Most Innovative Contractor of the Year’ at RED Awards

Miami-based Coastal Construction Group won the Innovation in Construction Award for its work on Lakewood Village in Palm Beach County at the Build Florida Awards, hosted by South Florida AGC. The 96-unit apartment complex was constructed using the RENCO building system of LEGO-like blocks, which Thomas P. Murphy Jr., Coastal Construction Group chairman, CEO and RENCO co-founder, says is stronger than concrete and more sustainable. A Feb. 22 statement from the companies noted that the connectable bricks and color-coded plans allow communities to construct more affordable structures more quickly. As ENR reported in August, RENCO manufactures a patented mineral composite fiber-reinforced building system utilizing interlocking blocks to create everything from structural walls to floors and roofs.

Patrick Erin Murphy, executive vice president for Coastal, was also honored as the Most Innovative Contractor of the Year at the RED (Real Estate Development) Awards Florida in January. The award recognizes Murphy’s contributions to the real estate and construction industries, as well as his role in advancing technology within Coastal Construction Group.