The external blockwork to Cockpit's new rear studio building is now complete. The block — Forticrete's 'Flint' finish in a bespoke mix of pink and grey tones — took ten weeks from order to arrival on site, a lead time that pushed the programme but was worth the wait.

The choice came from a long conversation with Cockpit about what the new building should feel and look like alongside the existing brick fabric of their Deptford site. The Forticrete block has a mineral, almost geological quality in the right light. Sample panels were laid and reviewed on site before the full order was placed. Now that the outer leaf is complete, the building's character is established: quiet and solid from the yard, with the Velfac glazing and Eternit cladding providing the relief. Internal works and first fix are now progressing toward completion.