Greenblock ICF Walls Make Rafiki Foundation Headquarters Safe, Sound and Sustainable

Stuart, FL (PRWEB) August 14, 2008 -- Earlier this year, Greenblock Worldwide Corp. announced that it had been awarded the insulated concrete form (ICF) product and installation contract for the new home offices of The Rafiki Foundation, Inc. (rafiki-foundation.org). The 57-acre Rafiki campus features 13 buildings constructed with more than 25,000 square feet of Greenblock ICFs.

The Rafiki Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit Christian ministry founded in 1957, operates orphanages in ten English-speaking countries in Africa. Rafiki provides housing, meals, clothing, education, Christian nurture, and medical care for its children from the time they arrive at the Rafiki Villages until they reach young adulthood.

Sustainable, energy-efficient and storm resistant buildings were mandated by the design architects for this project, which led them to the selection of Greenblock ICFs for the exterior wall systems.

"Rafiki Foundation has constructed buildings of superior quality and energy efficiency in all its projects in Africa, so when it was time to build our new home office in the United States we wanted the same thing," says Steve Kranz, Rafiki's director of home operations. "It was a perfect fit for us to choose ICF construction, knowing that it would provide safe, beautiful and very energy efficient buildings."

John Riddle, Central Florida territory manager for Greenblock, says, "The energy-efficient ICF walls used in these structures will reduce the energy use within this community throughout their useful life. This means long-lasting benefits for the Rafiki Foundation and it meets their requirement for a sustainable campus. An added benefit is that the ICF walls provide the ultimate protection from the severe weather so prevalent in this region of the country."

Mark Construction Co. of Longwood, Florida (www.markconstruction.com), has provided construction management for the project, which began in late February and will conclude in early September. The Rafiki Foundation has already begun relocation of staff members form their current home office in San Antonio in anticipation of this construction project. Upon completion of the home office complex, approximately 15 full-time employees will be working from the Rafiki campus where hundreds of volunteers will receive training and preparation instruction before leaving for Africa to provide services directly to orphaned children at one of their ten Rafiki Villages located in ten African countries.

The Greenblock walls at the Rafiki Foundation Home Office complex were finished nearly three weeks ahead of schedule. The fully assembled solid concrete, steel-reinforced ICF walls allowed Mark Construction Co. to move forward on the dry-in stage of the project well ahead of schedule.

About Greenblock, Inc.:

Greenblock Worldwide Corp (www.greenblock.com) is a manufacturer of Insulated Concrete Form wall systems for the residential and commercial building industries. With it's roots in Europe over 45 years ago, today's Greenblock is an ICF Industry leader recognized for it's outstanding design and ease of use. Over the years, a significant number of structures have been built with Greenblock. Projects that range from stem walls, basements, single and multi-story residences, apartments, condominiums, towers and even swimming pools. Government agencies, schools, commercial and light industrial companies are now recognizing the superior features of insulated concrete form-built structures and are beginning to utilize them for environmental, disaster resistance and energy conservation benefits.

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