[war1025]

> Many parts of the US prefer the aesthetics of brick

At least around here, if you want the aesthetic, you go for wood frame with brick facade.

How does brick work for modern wiring, plumbing, insulation needs? Most of that stuff is traditionally routed at least partially through load bearing walls.

[serf]

>How does brick work for modern wiring, plumbing, insulation needs? Most of that stuff is traditionally routed at least partially through load bearing walls.

it's not much different other than the addition of a masonry drill bit.

in the case of very large plumbing, sometimes whole bricks are left out and the area filled/finished with a conrete mixture and left to set around the pipe.

[SEJeff]

Yes. Modern brick buildings generally have load bearing frames and then brick in place of vinyl, but they're still called brick houses :)

External walls being load bearing is generally not a thing anymore since the "invention" of sensible construction methods and steel re-inforced cement / concrete.