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The judges selected second place winner Janie Kronk, Clemson University, for a concept of creating pre-cast concrete panels that could be used as a matrix for growing plants on the exterior of a building.
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“The sustainable solution is Fusion,” wrote Lamp in his winning entry. “Two materials have the same goal; to make an efficient, sustainable structure. The materials complement the other in achieving this goal.”
The judges selected for second place a concept of creating pre-cast concrete panels that could be used as a matrix for growing plants on the exterior of a building. Janie Kronk from Clemson University envisioned her "Green Façade" as the exterior of a multistory Southern Agricultural Museum. The panels would be cast using a heavily textured polyethylene sheeting form that would create openings into the panels. Plants would be grown in the openings, then the growing panels would be attached to the building. Windows in the building would allow access to the green façade and views of the root structure. “Planted panels become a laboratory of growth, sustaining knowledge of local plants and agriculture,” wrote Kronk. “A place of agricultural memory and education, the museum building becomes a living exhibit and demonstration.”
Chosen for third place is a proposed bus terminal with a concrete roof reminiscent of the Dulles Airport terminal. Matthew Richardson of Morgan State University, however, would incorporate light-transmitting fiber optics into the concrete (called Litracon by its inventor) and would lay out the reinforcing steel mimicking the rib pattern of a lily pad. “My design also anticipates night lighting the slab as a luminous body by casting LED lighting into the center of the slab with a complementary set of optical glass fibers,” writes Richardson.
Honorable mentions went to students at the University of Utah, Clemson University, and the Israeli Institute of Technology. Nearly $40,000 in cash and PCA concrete design software was awarded to the winning students and their schools.
The 2007 competition has been expanded into two categories, components and complete structures. Winners were announced late summer.
“The future success of sustainable development rests on a solid understanding of fundamentals and innovative applications by aspiring young architects,” said David Shepherd, PCA director of sustainable development. “PCA sponsored this ACSA competition with a focus on sustainability to help bridge that gap.”
Resources for Sustainable Concrete Design and Construction
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A proposed bus terminal with a concrete roof by Matthew Richardson, Morgan State University, earned third prize.
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AMERICAN CONCRETE INSTITUTE (
WWW.CONCRETE.ORG): DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION PUBLICATIONS FROM THE INDUSTRY-LEADING TECHNICAL SOCIETY
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CONCRETE CONTRACTORS (
WWW.ASCCONLINE.ORG) THE BEST CONSTRUCTION METHODS FOR CONCRETE
AUTOCLAVED AERATED CONCRETE PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION (
WWW.AACPA.ORG): TECHNICAL INFORMATION AND PHOTOS OF AAC BUILDINGS.
CONCRETE THINKER (
WWW.CONCRETETHINKER.ORG): PCA’S SITE ON CONCRETE’S SUSTAINABILITY HAS A VAST LIBRARY OF VALUABLE RESOURCES
CONCRETE BUILDINGS (
WWW.CONCRETEBUILDINGS.ORG): INFORMATION ON TILT-UP AND ICF CONSTRUCTION
CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION AND RESIDENTIAL CONCRETE MAGAZINES (
WWW.CONCRETECONSTRUCTION.NET): EXTENSIVE ARCHIVES ON CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION
CONCRETE HOMES WEBSITE (
WWW.CONCRETEHOMES.COM): PCA’S RESIDENTIAL WEBSITE INCLUDING THE CONCRETE HOMES NEWSLETTER
CONCRETE HOMES COUNCIL (THROUGH THE CONCRETE FOUNDATIONS ASSOCIATION,
WWW.CFAWALLS.ORG): INFORMATION ON CAST-IN PLACE REMOVABLE FORM CONCRETE HOUSING
CONCRETE HOMES MAGAZINE (
WWW.CONCRETEHOMESMAGAZINE.COM)
CONCRETE NETWORK (
WWW.CONCRETENETWORK.COM): BUILDER REFERRALS AND EXTENSIVE INFORMATION ON DECORATIVE CONCRETE
INSULATING CONCRETE FORMS ASSOCIATION (
WWW.FORMS.ORG): INFORMATION ON ICF MATERIALS, DESIGN, AND CONSTRUCTION
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HOMEBUILDERS (
WWW.NAHB.ORG): ACCESS THROUGH THE BUILDING SYSTEMS COUNCIL TO THE CONCRETE HOME BUILDING COUNCIL AND ITS NEWSLETTER
NATIONAL CONCRETE MASONRY ASSOCIATION (
WWW.NCMA.ORG): RESOURCES ON CONCRETE BLOCK DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
NATIONAL READY-MIXED CONCRETE ASSOCIATION (
WWW.NRMCA.ORG): EXTENSIVE INFORMATION AND BACKGROUND RESOURCES ON CONCRETE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
PORTLAND CEMENT ASSOCIATION (
WWW.CEMENT.ORG): RESOURCES ON EVERY TYPE OF CONCRETE APPLICATION INCLUDING COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS, HOMES AND PAVEMENT
PRECAST/PRESTRESSED CONCRETE INSTITUTE (
WWW.PCI.ORG): EVERYTHING ABOUT FACTORY PRODUCED PRECAST CONCRETE
TILT-UP CONCRETE ASSOCIATION (
WWW.TILT-UP.ORG): DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION INFORMATION ON TILT-UP BUILDINGS
