Mass Wall Masonry in a Modern Context

with Austin Tunnell
1 AIA CES Learning Unit|HSW

Mass wall masonry, born from thousands of years of experimentation and innovation, was the cornerstone of traditional building in the United States up until the advent of lumber mills and mass-produced nails in the nineteenth century. This industrialization upended traditional building and replaced it with a whole new system and set of practices. While many of these practices are good, some have resulted in a reduction in the durability and longevity of newer buildings. We can learn a great deal from masonry buildings that have lasted hundreds and even thousands of years and that continue to be used and repurposed for new functions in our communities. In this presentation, we will explore ways to blend the best of traditional and innovative building practices in mass-wall masonry construction in a modern context.

This course will enable participants to:

1. Explore mass wall systems that blend traditional methods of masonry building with modern practices to achieve durable, environmentally sound buildings with long life-spans.

2.Investigate advances that enable mass-wall construction to be energy efficient in varying climates by bringing sustainably produced vapor permeable insulative materials into the wall section to meet energy codes.

3. Look at ways mass wall masonry materials, methods and finishing can support a cleaner environment and reduce CO2 without compromising the load bearing capacity and life cycle of the wall.

4. Examine efficiencies in mass wall construction techniques and processes that help make mass wall buildings economically viable in smaller scale incremental development and infill projects.