Spend a few minutes walking with Alan Sparkman around the Tennessee Concrete Association’s campus in Nashville and it is impossible not to be impressed. The TCA executive director has worked with his members and transformed this piece of land into a first class concrete demonstration facility – and folks are noticing. TCA regularly hosts groups of eager visitors who want to see the latest in concrete. For now, that is the beautiful Net Zero building TCA has constructed.

A third generation concrete guy, Alan (shown here at the Net Zero building) is only too happy to share what he knows, says NRMCA Senior Director, Building Innovations, Gregg Lewis who caught up with Sparkman and a group of architecture students from the University of Tennessee at the Nashville Civic Design Center. The students are designing a new headquarters building for TCA and will be conducting research to examine the possibility of making the new facility a LEED Platinum project. A LEED Accredited Professional himself, Alan believes the work he is doing with the design students at UT is a model that can be readily employed by any state association looking to inform the next generation of architects and engineers about the many benefits of building with concrete, adds Lewis.

"Here at NRMCA, we can’t wait to see what TCA comes up with next as it builds on its vast experience and commitment to building responsibly with concrete," Lewis said.

For more information, contact Gregg Lewis at glewis@nrmca.org.