With block, the environment doesn’t have to pay a steep cost for architectural beauty. Made in America with minimal waste, concrete masonry has a smaller carbon footprint than other options — and not just in the manufacturing and transportation processes. Thanks to its ability to sequester carbon, block also helps offset the carbon emissions so typical of new builds.
Because there’s nothing more beautiful than building for tomorrow.
CMUs begins to sequester carbon from the atmosphere as soon as they’re formed through a process called carbonation. Once that block is set in place, its calcium hydroxide makeup reacts with carbon dioxide to form calcium carbonate, a solid mineral that effectively locks in carbon. This naturally occurring process can help offset new-build carbon emissions.
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Sustainability claims don’t always account for the considerable transportation costs associated with sourcing building materials from afar. CMU is produced at a local level all across the US, which helps builders comply with green building requirements mandating that materials be sourced near their jobsite.
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Concrete masonry is recycled by crushing and grinding previously used concrete into aggregate, which can then be used as a base material for roadways or as a component in concrete mixes for new construction.
“CMU enabled us the flexibility and freedom to achieve a contemporary building using a timeless material. The Renton School District will benefit from the durability and maintainability of this material for years to come.”
– Andrew Cottrill, Project Architect, BLRB Architects
When the Renton School District sought to build a state-of-the-art early childhood center, they wanted a contemporary educational facility that encouraged learning in a radiant, welcoming atmosphere. Little did they know that upon completion they would earn a Citation Award from American School and University Magazine.
BLRB Architects was given creative license to design a building that would endure for generations while exuding visual appeal different than the traditional gray concrete block or red brick that was prominently used for schools in past decades.
Thinking outside the box, BLRB chose a variety of block colors, textures, and sizes for a more contemporary aesthetic. This particular CMU features CarbonCure technology that utilizes recycled carbon dioxide (CO2) to improve its compressive strength. The CO2 from smokestacks is repurposed by injecting it into the concrete, where it chemically converts into a solid mineral. CarbonCure is one of several emerging technologies that are making concrete masonry units safer, stronger and greener.
Joel E. Ferris High School in Spokane, Washington is one of the region’s largest high schools with nearly 1,700 students. It was recently replaced and modernized, condensing 20 buildings from the original 1963 campus to a single, 265,000 square foot two-story building comprising 85 classrooms, a cafeteria and a gymnasium. NAC Architecture entrusted the building envelope to concrete masonry and face brick, with split- and ground-face CMU adding exterior contrast throughout. While students are typically the ones earning the accolades, this striking structure received several Northwest Concrete Masonry Association (NWCMA) awards for exceptional concrete masonry design
Joel E. Ferris High School in Spokane, Washington is one of the region’s largest high schools with nearly 1,700 students. It was recently replaced and modernized, condensing 20 buildings from the original 1963 campus to a single, 265,000 square foot two-story building comprising 85 classrooms, a cafeteria and a gymnasium. NAC Architecture entrusted the building envelope to concrete masonry and face brick, with split- and ground-face CMU adding exterior contrast throughout. While students are typically the ones earning the accolades, this striking structure received several Northwest Concrete Masonry Association (NWCMA) awards for exceptional concrete masonry design
Joel E. Ferris High School in Spokane, Washington is one of the region’s largest high schools with nearly 1,700 students. It was recently replaced and modernized, condensing 20 buildings from the original 1963 campus to a single, 265,000 square foot two-story building comprising 85 classrooms, a cafeteria and a gymnasium. NAC Architecture entrusted the building envelope to concrete masonry and face brick, with split- and ground-face CMU adding exterior contrast throughout. While students are typically the ones earning the accolades, this striking structure received several Northwest Concrete Masonry Association (NWCMA) awards for exceptional concrete masonry design
