Green Masonry: It's All About Energy

Building it green means building it right.

IF THERE IS ANY DOUBT about how mainstream energy efficiency has become, just listen to news coverage of the economic stimulus package. The nation’s economic and energy policies are clearly intertwined.

Masonry plays an important part in any energy efficient system, which means that it gets engineered in at the beginning, and it stays in. IMI’s portfolio of green services makes it easy for designers to incorporate masonry into their energy strategies, and for contractors to help them.

Through partnerships with the U.S. Green Building Council and the American Institute of Architects, IMI is a recognized educator on energy efficient masonry construction, LEED design and certification, quality assurance, and more.

IMI training and contractor education complete the picture, while the IMI LEED Checklist and the technical know-how behind it provide a roadmap for viable energy solutions.

Anybody can say they are “green,” but today's industry standards go by the LEED Accredited Professionals (LEED AP) process for determining "green-ness," where practitioners must demonstrate to USGBC “a thorough understanding of green building practices and principles.”

IMI Program Development Director Maria Viteri, AIA, LEED AP, is one of them. “Being able to understand the rating system and its holistic approach to sustainable design really benefits us,” says Viteri, who leads IMI's Green Strategy. “It supports our position that masonry is more than just a material choice, and shows how its attributes are integrated into energy efficient systems that address all facets of LEED.”