The innovative trinity of Nelissen
Developing bricks with architects, colour experiments with property developers, collaborations with artists and product designers… innovation is one of Nelissen’s core values. Because you cannot live up to 100 if you do not dare to innovate every day. So obviously, a book containing Nelissen stories needs an anthology of our innovations. We highlight three of these: the Dubio sets you off on the wrong foot with a smile, the N70 is the godfather of innovation, and Iso-Façade combines insulation with brick slip variations.
De Dubio is het geesteskind van Roel Vandebeek, productontwerper uit Maasmechelen:
The Dubio is the brainchild of Roel Vandebeek, product designer from Maasmechelen: ‘The Triennial of Design in Ghent gave me the impetus for the Dubio. In the run-up to this lodestone for designers, the organisers challenged us to create a new product around the theme of “craftsmanship”.’
“De Triënnale voor Vormgeving in Gent gaf me de aanzet voor de Dubio. In de aanloop naar deze hoogmis voor designers, daagden de organisatoren ons uit om een nieuw product te creëren rond het thema ‘ambacht’.”
The illusion of three bricks
‘Many of my colleagues worked with wood, leather, or textiles’, says Vandebeek. ‘But I wanted to work with a typically Belgian and traditionally crafted product, the brick. I knew that slim, glued bricks were on the rise through my wife and my brother-in-law, both architects. That’s where I started sketching with respect for the distinctive simplicity of the product. And that led to the Dubio. Thanks to one or two shadow joints, you get the impression that there are two or three bricks on top of each other, when in fact it is only one brick. This opens up new possibilities for architects to be creative with a brick façade.’
With this concept in hand, Vandebeek knocked on Nelissen’s door: ‘When I presented the Dubio, I felt that Nelissen immediately saw potential in the brick. Also, the risk of making the brick was limited and feasible in terms of budget. The Dubio is well thought-out, easy to make, and it is easy to lay at building sites. One and a half years after the concept presentation, the revolutionary brick was in production. The additional shadow joints give façades their own personality.’
“ You can't live up to 100 if you don't dare to innovate every day. ”
Smaller brick gives extra living space
The Dubio is a variation on the N70, itself an innovative brainchild of Nelissen Steenfabrieken. A standard brick is 10 centimetres wide, but the N70 is only 7 centimetres wide. This makes it highly suitable for random brick bonds and laying with thin joints. It gives the brick more character, while the walls you lay with this brick are thinner. By making the brick three centimetres narrower, you gain three to four square metres of interior space in an average home. This comes in handy for extra insulation of your home. At the same time, you save on mortar because you bond the N70 onto the façade with glue. Finally, it is lighter and thus less damaging to the environment.
A complete solution for better insulation
Nelissen offers a wide assortment of bricks in a wide colour mix. At the same time, the family business is also developing new construction techniques. Iso-Façade for example, where you simply glue and screw insulation boards directly onto the interior wall. On these boards you can glue a variety of brick slips in different brick bonds. This allows you to insulate quickly and in one movement – from below ground level up to the ridge – without thermal bridges. This all-in-one system can be used for any building style. Iso-Façade is also water-resistant. In short, it’s a flexible system that spares the environment and broadens your creative scope.
