The winners of IMI’s 2024 JBC Masonry Innovation Award Competition boldly redefine design and construction practices now and into the future.
The innovative projects explore new possibilities for the masonry industry, from augmented reality-aided construction, to flood control solutions, to circular economies for brick, and zero carbon block.
“The future of built construction looks a little bit different than what we’ve been used to,” said Mike Schmerbeck, President of the International Council of Employers of Bricklayers and IMI Co-Chair. “Innovation has never been more critical. The masonry industry needs to continue to adapt to meet the growing demand for sustainability, which comes to the forefront in this year’s winning projects.”
Architecture and engineering practice, Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill (SOM), won in the firm/multi-disciplinary category for their research with Princeton’s Form Finding Lab into how mixed-reality tools can unlock new possibilities for digital fabrication and sustainable construction.
The first test of this research was installed at the European Cultural Centre’s Time Space Existence exhibition in Venice, where skilled masons used an augmented reality interface to construct a self-supporting, double-curved brick vault in the courtyard. To construct the vault's complex geometry, brick masons used an augmented reality (AR) headset to refer to a digital model, which guided the placement and orientation of each brick. The masons accessed the model via twenty Quick Response (QR) codes placed around the construction site, reducing the time spent reading construction drawings and assembling on-site guide work.
“Angelus Novus” vault was on public display at the Palazzo Mora during the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale. The project was developed by an international team of expert engineers, led by Sigrid Adriaenssens (Form Finding Lab at Princeton University), Alessandro Beghini (SOM), Carlo Olivieri (Pegaso University), Vittorio Paris (University of Bergamo), and Wesam Al Asali (IE University). It was constructed by the Spanish masonry institute Centro Educativo para la Regeneración de Construcción y Arquitectura Artesanal (CERCAA) and Italian General Contractor Taramelli srl.
©Dave Burke/SOM
Since then, SOM and the International Masonry Institute have continued to expand on the possibilities of AR-aided construction. In 2024, with the collaboration of researchers from the above-mentioned universities and the help of skilled BAC masons, they constructed a brick pavilion with a curved geometry, perforation, and complex corbeling that challenges the limits of brick construction. The integration of mixed reality was “game-changing” for the masons—the technology helped reduce construction time and streamline collaboration between the designers and builders through real-time updates to the digital model.
“It’s exciting to see the masonry industry embrace this technology and have a willingness to experiment and evolve with it,” said SOM Director of Research and Innovation Chas Peppers.
“Modular Ecologies,” a masonry solution for flood control, won in the Young Architect Category.
Submitted by Zhan Chen, Professor of Architecture at Kansas State University, and Brantley Highfill, Architect at Wedge Architects, Modular Ecologies looks to permeable, prefabricated masonry planks called GeoPlanks as a sustainable solution to rising sea levels.
The system can create corrugated landscapes that slow water flow, reduce erosion, and support native plants and wildlife. The proposed adaptable masonry units can form terraces, channels, and pools, simulating natural wetlands and creating habitats for diverse species.
Modular Ecologies rethinks concrete seawalls and flood channels, which restrict both biodiversity and public access to natural waterfronts, touting masonry as a lower carbon footprint solution that’s both recyclable and reusable.
“Coming from Rice University in Houston, where we met originally in grad school, it’s very common to see waterways completely paved over – there’s no gradient. We were interested in creating that gradient, socially and ecologically,” said Highfill.
“This solution doesn’t have to be purely for flood protection – it could actually be recreational and activate the community, too” added Chen.
In the student category, Will Prescott, a graduate student studying architecture and landscape design at the University of Washington, won for his research “Clayscapes,” which proposes a circular lifecycle for brick.
The project identifies 4 key areas where the brick industry can achieve circularity to respond to present-day environmental challenges: historic preservation, ecological restoration, brick production, and brick construction.
According to Prescott, restoring historic masonry buildings, rather than demolishing them, is essential to preserving the embedded energy in brick structures. Abandoned clay mine sites can also be restored to create a connecting greenbelt that ecologically benefits both people and wildlife.
Alternative brick production methods present the opportunity to achieve circularity, too – whether by removing the traditional firing process to reduce energy consumption, or replacing clay with recycled materials, like gypsum board or castoff oyster shells. Prescott’s proposal also explores alternatives to cement mortar, like mechanical fastening systems, to make it easier to disassemble and reuse brick.
“Brick is an age-old material that has an amazing opportunity to become something that’s really responsive to the 21st century by embracing a circular economy,” said Prescott.
The Bio-Block Spiral, an exhibition by SOM and Prometheus Materials for the Chicago Architecture Biennial, introduces a zero-carbon, algae-based Bio-Block. The product was unveiled publicly for the first time in the form of an installation that echoes the shell-like material composition of the bio-cement, creating a public space for gathering and contemplation in Chicago’s Fulton Market District.
Concrete has long been a cornerstone of the construction industry, yet its key ingredient, cement, contributes up to 8% of global carbon emissions. The Bio-Block Spiral aims to change that narrative by providing viable, environmentally friendly cementitious materials that could significantly reduce emissions in construction.
©Dave Burke/SOM
The installation was brought to life through a collaborative effort among BAC masons from ADC 1 IL, J&E Duff, and IMI, showcasing the power of cross-industry partnerships in construction, fabrication, and design for a more sustainable future.
“Our relationship with IMI and SOM is one of our most treasured. We’re so excited to be able to work together and advance the block industry in a way that is carbon neutral,” said Loren Burnett, President, CEO, and Co-Founder of Prometheus Materials.
The JBC Masonry Innovation Competition winners were honored during an awards ceremony at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC on October 7. The competition honors the tradition of innovation in the masonry industry established by Joan B. Calambokidis during her tenure as IMI President.
“We know that we need to be able to change and adapt to meet the moment so that masonry remains a part of the building fabric of our countries,” said Tim Driscoll, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers President and IMI Co-Chair. “This competition brings together professionals across disciplines with the hope of eventually bringing their ideas to scale to advance both our craft and the BAC craftworkers and contractors who depend on it for a living.”