My task for 2009 is to explore the web, starting at a basic point and then following the links and seeing where I land.
I have always been fascinated with the fact that you can easily get 'lost' surfing the net, arriving at sites you had no intention of visiting and then feeling reluctant to find your way back to the starting site. Now I will just go with the tide and allow myself to be washed up on whatever site takes my fancy. The only requirement is that there must be a genuine link from one website to the next. The only time I would use a search engine would be the starting point.
Every journey has to start somewhere and I decided mine needed a substantial foundation. I went to Google and typed in brick and after rejecting the first couple that were film and song related, the next one being Wikipedia, I then had the choice of a number of Australian commercial brick sites. I am from Australia and thought that I had gone to the Australian Google site by mistake, but no, I had typed in www.google.com and then chose Search the web, but still managed to find Australian sites. Deciding that either Australia is the top producing brick company in the world or Google is Big Brother and knows I am Australian, I chose the site with the most interesting name:
http://www.thinkbrick.com.au/
I could earn a certificate in cleaning brocks! That sound like a worthy addition on my cv.
Why Brick? Seemed like the right question at this point in time so off I clicked. After passing over sustainability, thermal comfort, design, durability, the Three Little Pigs looked like they knew the answer, especially the one wearing the glasses. But I was tricked. There was no answer a click away but I could register for a free book. I had to tell them who I was and although it might be fun to pretend to be an architect, a town planner or a builder the only profession that I could relate to was a consumer. As well as choosing to receive the Three Little Pigs Book, I could request regular emails, Think Brick’s annual Facing Design magazine and updates on designing for climate locations. I ticked everything. The Three Little Pigs Book is coming by snail mail so I went back to the site to learn some more about bricks.
I find it hard to walk past a library without stepping inside and the Think Brick Reference Library had its link wide open. Did you know you can get Brick & Mortar Estimator Charts? That sounded pretty basic but I think you need a degree in brick laying to understand it. The number of bricks per square metre equals 46 per leaf – what sort of leaf could hold 46 bricks? Assuming the bricks were laid on flat, of course, as suggested.
Back to the library catalogue. The Story of Brick sounded more up my field. Australia’s first brick building, Government House was opened in 1789, thanks to the foresight of the person who remembered to pack 5,000 bricks and brick molds in the ships of the First Fleet. Just as well they did not get charged for luggage being overweight.
Every library needs a dictionary:
Bagging – a rough method of finishing brickwork (and I thought it was teasing someone).
Dwarf wall – any low wall. Also used for the wall that supports the floor joists. Aka sleeper wall.
Soldier – a brick laid on its end so that it’s greatest dimension is vertical (I went back to A to see if there was a definition for an army but no such luck).
What I learned that was special:
• There are more than 800 different brick colours, from the lightest of whites and creams to the darkest blues and purples.
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