Sources: National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Md.; CP staff
Asian Americans in Commercial Real Estate (AACRE) and Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE), both of Los Angeles, are the newest members of the NRMCA-backed Build with Strength Coalition, comprised of fire service professionals, architects, engineers and industry experts committed to enacting sound and sustainable building standards in cities across the country.
“AACRE is pleased to be part of the effort to make construction of new residential and commercial buildings safer and more durable,” says AACRE Co-Founder Aden Kun. “It’s important that new developments meet or exceed existing building codes, and that the City of Los Angeles encourages the use of non-combustible materials, which heavily reduces the risks associated with fires and earthquakes, both major factors of concern in our city.”
“CLUE is excited to join a coalition representing community-based organizations, businesses, unions and other organizations throughout Los Angeles to ask the City Council to pass an ordinance to move toward a safer and more sustainable standard for low-rise building developments,” adds Executive Director Rabbi Jonathan Klein. “The benefits of safer standards are important to communities at higher risk, such as low and moderate income neighborhoods, and small and medium-sized businesses that often occupy many mixed use low-rise developments.”
Amid the prevalence of fires affecting housing developments across the country, including a late-2014 inferno at Los Angeles’ Da Vinci apartment complex, Build with Strength is working with government officials, firefighters and building trades leaders across the country to address potential causes as they relate to building safety standards and codes. Coalition members identify areas in need of improvement, particularly by encouraging building code updates and the use of non-combustible materials in minimizing fire risk.