Buy a loft downtown. You need to leave the walls and insulation the heck alone unless you like freezing to death in the winter, burning to death in the summer, and cutting the resale value of the home in half.

Your original idea of installing a brick facade with extra-thin bricks made for the purpose will work better. Cinder block is often used in inexpensive, budget-driven large projects such as college dormitories. It is noisy, looks cheap, and is hard to install things on. If left bare instead of having a stud wall attached, it is not well insulated.

It also works as a fire guard leavi it be and cover with brick veneer if you love that look

Points taken. We'll look at the brick instead.