Innovation Starts with Concrete in Kansas City

Jonathan Arnold, president and CEO of Kansas City’s Arnold Development Group addressed the Closing General Session at NRMCA's ConcreteWorks last week in San Antonio, TX, by laying out his vision for the future of real estate development. From his experience, retrofitting old concrete warehouses for next generation housing, Arnold realized that concrete frame structures provide unparalleled long-term value and flexibility, allowing downstream investors to re-imagine the buildings’ futures. Combining concrete’s intrinsic value with forward-thinking financing and project delivery models, Arnold believes concrete will provide a template to meet the enormous housing production needs we can expect to face in the years ahead in this country.

During his presentation he pointed out how Integrated Project Delivery – or IPD – incentivizes a project team to join forces, working together to find savings while designing and constructing a more durable, hyper-efficient, and attractive multi-family project with 276 units. Using Western Forms to accelerate the construction schedule and reduce waste provides Arnold’s team with a forming system he had to go to South America to see first-hand despite the company’s location right around the corner from his office in Kansas City.

"The efficiencies that Arnold Development’s team have found offer a path for all developers in the multi-family sector to build new facilities that save tenants money, dramatically reduce the buildings’ energy consumption and carbon footprint, and offer an attractive investment option for even the biggest players in this arena," explains Gregg Lewis, NRMCA’s senior director, building innovations. "I hope that when we look back at this year’s watershed event in San Antonio we will recognize it for exactly what it was: concrete’s first step toward reestablishing its preeminence in mid-rise construction. If the Arnold Development team realizes even a fraction of its goals with this project it will revolutionize the way developers work and highlight how our industry can reclaim the mantle of sustainability where long-term value meets lowest first cost. It’s now up to us to take this example and show our colleagues in the design, construction and development industries that the best and most cost-effective design solutions are also the ones that improve our communities and bring green building right into the mainstream."