Can you share some photos? It is hard to picture it - and especially if you are covering existing stone/brick

What is "Topping up a bungalow" ?

Have the person that designed the house advise you.

I too wonder what topping up is. We need pictures and also why are you covering existing brick ?

Just guessing ...

"topping up a bungalow" is Canadian for adding a 2nd story to a single story house.

Correct guess with regard to topping up. We are expanding a bungalow, and adding a second floor on top.

Our Construction manager is suggesting thin brick on front, and stucco on the other three walls. He says this will be significant savings.

I’m not sure what pictures to include, because as of now, it’s just my existing bungalow. Demo doesn’t start for a couple of weeks.

I guess I am just wondering, as to aesthetics and performance with regard to thin brick versus traditional brick. Every YouTube video I am seeing seems to imply that as long as there is the air pocket between, there really is no big difference.

I’m not sure what pictures to include

Do you have drawings that show what will be built (elevations or renderings)?

Why a combination of brick and stucco?

You mentioned " existing bricks/stones ". A picture of the house as it is now will let us see them and how they relate to the house.

This is what the rendering looks like. And this is the front of the house currently.

Big change! And a nice looking new home.

Why mix brick and stucco? Why not all stucco?

For some reason, I’ve always been under the impression that stucco reduces value, and perhaps gets dirtier?

WOW sorry I would not be adding a second storey and BTW I am Canadian and never head that expression.

Choose 1 material for the exterior. Classic lap siding would look good on that facade, if you don’t care for stucco.

Stucco does not reduce value. But there is still an old cultural norm where some people think a fully brick house is the ultimate in building material and value. Many, actually most American homes, have the "public" money facade only be on the front, with the two sides that are often close to neighbors being muted, and the back being no money left and no perspective view to see it as the front is seen anyway. It's nice to design all 4 elevations at the same level, but that starts with budget and the floor plan, which is not reality for 98% of projects.

As far as using full brick, if you were to do that you would be better off demo'ing the existing brick and stone and replacing it with the new brick veneer, not hanging another new wythe in front of the old existing. This would be the least complicated detailing, but much more expensive.

Thin brick over the existing is a viable alternative, as long as it is installed correctly. You will also have some specific details to hammer out on the existing first floor like at window returns and sills. And regardless if stucco or thin brick, the bigger detail is the transition from the 2nd floor to the 1st, in getting those planes flush. Stucco (cementious or EIFS) is a much better choice than siding to go over existing brick on the other 3 elevations.