Custom-made is what we do

A façade brick can define the appearance of a building. We believe in the power of pure material. As third-generation brickmakers, we master the production process down to the smallest detail. Driven by curiosity, we explore the limits of this centuries-old craft.

We give pure materials new meaning

Only when you truly understand the material can you begin to vary it. With the atmosphere in the kiln, to reach that one colour or shade. With the recipe and the raw materials, to refine the quality. And with smarter techniques that make production more sustainable.

The right brick creates architectural expression and identity. By playing with forms, structures and patterns, it is possible to create something genuinely personal, something no one else has. That is how we give pure materials new meaning.

At Joseph Bricks, we swear by high-grade clay, sourced from renowned suppliers. We work only with the best clay and base brick. Our selection is rigorous, and we operate only within the highest grades. That is our Joseph Bricks guarantee. The result? A brick that is built to last, in every respect:

A life cycle of more than 100 years
Low water absorption, so it picks up less dirt

We believe the choice of façade brick is decisive for the expression of your home.

Now. Tomorrow. Always.

- Wim Heylen, Founder

Our smoked bricks

The Joseph Bricks collection comprises two kinds of brick. Smoked bricks: high-grade base bricks, sourced from renowned suppliers and then smoked by us to a distinctive colour nuance. We select these bricks, in standard formats, with the greatest care. And eco-smoked bricks: our own bricks, in special formats that we press, dry and fire ourselves. Firing and smoking happen in a single cycle, at our own brickworks alone. We call this process eco-smoking, and it means lower gas consumption and reduced CO2 emissions.

Custom-made façade bricks

A custom-made brick is also possible. With it, you can create façade effects with real character, effects that no one else has. A custom-made brick is particularly suited to giving a new-build project an unexpected accent, or to the restoration of historic monuments. And sometimes a custom-made brick is exactly what solves a construction challenge. At Joseph Bricks, we are glad to put our expertise to work and think it through with you.

Our history

1907

Bernard and Modest Heylen, sons of a miller, witnessed the arrival of the steam engine during the Industrial Revolution. In the Rupel region of Flanders, they started the family's first brickworks. A modest clay pit, but ambition in abundance.

1914-1918

Rails were essential for moving clay and bricks. During the war, however, the Germans requisitioned all of them. But determination was not in short supply: one night, brothers Bernard and Modest Heylen stole the rails back and buried them. As a result, they were the first to be back in production once the war ended. Modest Heylen died shortly after the war broke out.

1940-1945

The Second World War took hold, the second great war to reach Belgium in a short space of time. There was no demand for bricks; priorities lay elsewhere. All the Heylen brickworks stood idle for as long as the war lasted.

1960

A vast down-draught kiln was built. Production ran in three ring kilns. From then on, loads were moved by forklift.

1966

The brickworks in Terhagen was automated, gaining two tunnel kilns and automatic drying chambers. Joseph Heylen, Bernard's eldest son, built a new brickworks for façade bricks in Veldwezelt.

1995

The second generation split: three brothers divided the three brickworks between them. From then on, Joseph Heylen's branch continued on its own.

2004

In 2004, Joseph's son Wim Heylen took over the reins, keeping the family business on course and giving it direction.

2011

In 2011, the brickworks in Veldwezelt became part of a larger whole. That step secured the future of the business.

2016

In 2016, the eco brick slip was born. This entirely new brick slip plant, developed by Matthieu van de Berg and Wim Heylen, soon merged with a larger group. That partnership allowed them to move faster within the traditional heavy clay industry. The self-developed brick press, the hybrid drying chamber and a tunnel kiln with very low gas consumption show what that made possible.

2018

The clay runs deep. In 2018, Wim Heylen founded Smoked Bricks, now Joseph Bricks, named after his father Joseph Heylen.

SEE OUR COLLECTIONS FOR YOURSELF

We would be glad to welcome you to our showroom in Maasmechelen, by appointment. That way you can see our full collection at first hand.

Plan a visit