Build Better: Solutions for Sustainable & Resilient Construction in California | Los Angeles, CA
Join BuildBlock on May 8, 2025 in the La Kretz Garden Pavilion at UCLA Mathias Botanical Garden in Los Angeles, California for a professional symposium directed to educate architects, engineers, and builders on the benefits of building with insulated concrete forms (ICF) which are more energy efficient, resilient against natural disasters, and faster to construct than other standard building practices.
Bring a commercial or residential project for a design assistance report, if the project transforms into an ICF build, you’ll receive a full refund on the attendance fee.
Who should attend?
This symposium will discuss topics for architects, engineers, developers, contractors, builders, and anyone involved in the California rebuilding efforts for building with resiliency.
What is included in this event?
This event will feature educational presentations from industry experts, with SIX AIA continuing education credits (LU) available. Breakfast, lunch, and refreshments will be included in the registration cost.
Schedule: Breakfast will begin at 8:00 AM and courses will start promptly at 9:00 AM.
Light Breakfast & Refreshments
Pairing Resilience and Sustainability with Modern Innovations in Concrete (1LU) – Brandon Wray, NRMCA
Investigating ICF Wall Construction Meeting the Requirements of NFPA 285 (1LU) – Shamim Rashid-Sumar, PE, NRMCA
Beyond the Blueprint: How ICF Construction Enhances Health, Safety, & Welfare (1LU) – Frank Gordon, Assoc. AIA, BuildBlock
LUNCH
Building Better in LA: An ICF Contractor’s Perspective (1LU) – JJ Penna, Penna Construction Inc.
Resiliency & Sustainability: What We Do Not Change, We Choose! (1LU) – Michael D. Smith, Cemex
FORTIFIED Futures: How Wildfire-Prepared Homes Drive Insurance Risk Reduction (1LU) – Julie Shiyou-Woodard, Smart Home America
Registration Cost: (Registration Closes on April 30, 2025): $100
La Kretz Garden Pavilion at the UCLA Mathias Botanical Garden
Speakers:
BuildBlock is thrilled to unite local business professionals with a mix of industry experts to share insights on creating more resilient and sustainable building solutions.
Frank Gordon, Assoc. AIA
Vice President of Strategic Development, BuildBlock Building Systems.
Frank has over 36 years of experience as a design architect and large-project construction manager. His career journey includes significant contributions at esteemed institutions such as the Tennessee Valley Authority (DOE) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (DOE), as well as various architecture, engineering, and construction firms. Notably, Frank collaborated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on diverse projects, ranging from severe weather cleanup efforts to comprehensive renovation initiatives and new construction projects for multiple branches of the armed forces. Over nearly 16 years, he successfully managed approximately $30 million in construction contracts across the Midwest and eastern seaboard regions of the United States.
Shamim Rashid-Sumar, P.E., FSFPE
Senior Vice President, Sustainability and Codes, NRMCA
Ms. Shamim Rashid-Sumar is Senior Vice President, Codes and Standards at the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, based in New York, acommittee member of the ICC Performance Code Consensus Committee, serves as chairwoman of the subgroup on Embodied Carbon, and Vice Chairwoman of the subgroup on Functional Recovery. She advocates for resilience and sustainability through non-combustible construction and provides technical support on codes, standards, and regulations. Ms. Rashid-Sumar holds a BS in Fire Protection Engineering from the University of Maryland and is a Fellow of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE). She serves as President-Elect of the SFPE Board of Directors and is a principal member of several NFPA and ACI committees. Additionally, she is President of the Alliance for Concrete Codes and Standards.
Brandon Wray
Senior Director, Building Innovations, NRMCA
Brandon Wray is a civil engineer with 12 years of experience in the concrete materials and construction industry. Presently, Brandon is the Senior Director of Building Innovations for the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association in California. In this role, he promotes concrete and concrete technologies throughout the design community with a special focus on sustainability. Prior to joining the NRMCA, Brandon worked as an engineering manager for US Concrete where he assisted in developing, evaluating, and launching various concrete technologies throughout North America, followed by a role as a design manager at Clark Pacific, a world renowned precast concrete designer and manufacturer.
JJ Penna
Principal Owner, Penna Construction Inc.
With over a decade of experience in concrete, ICF installation, and masonry, JJ Penna works as a next generation leader building the industry in more efficient and innovative ways. As a Principal Owner, JJ runs some of the most experienced crews for installing insulated concrete forms (ICF) and specialized concrete projects, including hillside foundation and pour in place, for Southern California.
Julie Shiyou-Woodard
President & CEO, Smart Home America
Julie Shiyou-Woodard is the President and CEO of Smart Home America, a non-profit organization working at the intersections of disaster resilience, policy, affordable housing, and insurance. Under her leadership, Smart Home America has fostered a culture of resilience by supporting local efforts to implement proven solutions to reduce disaster-related losses and insurance costs. Julie's work has led to local and state policy changes that enhance building methods, codes, and incentives for beyond-code construction.
With over 20 years of experience in local and state government, Julie has developed and managed environmental and hazard mitigation projects in collaboration with federal, state, and local agencies. Her expertise allows her to collaborate effectively with leaders at various levels of government, implementing policies that support disaster resilience.
Michael D. Smith
Infrastructure Solutions and Sustainability Manager, Cemex
Michael Smith has worked in the Concrete Industry most of his career. As an Infrastructure Solutions and Sustainability Manager he works with Municipalities, Developers, Engineers, and Contractors in optimizing project designs to address both the CO2 Footprint and Cost Value. He does education on Low Carbon Concrete, Portland Limestone Cement, as well as Pavement Design and Optimization. He focuses on emerging technologies and solutions that will benefit the way we build the future. He has worked on Highway projects for Cal Trans, Amazons for Prologis, and Airport Projects like San Diego International for Turner to name a few.
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