International Masonry Institute

Are you a practicing or aspiring architect, engineer, or researcher who has worked on a project that uses masonry in a new and creative way?
We invite you to enter IMI’s JBC Masonry Innovation Competition!
Submission categories include the following:
• Students
• Young Architects/Engineers
• A/E Firms, Individual Architects/Engineers, & Cross-Category
Learn more and register here:

JBC Masonry Innovation Competition JBC Masonry Innovation Competition Overview IMI’s JBC Masonry Innovation Competition wants your ideas for transformative masonry design. We’re challenging practicing and aspiring architects and engineers to advance the future of masonry design and construction. Registration is now open for the 2...

Join IMI this summer at the Flooring Sustainability Summit, where industry leaders convene to discuss environmental progress and challenges facing the industry, including the demand for rigorous standards and more eco-friendly building materials.

Scott Conwell, IMI Director of Industry Development and Technical Services, is moderating a panel discussion, Inside the Architect’s Studio: Sustainable Flooring Decisions, Decoded.

Register here for the event: https://hubs.la/Q04j2pCW0

Effective moisture control is critical to the long-term performance of masonry walls.

Join us on June 23 as we explore how proper flashing design and detailing help manage water movement and protect wall assemblies.

Register today:
https://hubs.la/Q04j018k0

Stadium High School-- famously seen in the 1999 movie 10 Things I Hate About You-- is a Tacoma, Washington icon. Craftworkers with Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local 1 Washington and Alaska, who worked on the building's ongoing restoration, enrolled in IMI’s Historic Masonry Preservation Certificate Program in preparation for the job.

Taking the HMPC class “was like going to a history class,” said Lee West, a member of BAC Local 1.

Read more:

The Renovation of an Icon: Stadium High School Stadium High School is a Tacoma, Washington icon. Often referred to as The Brown Castle, the registered National Historic Landmark was originally intended to be a luxury hotel. Last year, IMI and members of BAC Local 1 Washington and Alaska played an important role in Stadium High’s ongoing restor...

The construction industry doesn't have a shortage of skilled craftworkers—it has a workforce planning crisis, according to North America's Building Trades Unions.
“The unionized construction industry built the training infrastructure, contractor partnerships, and workforce pipeline required to meet this moment. That capacity exists right now,” NABTU President Sean McGarvey said in a statement. “Owners and contractors already plan early for specialized equipment, supply chains, permitting, and manufacturing lead times. Workforce strategy must be treated the same way: as a core project input addressed at the front end, not as an afterthought once labor demand is already peaking.”
At IMI, our technical team is here to help you plan your next project, providing the tools and knowledge you need to build responsibly. And IMTEF's training programs for BAC craftworkers help build a safe, skilled, and productive workforce.
You can read NABTU’s full statement here: https://hubs.la/Q04jXkt20

Join us as we examine how structural masonry supports efficient and predictable project outcomes in K–12 schools through strategic material selection, system coordination, and thoughtful sequencing.

Register today:
https://hubs.la/Q04frhfb0

It's hard to miss the block number 2 on the side of the building that houses the City of Lakewood Fire Station #2, one of Ohio's oldest surviving fire stations.
The feature adds a modern twist to a historic building. Learn more about how the project's architect, Eric Pros, who won our 2022 JBC Award in the Young Architect category, worked with IMI to come up with this unique design: https://hubs.la/Q04j2FQ40

There's still time to enter this year's JBC Masonry Innovation Competition if you have a project up your sleeve showcasing bold masonry design: https://hubs.la/Q04j2hzL0

Adding A Fresh Spin to An Essential Resource: City of Lakewood Fire Station #2 The City of Lakewood Fire Station #2 is one of Ohio’s oldest surviving fire stations. Plans for a new apparatus bay on the east side of the station, originally constructed in 1919, presented a challenge: How to maintain the building’s historic identity while adding contemporary features?

It’s not every day that you see a building façade that showcases terra cotta formed into precast concrete.

But the University of Illinois-Chicago’s Computer, Design Research, and Learning Center (CDRLC) does just that. On a campus known for its Brutalist architecture, much of it shaped by architect Walter Netsch, the new center pays homage to his late modern style while introducing a more human-scaled, material-rich façade that adds warmth, light, and vitality.

Read more:

University of Illinois-Chicago Academic Building Reinterprets Brutalism with Precast, Terra Cotta, and Terrazzo It’s not every day that you see a building façade that showcases terra cotta formed into precast concrete. But the University of Illinois-Chicago’s Computer, Design Research, and Learning Center (CDRLC) does just that. On a campus known for its Brutalist architecture, much of it shaped by archi...

Join us on June 3 to hear real-world case studies from an engineer, general contractors, and mason contractors on how teamwork drives successful project outcomes.

Great masonry projects are built on collaboration!

We’ll cover:
• Delegated design and design-assist strategies
• Innovative reinforcement layouts
• Veneer support approaches and more

Register today:
https://hubs.la/Q04hpPmg0

IMI’s Emerging Contractor class is designed for established contractors who are ready to take the next step in developing their business. During a recent 2-day class, Tom Elliott, IMI Director of Industry Development and Technical Services, went over topics including business management, project management, estimating, contract documents, bidding, quality control, and quality assurance.

One of the biggest lessons he shared with the class: “Plan for the unexpected.”

IMI’s Emerging Contractor Program Builds Estimating and Project Management Skills for Union Masonry Contractors IMI’s Emerging Contractor class is designed for established contractors who are ready to take the next step in developing their business. Topics covered include business management, project management, estimating, contract documents, bidding, quality control, and quality assurance.