The Cal Poly SATRC Complex, also known as the William and Linda Frost Center for Research and Innovation, recently won the Merit in Brick award from the California Masonry Architecture Design Awards competition.
The California Masonry Architecture Design Awards acknowledge the exceptional use of concrete block, brick or stone in architectural design. It strives to highlight sustainable building practices that achieve both beauty and longevity, according to the California Masonry Council (CMC).
To be eligible for receiving this award, the building needed to be constructed within the last five years, incorporate a minimum of 30% concrete masonry units in the structure and must be structurally sustainable, according to the CMC.
Multiple organizations are responsible for the creation of the building, like ZGF Architects LLP — an architecture firm that designed the building according to the California Masonry Council . They are based out of Oregon which incorporates a location’s natural environment in its designs and focuses on sustainability and regenerative design, according to the ZGF website.
The building won in part due to its sustainability highlights, such as the buildings LEED gold certification, using exterior shading fins to reduce energy use, the use of sustainably sourced wood, locally sourced masonry and reducing 50% of water usage by capturing rainfall, according to the CMC award announcement post.
The CMC’s mission is to cultivate a vast network of professionals and be a top masonry resource in California for research, advocates for sustainability, technology, industry news and more, according to the CMC website.