JOHNSON CITY, Tenn.—General Shale, the North American subsidiary of Wienerberger AG and a leading manufacturer of brick, one of the world’s oldest green building materials, was recently recognized by the Brick Industry Association (BIA) as a winner in the 2013 Brick in Architecture awards competition.
General Shale won a silver award for the Riverdale Town Center, Riverdale, Ga., in the municipal/government/civic category. Architects for the project were the Sizemore Group, LLC, of Atlanta.
“We are proud of this achievement, and it is especially gratifying to be honored by professionals in the industry,” says Dick Green, CEO of General Shale. “The Riverdale Town Center is an outstanding example of how brick enhances the architecture and design of highly visible structures in communities across the nation.”
Each year since 1989, the BIA has recognized outstanding designs that combine genuine clay brick with aesthetics and sustainability. As the only national association to represent both manufacturers and distributors, BIA is the authority in the clay brick industry. As such, the Brick in Architecture award program has become the nation’s premiere architectural award featuring clay brick.
A jury of architects from around the country independently reviews and scores project entries from throughout North America, reinforcing the national status of the award. Entries represent both residential and non-residential architecture in which brick is the dominant building material. This year’s entries included commercial, educational, healthcare, houses of worship, municipal/government, paving/landscape architecture, renovation/restoration, multifamily and single-family residential projects, many with green building practices that earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ratings.
Winners will receive national recognition through a special Brick in Architecture insert in the December 2013 issue of Architect magazine. Project information and photos are showcased on BIA’s website at www.gobrick.com.
ABOUT GENERAL SHALE
Now celebrating its 85th anniversary, General Shale is North America’s largest brick, stone and concrete block manufacturer, supplying a wide variety of masonry materials for residential, commercial and specialty architectural projects. These materials include brick, thin veneers, stone, outdoor living kits, concrete block and various other building materials. There are approximately 250 distinct combinations of sizes, colors and textures to complete any building project. With a life cycle of more than 100 years, the sustainability of brick is the company’s commitment to responsible stewardship.
Throughout the U.S. and Canada, General Shale operates manufacturing facilities in nine states and provinces, in addition to a network of 31 distribution centers across the country. General Shale was founded in 1928 and is headquartered in Johnson City, Tenn. For more information, visit www.generalshale.com.