Chicago, Ill. (March 24, 2025) — The Concrete Masonry Checkoff (CMC) announced that Tino Kalayil will lead its visionary design assistance program for the Midwest region. The Block Design Collective (BDC) is a virtual destination where architects and engineers can access free CMU design assistance, education, training and online resources.
Block Design Collective (BDC) experts can provide general recommendations and best practices, detail and specification reviews, as well as code and modeling guidance. The BDC is the promotion, education and project support arm of the CMC. While each region poses unique design challenges and climate considerations for Midwest builders, Kalayil will serve as the Technical Director and lead the assembly and activation of a localized team of design experts, ensuring individuals receive timely, tailored support.
“Since joining the Checkoff in December, I’ve had the pleasure of really diving into the masonry industry. This includes the producers, the contractors and the design professionals that have dedicated their careers to masonry,” said Kalayil. “One big takeaway: The masonry industry runs deep and has so much to offer the architects, engineers, contractors and developers not actively incorporating masonry into their projects.”
Kalayil received a master’s degree in civil engineering from Marquette University. He comes to CMC from a regional director position at Woodworks, an online community to facilitate collaboration among professionals using wood-building systems and technologies. Prior to Woodworks, Kalayil was a senior project engineer at Thornton Tomasetti, an engineering design firm in Milwaukee. He also spent time as an adjunct instructor at Marquette University in their College of Engineering.
“I can’t wait for what the future has in store for the concrete masonry industry,” said Kalayil. “Whether it is through strategic partnerships, educational opportunities, free project design assistance or just a helping hand — the Block Design Collective has one goal: to maximize the opportunities of masonry use for your next project.”
The Block Design Collective is one of many programs CMC has introduced over the last year. In 2024, CMC unveiled its first-ever national marketing campaign, the Beauty of Block, shining a spotlight on the many lesser-known benefits of concrete block. While many people attribute concrete block with brute strength, it’s also versatile, stunning and a model of efficiency.
“The addition of Tino is a big milestone for the Block Design Collective,” said Riley Dvorak, CMC’s National Design Technical Director. “He is a natural problem-solver who understands the pressures designers are up against. Human connection still counts in our industry, and people will really appreciate his expertise and approachability.”
Launching soon will be the CMC Block Learning Hub, an online library of content, offering free access to educational content, to increase familiarity and understanding of concrete masonry systems and ensure it as a first choice in construction material options. It will give architects and engineers the ability to earn CE credits while learning about concrete block.
ABOUT THE CONCRETE MASONRY CHECKOFF The Concrete Masonry Checkoff (CMC) is an industry-funded initiative to support education, research and promotion of manufactured concrete masonry units in the United States. The Concrete Checkoff Program is the first-ever Checkoff Program at the Department of Commerce. For more information, visit https://www.concretemasonrycheckoff.org/
