April 1, 2026 Sustainable Brick Slips: Less Waste, More Character In an industry where material loss is unfortunately often the norm, we at FRONT look for ways to optimise how materials are produced and applied. WasteBasedSlips (sustainable brick slips) are a perfect example of this. WasteBasedSlips at the Adyen project in Amsterdam [credits: TANK / Teo Krijgsman] From 2-from-1 to 4-from-1 When traditional bricks are processed into brick slips, often only the outer faces are used. We call this 2-from-1: two slips are cut from one full brick. The core of the brick simply goes unused. The result is a linear system in which valuable material is lost, raw materials are not fully used and aesthetic variation remains limited. WasteBasedSlips take a fundamentally different approach. By using the entire brick, we cut no fewer than four slips from one WasteBasedBrick instead of two: 4-from-1. This means the same volume of material yields more, without compromising on quality or appearance. The impact is immediate: less waste per m² produced maximum use of a material that already consists of at least 60% waste more efficient use of energy and raw materials WasteBasedSlips Radish Punched & Sliced WasteBasedSlips Blackpepper Punched & Sliced Not only more efficient, but also richer in expression Besides reducing material loss, there is another important factor that makes the 4-from-1 principle interesting: what happens aesthetically. Alongside the familiar ‘punched’ outer face, sawing also introduces a ‘sliced’ surface that reveals the inside of the brick. Fragments of the original waste materials in the brick’s recipe come beautifully to the fore, creating an entirely new experience. The result is more colour variation within one product, visible layers and nuances, and a livelier façade. WasteBasedSlips Punched WasteBasedSlips Sliced WasteBasedSlips Punched + Sliced Practical impact for designers For architects, WasteBasedSlips open up new possibilities. Combining the punched and sliced surfaces of these sustainable brick slips gives the freedom to play with nuance, rhythm and detail. A façade changes with the light, with distance and with perspective. The material becomes not just a building component, but a design tool. By getting more out of one brick, we not only reduce waste. We also add a new layer to architecture: one in which circularity becomes visible. Want to know more about using it in your project? Request samples and/or a price indication.
WasteBasedSlips at the Adyen project in Amsterdam [credits: TANK / Teo Krijgsman] From 2-from-1 to 4-from-1 When traditional bricks are processed into brick slips, often only the outer faces are used. We call this 2-from-1: two slips are cut from one full brick. The core of the brick simply goes unused. The result is a linear system in which valuable material is lost, raw materials are not fully used and aesthetic variation remains limited. WasteBasedSlips take a fundamentally different approach. By using the entire brick, we cut no fewer than four slips from one WasteBasedBrick instead of two: 4-from-1. This means the same volume of material yields more, without compromising on quality or appearance. The impact is immediate: less waste per m² produced maximum use of a material that already consists of at least 60% waste more efficient use of energy and raw materials WasteBasedSlips Radish Punched & Sliced WasteBasedSlips Blackpepper Punched & Sliced Not only more efficient, but also richer in expression Besides reducing material loss, there is another important factor that makes the 4-from-1 principle interesting: what happens aesthetically. Alongside the familiar ‘punched’ outer face, sawing also introduces a ‘sliced’ surface that reveals the inside of the brick. Fragments of the original waste materials in the brick’s recipe come beautifully to the fore, creating an entirely new experience. The result is more colour variation within one product, visible layers and nuances, and a livelier façade. WasteBasedSlips Punched WasteBasedSlips Sliced WasteBasedSlips Punched + Sliced Practical impact for designers For architects, WasteBasedSlips open up new possibilities. Combining the punched and sliced surfaces of these sustainable brick slips gives the freedom to play with nuance, rhythm and detail. A façade changes with the light, with distance and with perspective. The material becomes not just a building component, but a design tool. By getting more out of one brick, we not only reduce waste. We also add a new layer to architecture: one in which circularity becomes visible. Want to know more about using it in your project? Request samples and/or a price indication.
