Masonry Magazine October 1981 Page. 27
BIA Sponsors National
Design Symposium
The Brick Institute of America, in conjunction with the National Endowment for the Arts, the U.S. Department of Energy and the American Section of the International Solar Energy Society, recently sponsored a national student design charrette (problem-solving session) at the Philadelphia Convention Center.
The symposium, conducted by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, consisted of five teams selected from 23 architectural schools. The project consisted of designing new facilities of critical importance to the city of Philadelphia-a Performing Arts Center and buildings for the Philadelphia College of Art.
Council Sets Rules for
Design Competition
Requirements for entering the 8th annual "Excellence In Masonry" architectural/engineering awards program sponsored by the Illinois Indiana Masonry Council have been distributed to registered architects and engineers.
For the first time since the inception of the program, structures entered will not be judged on aesthetic considerations alone. Separate awards may be given to engineering solutions incorporating masonry as a structural element.
There is no entry fee and participants may enter as many structures as they wish. Judging will be done by an out-of-state panel of fellows of the American Institute of Architects and Professional Engineers. Presentations will be made at a banquet to be held April 3, 1982 at the Arlington Hilton Hotel.
For more details, contact: Illinois Indiana Masonry Council, 1550 Northwest Hwy., Suite 201, Park Ridge, IL 60068, (312) 694-2737.
Court Stalls Takeover
Bid by Cement Firm
General Portland, Inc. announced that the Federal District Court in Dallas, Texas, has granted its request for a preliminary injunction prohibiting Canada Cement Lafarge Ltd. from acquiring or offering to acquire any shares of General Portland common stock. The court order, issued August 28, 1981, continues the restraints previously obtained by General Portland.
According to General Portland, Canada Cement Lafarge Ltd. made an unsolicited proposal on June 23, 1981, to acquire General Portland in a business combination transaction in which each share of General Portland common stock would be exchanged for $45 in cash. The proposal was rejected by General Portland as "not in the best interests of the company and its shareholders."
Reef Industries Forms
Soil Service Group
Reef Industries, Inc., Houston, Texas, has announced the formation the Geotextile Group which has been developed to service construction contractors faced with soil stabilization problems.
Reef, a manufacturer of quality plastics for the construction trades, specializes in custom fabrication of Geotextile fabrics for different soil conditions and applications.
ACI Expands Service
To Contractors
The initial step in the formation of a Construction Development Department within the American Concrete Institute has been taken with the appointment of a director to head this section. The new director is Gary M. Hussar, formerly a staff engineer with ACI's Engineering Department.
The main goal of this new department will be to increase the involvement of contractors and construction personnel in ACI activities. It will further seek to provide programs to encourage greater participation in ACI technical committees by those in the construction industry.
SARA Sponsors Student
Design Competition
The Society of American Registered Architects is sponsoring a national student design competition in conjunction with its 25th annual convention to be held November 4-8 in San Antonio, Texas.
The contest, which offers $1,250 in prizes, is open to all architectural students attending accredited universities and colleges in the U.S. This year's competition includes an actual design problem that is being considered by the city of San Antonio.
Full of It
The lion sprang upon the bull and devoured him. After he had feasted, he felt so good that he roared and roared. The noise attracted hunters, and they killed him.
The moral of the tale is that when you are full of bull, you should keep your mouth shut.