News : Soldier brick stands out along top of new LEC

Soldier brick, the vertical decorative style used at the top of jail, is common in downtown Vinton.

When architects Rob Beck and Todd McNall of Design Dynamics began planning the new Benton County Law Enforcement Center (LEC), they wanted to create a building that would be consistent with architecture that surrounds the building.

One of the features they noticed in the brick buildings throughout the downtown area is the vertical decorative brick work of many styles that graces the tops of buildings.

The architects tried to represent that style with the new LEC, as they designed a layer of soldier brick near the top of the new building.

Jerry Petermeier pointed out that brick to local leaders during a tour on Tuesday.

The cleaning of the new brick, which took place on Thursday, makes it easier for passers-by to notice the architectural style of the bricks.