Masonry Magazine December 2007 Page. 18
NATURAL STONE COUNCIL
sustainable building material. However, standing the test of
time is not enough. Genuine stone's impact on the envi-
ronment and how it supports environmentally friendly
building methods and principles are still in question. That
is why the NSC is working to define our place in green
building before it is defined for us. We feel that being on
the front end of the green movement is one of the most
important things we can do for the betterment of our
industry.
The NSC's Committee on Sustainability, led by Cold Spring
Granite's John Mattke, is partnering with the University of Ten-
nessee's Center for Clean Products to test the environmental
impacts and benefits of building with natural stone. We sub-
scribe to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) definition
of green building, "reducing building impacts on human health
and environment through better siting, design, construction,
operation, maintenance and removal - the complete building
life cycle."
Today, only natural stone that is local to a project can con-
tribute to the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) points, which is
why more needs to be done to promote natural stone as a sus-
tainable building material.
In January 2008, we will conduct a sweeping survey of
the industry to benchmark where we are and how far we
A LOGO WAS DEVELOPED BY NATURAL STONE COUNCIL
BRANDING PARTNER, MCKEE WALLWORK CLEVELAND,
ALONG WITH A BRANDING STATEMENT:
GENUINE STONE
"Genuine Stone™ is more than rock people build with. It is naturally
elegant, pure and a solid indication of your personality. Whether you
intend to beautify your home or to frame your vision, make sure your
creation is as genuine as you."
"As genuine as you." That is what we want the industry and the end
users or consumers to understand about Genuine Stone. The words
were selected carefully, under a belief that the word "genuine" says
"natural," "real" and "authentic," but also implies a value judgment.
After all, doesn't a genuine diamond sound better than a real one?
need to go with regard to sustainability. This is a massive
effort, given the breadth of our industry and the few stan-
dardized practices that currently exist. Our goal is to fur-
ther position stone as the preferred material in sustainable
building. Genuine Stone offers many attractive, environ-
mentally friendly benefits such as durability, ease-of-care
and maintenance, recyclability, and an enduring life cycle.
We are now working to document and prove what we
believe to be true.
DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO WIN?
In 20 minutes you could become the Fastest Trowel in MCAA's annual Fastest Trowel on the
Block Contest at the MCAA Convention at World of Concrete/World of Masonry on Thursday,
January 24, 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada!
Are you strong enough to lift over 120 standard
lightweight concrete masonry units in 20 minutes?
Do you have the confidence to show your skills in front of a
large audience?
Can you keep your 24-foot long courses plumb, level and void-free?
Do you have two tenders who will make your team out-build the best?
Speed counts, but so does quality. The first place winner will have the
wall with the most block laid with skill and precision. Will it be you?
Contact MCAA at 800-536-2225 to submit a team or for more
information.