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| CalPoly State’s Alex Kiefer (left) and Jacob vanDerRoovaart took the competition with their “FlipBlock.” |
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| They were joined in Montreal by Iowa State University and North Carolina State University peers, all flanked here by Cal Poly Professor Mark Kabrinha (left) and Oldcastle Architectural’s Frank Werner. |
Dubbing their concept “FlipBlock,” Cal Poly State University students Alex Kiefer and Jacob vanDerRoovaart won the 2015 Student Unit Design Competition during National Concrete Masonry Association’s Midyear Meeting in Montreal. The NCMA Foundation-sponsored event challenges architectural students with designing a “new” concrete masonry or hardscape unit that can be produced on a conventional block or big-board paver machine.
“Students learn about the manufacturing process and how to create new block shapes,” says NCMA Foundation Unit Design Program Chair Frank Werner of Oldcastle Architectural, Inc. “The Foundation has educated more than 3,000 students with this program regarding the design versatility of concrete masonry. As these young designers continue their education and begin their careers, we want them to keep concrete masonry in the forefront of their works.”
Seven schools participated in this year’s program, the top three presenting their block shapes at the Midyear Meeting. Joining the Cal Poly team were peers from Iowa State University and North Carolina State University, awarded second and third prizes, respectively.