Potomac Valley Brick presents the 2nd Annual BrickStainable International Design Competition. The Competition seeks integrative solutions for a building using clay masonry units (brick) as a primary material. Current Green and Living Building initiatives acknowledge the importance of integrated design solutions to achieve sustainability goals. This competition seeks to explore the potential of brick construction in the creation of an energy efficient building. Design teams are challenged to maximize the physical characteristics of this construction in the creation of integrated design solutions utilizing the physical characteristics of this material such as thermal mass, porosity (or lack thereof), modularity, color, etc.

In the A/E industry, the growing interest in sustainable “green” products is more prevalent now than ever. Potomac Valley Brick felt a need to focus on how masonry products can play a major role in LEED and energy efficient design. In 2009 PVB hosted the first, BrickStainable: Re-Thinking Brick design competition. Since brick is intrinsically sustainable and often overlooked, this competition was launched to help promote this age-old material into today’s green building spotlight.

The focus of the BrickStainable Competition is to encourage people to think beyond all boundaries and “re-think” brick in the context of its material qualities and current construction technologies. We hope you find the award winning designs from BrickStainable 2009 inspiring and thought-provoking.

It is the goal of this Competition not only to stimulate ideas about this material, but also to document and share the best of those ideas with the design community and other influential associations through publications and distribution via the internet.

The Second Annual BrickStainable International Design Competition offers two separate entry categories for maximum flexibility.

1. Integrated Building Design
Design a building, based on the proposed program, focusing on architectural innovations to preserve tomorrow’s resources incorporating an integrative design.

2. Technical Design
Design a single element of a building that provides a sustainable solution to real-world environmental challenges.

COMPETITION GOALS

It is the goal of this Competition not only to stimulate ideas about this material, but also to document and share the best of those ideas with the design community and other influential associations through publications and distribution via the internet.

Our short term goal is to stimulate the local and international design community by challenging them with a competition seeking ideas, concepts and assemblies which hold the greatest potential for shifting paradigms for the masonry industry as they relate to energy efficiency and environmental regenerative building design; thus, bringing broad awareness to the intrinsic sustainable properties of the oldest manufactured building material: brick.

Our long term vision is to raise the bar for sustainable design in all areas of the built environment. Our design competition can be used as a model for other industries with like-minded efforts. PVB is committed to expanding awareness to the entire construction industry by broadening the challenge as the competition evolves. Products with similar sustainable qualities as clay masonry have the potential to take us to carbon neutrality through integrative design. As this initiative continues to develop and we obtain support from other industries that believe in our vision, the built environment will move toward standards and practices that demand the use of all inherently sustainable materials.

CREDITS

Potomac Valley Brick & Supply
Alan Richardson, President
Scott Simmons, LEED AP, Green Team
Jason Raivel, Green Team
Craig Linehan, Green Team
Karli Simmons, Marketing

Competition Consultants
Doo Consulting, LLC
Peter Doo, AIA, LEED AP, President
Robert Busler, AIA