NRMCA Discusses Build with Strength Campaign to USGBC Chapter in Florida

The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) is widely recognized as the leader in addressing sustainability in buildings, aka – green building through its LEED certification. Organizations such as NRMCA have become members through the USGBC's national organization. However, it is at the state level, in chapters, where the "recycled rubber" meets the "concrete road". State chapters are where individuals become members. This is where local designers, engineers, consultants, developers and owners attend a variety of education and networking events regularly. As a result, NRMCA’s Michael Wymant last Friday presented the Build with Strength campaign to promote our design assistance program to the North Florida chapter at its monthly lunch and learn in Pensacola, FL, to more than 25 local builders, sustainability specialists, consultants and engineers entrenched in projects along with advocates of building with concrete, including a developer and an ICF installer who shared the success of their buildings.

"It was a great conversation among the group, with many strong feelings about first cost vs. long term investments and ROI," Wymant said. "It was a representation of the emotions and perspectives of those building mid-rise construction right now in this region."

 

Framing the conversation around the goal of USGBC’s market transformation and the Build with Strength campaign is quite compelling, he added. "Many USGBC members, LEED AP’s in particular, understand the issues and they need help convincing their clients to also get past first cost. Our Build with Strength campaign advocates Integrated Project Delivery and stopping the regular design protocol to look at better options – concrete options. That’s how we get the market transformation we need."

 

Wymant left the event with requests for assistance on two local projects. NRMCA members who work with developers in their markets will soon have these projects and others to use as examples to help them promote building with concrete to their contacts. NRMCA staff can support these efforts in a variety of ways, including offering our free design assistance services to help developers move toward building better with concrete.