MIA Announces Its First AIA-Approved Sustainable Design CES Course

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CLEVELAND, OH, August 12, 2010 — The Marble Institute of America (MIA) has announced the development, and approval by the American Institute of Architects, of its first AIA Continuing Education System (CES) course that also qualifies for the Sustainable Design ("SD") credit.

The course, entitled "Genuine Stone: A Natural Choice for Sustainable Design" provides architects one CES-HSW/SD Learning Unit. The AIA Board of Directors recently modified the AIA-member continuing education requirement to include 4 hours of education in sustainable design as part of the existing 18-hour annual requirement. This sustainable design requirement became effective in calendar year 2009 and extends through 2012.

The one-hour course provides an introduction to sustainable design and the sustainability movement, plus descriptions of how natural stone makes an appropriate and natural material design choice that contributes to a sustainable design solution over a project's life cycle. Learning objectives for the course include:

• A review of the objectives of sustainable design
• A look at the characteristics of natural stone and their relevance to sustainable design
• Identification of ways to reduce environmental impacts when selecting and sourcing natural stone
• An explanation of how natural stone can be, and has been, used to support sustainable design goals, including case study examples

"This new course provides another great opportunity for MIA members to educate local architects and designers about the attractiveness of natural stone as a preferred building material," commented MIA Executive Vice President & CEO, Gary Distelhorst. "We currently have over 100 approved instructors from 45 member firms that have provided CES Learning Units credits for some 1,300 architects already, and this new course will be a very strong addition to the list of courses now available through the MIA for them to use."

The course was developed by MIA's sustainability consultant, Stephanie Vierra, LEED AP, for the MIA utilizing content she originally developed for VeronaFiere and Marmomacc, but customized and expanded for MIA member use in providing continuing education for architects/designers. In addition, a task force of MIA members provided industry information and advice for the course. Funding for the development of the course was provided by MIA members supporting the association's Natural Stone Sustainability Fund.

About the Marble Institute of America
For over 65 years the Marble Institute of America (MIA) has been the world's leading information resource and advocate for the natural dimension stone industry. MIA members include marble, granite, limestone, sandstone, and other natural stone producers and quarriers, fabricators, installers, distributors, and contractors around the world.