly informed the massing, detailing and crucially the brick specification.

Project architect Mathew Bell explains that the team set out to anchor the development within Leicester’s recognisable vernacular: “The original concept was very buff looking in appearance, but it didn’t quite fit with Leicester’s vernacular, which is very much a red brick. We were keen to get that identity back into the building.”

To echo the area’s industrial past, the facade employs large glazed openings with deep reveals, referencing the rhythm of Victorian warehouse bays. Between them sit exceptionally narrow brick piers, in places just a brick‑and‑a‑half wide with millimetre tight reveals, demanding precise detailing and material reliability. A refined palette of three materials was chosen: Vandersanden’s Old Windsor facing bricks, green‑turquoise accent cladding, glazing in generous, vertically oriented bays.

The aim, Bell notes, was a “fairly neutral palette with subtle natural variation” that could contribute warmth and texture without overwhelming the building’s clean architectural lines.

Vandersanden’s Old Windsor multi brick emerged as the ideal solution. Its nuanced blend of soft orange and natural tones allowed the design team to re‑establish a Leicester‑specific identity while avoiding the monotony of a single‑colour facade.

Bell highlights the importance of this characteristic:
“We wanted a multi brick rather than a completely flat facade. Old Windsor gave us very natural, subtle variation - a soft and warm tone that fits our design language. It’s not a harsh red facing brick, and it’s not a London Common; it sits comfortably in between. We frequently specify Vandersanden’s bricks and find the multi bricks in particular offer great variety.”

Brick Details and Craftsmanship
The design introduces elegant brick detailing to enrich and enhance the facade. This included protruding header courses, extending by approximately 25mm, which created a distinctive hit‑and‑miss‑style vertical feature wall along the windowless elevation, adding rhythm, depth and shadow.

A Confident New Resident in Leicester’s Urban Landscape
Construction completed in September 2025, with the building later shortlisted for a Leicestershire ProCon Award. The scheme has been widely praised for its contextual approach and robust materiality.

The Vera Mitchell Building now stands as a thoughtful, contemporary addition to Leicester’s streetscape. One that respects its industrial heritage while offering a fresh architectural presence. Vandersanden’s Old Windsor brick plays a central role in that identity, delivering the warmth, variation, and authenticity needed to tell that story.

For more information about this project and on Vandersanden’s Old Windsor bricks and the wide range of high-quality bricks available from Vandersanden, visit the Vandersanden website here.