The Santa Fe Modern Home Featuring Clay Imports Dulce Breeze Block Wall
Breeze block summer is in full swing! One of Austin’s best tile installers, Joel Kreuzer of Kreuzer Tile and Chris Wood of Ritual Wood designed and installed a beautiful Dulce Breeze Block Accent Wall for a newly renovated modern home in Austin by Brien Silver. The “Santa Fe Modern” is tucked away in a quiet South Austin neighborhood in Oak Hill. We had a chance to speak to Kreuzer Tile about the benefits of Breeze Block walls and their experience installing these gorgeous accent pieces throughout Austin.
Welding the metal frame for the Breeze Block wall. Photo courtesy of Kieran Reeves.
The Build
Brien Silver approached Kreuzer Tile for the project after coming across their previous Breeze Block wall work on Instagram. Joel Kreuzer tells us clients fall in love with the aesthetic that Breeze Block walls add to their space.
“They play with light a lot. People often don't think about that too much, but when you're outside, and you get the shadows from the breeze blocks, they add a really cool effect to your space.”
Breeze Block walls provide a unique contrast, shape, and design that you can't get with any other material.
“I'm a big fan of the breeze blocks. I actually have a huge pile of them sitting in my backyard. Not only that, I'm currently in the process of building my own house, and we're going to incorporate a breeze block wall into our patio.” - Joel Kreuzer
Photo courtesy of Kieran Reeves
The Design
Kreuzer Tile’s design process for breeze blocks is pretty straightforward. For the installer of 10 years, It's all about figuring out the layout, and where they will go. Function and proper installation is always the main focus.
Kreuzer had concrete beams poured into the ground, then made concrete forms, poured concrete, and put rebar in them. They then hide the rebar in the design of the breeze block wall.
“I want the breeze blocks to speak for themselves and be the feature piece without drawing attention to a bunch of metal that's holding it up.”
Breeze Block wall glowing in the Texas sun. Photo courtesy of Clay Imports
The Installation
Having installed Breeze Blocks before, Kreuzer knew how to best work with them.
Kreuzer designed some steel beams to run integrated inside the Breeze Blocks. They’re hidden inside the grout line to help functionally. Installation wise, there's a lot more that goes into it than just sticking the blocks together.
Kreuzer Tile also cautions us that Breeze Blocks are sturdy but not designed to bear a load.
Brien Silver’s Vintage Mustang. Photo courtesy of Clay Imports.
Kreuzer Tile & WaldWerx
“I like quality. I like craftsmanship” says Joel Kreuzer as he explains why he focuses on handmade products and sourcing locally.
Joel Kreuzer, expert tile installer and owner of Kreuzer Tile. Photos courtesy of Joel Kreuzer and Clay Imports.
“It's not just something pulled out of some giant factory that's shipped overseas and nobody knows where they came from or how they were made. That's why my business has a focus on using the Breeze Blocks or handmade tile.”
Handmade products add a unique design element to every project, it’s what separates Joel’s work from the rest. He also recently founded Waldwerx, expanding his build services, so your project is in capable hands from start to finish.
“There’s a lot of thought and detail that goes into our projects. That's what I love.”
Dive into the visual beauty of breeze block installation with our short video below. Captured in high detail, it's a mesmerizing peek into the artistry and precision of this craft.
We hope you enjoyed this article! Remember to check out Brien Silver and Joel Kreuzer on Instagram. And, if you have any questions or require more information, don't hesitate to reach out to us at contact@clayimports.com.
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