On September 5th and 6th, Mallory Perez and Sydney Rosenberg attended the Texas Masonry Convention in Frisco, Texas. How did two young designers end up at a convention for an industry adjacent to their own? In short, the answer is the Aggie Network. Mallory and Sydney are both involved in the Texas A&M Architecture + Industry Advisory Council, where they met Tony Topping, Executive Director of the Texas Masonry Council. Earlier this summer, they all attended the Houston Golden Trowel Awards. There, Tony invited Mallory and Sydney to judge the state-level awards. Each year, there is a panel of judges consisting of architects and contractors. This year, Tony wanted to add a young-professional position to add a new perspective to the group.
Judging took place in mid-July at the Houston office of Upchurch Kimbrough Company, which happens to be one of Heights Venture’s choice brick suppliers. There were nine different categories of project types: Block, College & University, Everyday Excellence, Government & Institutional, Hardscape & Landscape, Industrial & Commercial, Multi-Family Residential, Primary & Secondary Education, and Restoration. The winning projects from the Austin, San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas areas were submitted per category. The judges were tasked with selecting the overall winners for the state. During the judging process, the names of the architects, masons, contractors, and suppliers were removed to eliminate biases. The architects on the judging panel provided feedback on the design elements and materials chosen, while the masons gave their expertise on the difficulty and craftsmanship of the work completed. Sydney found it interesting to see the different perspectives on the overall aesthetic of each project. It was clear that the architects and masons were considering different criteria while judging. It was a great opportunity to hear other discipline’s professional opinions based on their knowledge and personal experience.
The Texas Masonry Convention is an annual event put on by the Texas Masonry Council. This year, the convention took place at The Westin Dallas Stonebriar Golf Resort & Spa. On Friday, Sydney and Mallory got to sit in on a panel discussion, where a recently constructed high school was used as a case study and job analysis. The panel featured general contractors, masons, and suppliers. Each trade brought a unique perspective on project schedules, bidding, escalation costs, and budgeting. The panel discussed what they liked about the project and suggested areas for improvement for future projects. Lunch on Friday included a visit from State Representative, Keith Bell, who gave a legislative update concerning masonry and contracting topics in politics.
Later that evening was the main event – the 2024 Golden Trowel Awards, which celebrated exceptional masonry design and construction across Texas. After judging the projects solely based on photos, Mallory and Sydney enjoyed meeting the talented teams behind these beautiful projects at the award ceremony. It was fun recognizing their favorite projects as each category and its winner was announced.
Overall, the Texas Masonry Convention and Golden Trowel Awards proved to be a great experience, providing a glimpse into an industry that works hand in hand with the architectural profession. Mallory and Sydney are grateful for this experience and the opportunity to gain further insight into the world of masonry.
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