Swift Bricks and the New Normal

How Scotland is Redefining Biodiversity in the Built Environment

Scotland’s decision to mandate swift nesting provision in all new residential developments marks a defining moment for the construction industry. It elevates biodiversity from a planning aspiration to a regulatory requirement, reinforcing the principle that nature-positive design must now sit alongside energy efficiency, safety and build quality as a core component of modern housing delivery.

Swifts are among the UK’s fastest-declining bird species, with population losses closely linked to changes in how buildings are constructed. As homes have become more airtight and façades increasingly sealed, the natural cavities swifts rely on for nesting have all but disappeared. For many years, the industry recognised the issue, yet practical solutions were repeatedly placed in the “too difficult” box — seen as disruptive to build programmes, costly, or reliant on awkward post-completion interventions.

That changed when Barratt Homes approached Manthorpe with a clear and practical challenge: develop a swift nesting solution that could be installed seamlessly during construction. The brief required the product to be quick and easy to fit, cost-effective, and capable of integrating into standard site workflows without impacting build schedules. In essence, it needed to behave exactly like a normal brick while delivering a meaningful ecological benefit.

The resulting Manthorpe Swift Nesting Brick demonstrated that biodiversity could be embedded into the build process without adding risk or complexity. Crucially, conservation expertise was fundamental to its development. The RSPB and Action for Swifts worked alongside Manthorpe to ensure the product provided the correct dimensions, access and internal environment needed for swifts to nest successfully. This collaborative approach bridged the long-standing gap between ecological ambition and practical construction delivery.

This same partnership informed the development of the Dual Swift Nesting Brick, with the RSPB again providing input to refine and improve the design. Today, the Dual Swift Nesting Brick is the predominant solution used across Scotland — a direct reflection of how well it aligns with Scottish housing construction.

Timber-frame construction is widely used in Scotland, typically with narrow cavity walls. Designed to perform in cavities down to 50mm, the Dual Swift Nesting Brick is ideally suited to these build types, enabling developers to comply with biodiversity requirements without altering wall build-ups or compromising thermal performance. Its ambidextrous design allows installation on either side of the wall, offering valuable flexibility on site.

To support rendered façades and mixed-material designs, a variant front-slip option is also available. This includes an entrance hole former to ensure correct access for swifts while allowing the external finish to remain consistent with surrounding elevations — an important detail for maintaining visual coherence in both contemporary and traditional render-led schemes.

Replacing two standard bricks, the unit blends seamlessly into the masonry façade while providing a spacious nesting area for swifts. It can be installed during construction using standard bricklaying techniques, and also fitted retrospectively, making it suitable for refurbishment and existing buildings as expectations around biodiversity continue to grow.

Taken together, these features make Swift Bricks a practical, cost-effective and scalable approach to delivering ecological enhancement. Scotland’s mandate demonstrates what is possible when regulation, industry collaboration and intelligent product design align — setting a new benchmark for integrating biodiversity directly into the fabric of our homes.

For more details, visit https://www.manthorpebp.co.uk or contact mbp.care@manthorpebp.co.uk.