Masonry Magazine January 2010 Page. 20
The Sustainability of Block
The National Concrete Masonry Association reports on how making the case for the sustainability of masonry is getting a little easier.
BY ROBERT THOMAS
FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO A SUSTAINABLE BUILT ENVIRONMENT. While the visionaries for a more environmentally conscious approach to constructing our communities of the future charted a focused course toward clearly defined objectives, those of us boldly attempting to follow the magnificently paved yellow-brick road before us suddenly found ourselves at an abrupt impasse. While there was no direct barrier set in our way, thwarting further progress along our journey, we found ourselves mired in the realization that before us was now one of those road signs pointing to many different destinations along many different paths. And, while each sign clearly indicated that the destination for each path was a place called "sustainability," we were left with the vague impression that none of them led to the exact same place.
While perhaps not the creator of this movement, certainly the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) deserves tremendous credit for significantly raising a collective national consciousness of the impact that construction decisions made today will have on our communities and civilizations of tomorrow. More specifically, perhaps, the USGBC can be credited with encouraging a mindset of systematic evaluation of the long-term, ultimate, societal impact of all of the many design decisions that accompany the design of the structures we inhabit at rest, at work, and at play. The creation of the rating systems provided a straightforward evaluation approach for those that previously lacked either the ability to define their own sustainability goals or to clearly communicate those objectives and benefits for building owners. The bricks in the yellow-brick road were, thus, embossed with the acronym LEED.
However, we realize now that LEED is not the only path available, nor is there a single embraced concept of our ultimate destination. In fact, many have followed the LEED path for too long, and in a direction it was never intended to go. A recent study by the National Institute of Building Sciences reports rising concerns that many of our frequently used rating and certification systems may yield a negative impact on the building design and construction community. Their "Report on Building Rating and Certification in the U.S. Building Community" highlights some of the unintentional consequences of these rating systems, perhaps most notably, in their misapplication in the form of requirements rather than guidance.
LEED has not been a friend to the masonry industry and does not encourage users to take environmental advantages of what masonry materials have to offer. But, LEED has not proven to be an enemy or an insurmountable roadblock for masonry, either. LEED certifications can be achieved as readily using masonry materials as any other building systems. Masonry Magazine has profiled many such success stories in previous issues.