Reframing the Future of Sustainable Infrastructure at the USGBC GreenBuild Conference

During Fall Break, I had the opportunity to attend USGBC’s GreenBuild Conference in New York. During the four-day conference, I attended panel discussions covering sustainable infrastructure frameworks, case studies of reuse, and quantifying the financial risk of climate change on infrastructure developments. I also  attended the concurrent expo, which showcased companies making an impact on the built environment, both regionally and on an international scale. 

One of the most interesting companies at the conference was ClimateBloc, which was founded by a construction laborer to streamline the building process. The founder had experienced first-hand the difficulties of construction scheduling and delays, as well as high labor costs for residential and small commercial projects. S/he  designed a composite block system out of semi-recycled materials, which cut  the installation time of exterior foundation wall in half. At the same time, this composite block system increased insulation and resilience against severe weather conditions; the composite block system was also designed to withstand seismic activity. 

During my conversation with the founder, I learned that the system is currently being used nationwide, and that the company hopes to work with local and national governments, as well as foreign-aid disaster response teams, to provide low-cost emergency shelter following climate disasters. 

It was very interesting to learn about the condensed installation timeline of the composite block system, as well its resiliency in high winds and seismic activity, makes it ideal for emergency-response infrastructure. I am going to continue to follow the progress of ClimateBloc, and hope to eventually see the system utilized for emergency-response programs nationally and internationally.