Masonry Studio at UWM debuts

Words: Mark KempOn September 4, 2013 “Masonry Studio” made its debut to over 100 architecture students at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee's School of Architecture and Urban Planning.

Finally the message about Masonry is getting to the future young minds that will determine what buildings are made of. This studio is made possible by the generous financial support of Wisconsin Masonry Industry Partners, the craft workers, mason contractors and manufacturers that make brick, concrete block, stone, tile, and a wide variety of other structural and architectural systems and the NCMA Foundation.

This group is providing funding for special lectures, construction of masonry mock-ups, expert critics and advisors in the studios, support for students to attend a masonry camp, publication of studio results in a national journal, and a range of other events and activities. It is our hope to see this program spread to other universities across the nation.
GEN NXT: Mason Paolini
May 2026

This month, the MCAA got to talk with Mason Paolini, a mason who has a clear passion and talent for the trade he has such high praise for. Read about Mason’s story and why he sees a future in this industry. Mason Paolini’s career began with a simple desi

Marvelous Masonry: Tianjin Zhongshuge Library
May 2026

It is not unusual today for masonry to be treated as a surface decision rather than a structural one. Too often, brick enters a project late in the process, trimmed back by budgets or reduced to a veneer once the “real” building work is finished. The Tian

Fechino Files: Concrete Pavers around a Pool
May 2026

Many folks over the years have placed concrete pavers around their pool as a nice form of decorative pool deck. Early in the 2000’s, I took a class held by the Interlocking Concrete Paver Institute, then known as the ICPI. At the time I attended the class

Chairman's Message: Staying the Course
May 2026

Spring is one of my favorite times of year. There’s energy in the air. Jobs are picking up. Crews are hitting their rhythm. Schedules are filling up. You can feel momentum building again. And every year around this time, I find myself thinking about con