January/February 2025 News
ICF Builder Awards
This year marks the 20th annual ICF Builder Awards, which is the premier event for recognizing ICF construction. This year, the event ceremony will be held in-person on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, at World of Concrete. Returning this year are the popular People’s Choice Awards, as well as the top picks of our judging panel. Awards will be given for the winning projects in the following categories:
- Small Residential: 3,000 square feet or less
- Large Residential: 3,001 to 6,000 square feet
- Unlimited Residential: Over 6,000 square feet
- MultiFamily: Duplexes, apartments, hotels
- MultiFamily Low-Rise: Under 5 stories
- Light Commercial: Less than $5 million
- Heavy Commercial: $5 million or more
- Education: K-12 educational buildings
- Pools: Residential or commercial ICF pools
- Specialty Applications: Any other use of ICFs
A record number of people voted for their favorite People’s Choice Awards projects in all of these categories. For more information regarding the ICF Builder and People’s Choice Awards visit www.icfmag.com/builder-awards. To RSVP to attend the awards ceremony on January 22, 2025, at World of Concrete, go to www.icfmag.com/builder-award-rsvp. Doors open at 5 pm and will be held in room N256 of the North Hall.
www.icfmag.com/builder-awards
www.icfmag.com/builder-award-rsvp
PHNX Development Forms Alliance with Mercury Insurance
PHNX Development, pioneer of the nation’s first Type 1A noncombustible single-family home, announced an alliance with Mercury Insurance to forge a path to making homes in high fire-risk areas insurable. In Type 1A construction there is no wood and no roof vents, nothing to ignite. An ICF PHNX Home structure is simply concrete and steel. Mercury Insurance bound its first PHNX Home policy on PHNX1, the company’s flagship Type 1A noncombustible home in Santa Clarita, California. San Diego-based PHNX Development has pioneered PHNX Home, the nation’s first fully non-combustible, wildfire-safe home design. Founded by architect Laurie Fisher, PHNX combines innovation with a commitment to environmental responsibility to create homes that are both resilient and eco-friendly.
BuildBlock Adds Russ Nicely As Commercial Development Director
BuildBlock has added Russ Nicely as Commercial Development Director. Nicely will focus on continuing education and promotion for architects, engineers, general contractors, specialty subcontractors, and owners and developers as well as working to further develop commercial construction projects across North America. Nicely has been the owner-operator of Superior Building Solutions for the past 20 years, focused on resilient and energy-efficient ICF construction.
He has more than two decades of field experience in developing and building custom residential and large commercial projects throughout Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, and Arkansas. Nicely has been providing technical training and support on projects in the region and promoting ICFs through educating architects, engineers, and contractors for the past several years. Nicely resides in central Oklahoma with his wife, Melissa, and their two daughters.
BuildBlock Welcomes Frank Gordon as Vice President of Strategic Development
BuildBlock Building Systems, manufacturer of BuildBlock Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs), announced the addition of Frank Gordon, Assoc. AIA as the Vice President for Strategic Development. Gordon will lead marketing, sales, and technical teams to build relationships with industry leaders, stakeholders, developers, industry professionals, and more supporting BuildBlock’s growth initiatives. Prior to joining BuildBlock, Gordon spent five years at the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association as the Senior Director of Building Innovations in the Mid-Atlantic Region for the “Build With Strength” program, where he oversaw promotions and operations across eight states. Gordon has more than 36 years of experience as a design architect and large-project construction manager, having worked on projects with institutions such as the Tennessee Valley Authority (DOE) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (DOE), as well as various architecture, engineering, and construction firms. Gordon and his family live in Knoxville, Tennessee.
