Deconstructed: Inside Vandersanden’s Pirrouet® – A New Era for Sustainable Brick Design
Rebecca Heald
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Welcome to this edition of Deconstructed – where we break down what is shaping the future of construction leadership, sustainability, and innovation.
This time, I’m taking you inside the world of Vandersanden and Vandersanden UK where full bricks, slip systems, renewable energy, and automation are setting a new standard for what is possible.
Here is what I saw. Here is what it means.
The Mission: Rethinking Brick for a Sustainable Future
In Brussels, I got a rare behind-the-scenes look at Vandersanden’s Pirrouet® range. Not just the finished products — the full innovation journey.
The day was packed:
What became clear fast: Vandersanden are not tweaking the edges. They are rebuilding the model.
Living Tomorrow: When Sustainability Meets Aesthetics
First stop, Living Tomorrow. Pirrouet® Prisma was used for the facade, and it instantly captured attention. This was not a gimmick.
The facade changed subtly with the light, offering depth, character, and energy without compromising on sustainability or circularity.
It proved something vital: You do not have to sacrifice beauty to drive change. You can, and must, have both.
Live Residential Project: Traditional Beauty, Modern Strength
Next was a live residential build using Pirrouet®. And the big question: does it really look as good as traditional brick?
Answer: yes. The facade was full of warmth, authenticity, and richness but delivered with lighter materials, faster installation, and stronger sustainability performance.
It was real-world proof that new methods can compete with traditional aesthetics without missing a beat.
Factory Floor: Powered by Innovation and Wind
After that, I headed to Vandersanden’s factories for both full Pirrouet® bricks and the slip systems.
The scale and sustainability of the operations were impressive. A huge on-site wind turbine powers most of the production, dramatically cutting carbon emissions.
Seeing bricks and slips being produced side by side hammered home a key point: Sustainability is not a marketing line. It is operational reality.
Inside the Innovation Centre: Where Tomorrow Gets Built
At Vandersanden’s Innovation Centre, I saw what is coming next. This is not a vanity project. It is a working hub where real challenges are being solved, from circular materials to smarter facade systems.
You could feel the intent:
It is ambitious but grounded in reality.
Robobrick®: Automation with Purpose
Finally, I got to watch Robobrick® in action.
This is not automation for automation’s sake. Robobrick® bonds bricks and slips to substrates faster, with greater precision, and using up to 60% less raw material and energy.
It addresses critical sector challenges:
Robobrick® shows that efficiency and sustainability can be allies, not enemies.
Deconstructed Takeaway: A Cautious but Excited Optimism
Vandersanden’s work with Pirrouet® is impressive. Seeing full bricks, slips, sustainable factories, live projects, and real innovation all in one day was a powerful signal that change is not coming. It is already happening.
Of course, as with any new technology, time will be the ultimate judge. Real-world performance, market adoption, and supply chain integration will decide the scale of impact.
But right now? This feels like a bold step forward that the entire sector should be paying attention to.
Pirrouet® is not just another brick. It is a blueprint for the future of sustainable facade design.
And personally, I am excited to see where this leads.
Before You Go…
Want to see what a sustainable brick revolution looks like? Check out the full article and image gallery from my trip: 👉 https://www.rebecca-heald.co.uk/post/inside-vandersanden-s-pirrouet-how-innovation-is-redefining-sustainable-brick-production
Stay bold. Stay curious. Keep breaking it down.
Rebecca Heald Deconstructed Unfiltered. Unapologetic. Unstoppable.
Sales Director at Vandersanden
4moThanks Rebecca I am glad you enjoyed the trip, thank you for the recognition of the steps we are taking at Vandersanden.
Thank you for highlighting the spirit behind Pirrouet® and Vandersanden!
Lyons & Annoot Ltd- Director- Business Development - Circulabrick
4moWe didn’t go too brick geeks so you were ok 😂 good blog. I will be honest I am a bit fed up of the naysayers and self focused provocateurs in our industry- there is so much opportunity out there today and I am glad as a business that we at Lyons & Annoot Ltd haven’t shifted our principles and have remained focused on ensuring these opportunities are seen. What we got with Vandersanden UK is a business that has looked at all impacts that could be there by the product being used- they were willing to listen to potential issues and how things could be bettered- they were willing to see why a bricklayer would be better than others at installing some of their new initiatives in line with the BSA. Where others blame the installers for their products not being used- Vandersanden looked at the opportunity- based on their over 5 year research which cost many tens of millions of euro. This is an exciting opportunity with a game changer.