INNOVATORS Gold Award - New Orleans City Business

ON THE BRINK
Green Door Construction
Key innovation: The only company in the city to use
aerated autoclaved concrete, a pre-fabricated concrete
block that is lighter, more fireproof and a better insulator
than common concrete.
Biggest client: Samuel Green Charter School — and his
parents’ Uptown home
Where they’re based: New Orleans
Top executive: Patrick Ibert
Year introduced: 2006
2007 sales: $600,000
AMERICANS HAVE become aware of the necessity to be
more energy efficient, and in most cases consumers are
more mindful about what they drive, where they shop
and what they buy.
Patrick Ibert of Green Door Construction has taken
this philosophy and applied it to the materials he uses in
his construction business.
“We are the only contractor in the city that uses aerated
autoclaved concrete for building projects,” Ibert said.
“It is a pre-fabricated concrete block that is lighter than
common concrete, more fireproof and a better insulator.”
Ibert said the AAC blocks are manufactured from lime,
sand or mine tailings,along with cement,gypsum,an aeration
agent and water. The concoction is poured into a cast, which
produces a solid block that is interlocking and stackable.
“The blocks are a product of Europe,” Ibert said.
“They have unbelievable versatility and are so easy to use.”
Ibert said the blocks can be sawed, drilled, nailed and
routered using normal woodworking tools. The blocks do
a better job of dampening noise than standard concrete
and are much more environmentally friendly, he said.
“They are manufactured from readily available natural
resources,” Ibert said. “The materials are nontoxic and
not a source of indoor air pollution. Less jobsite waste is
created, and the product is completely recyclable.”
Ibert has used the AAC blocks to help Samuel Green
Charter in New Orleans build three outdoor classrooms,
as well as its edible schoolyard. His biggest client as of
late, however, is within the family.
“I’m rebuilding my parent’s ancestral home in the
Garden District, which burned to the ground during
Hurricane Katrina,” Ibert said. “The project calls for a
complete retrofit of the 100-year-old home to make it
more energy efficient while keeping the historic aspects
of the home intact. A person’s home is their single greatest
asset, and our goal is to make our construction functional
and aesthetically pleasing.”
Ibert said the new home will be more energy efficient
and should hold up better to the elements. The new
home will include solar panels for self-sustaining energy
and will be pest-, fire- and mold-resistant.
“I hope it will be the perfect home for the New Orleans
climate.”•
— Robin Shannon
PHOTO BY FRANK AYMAMI
Patrick Ibert has used his aerated autoclaved concrete blocks for Samuel Green Charter School’s three outdoor classrooms and in renovating his parents’ Garden District home.
New Orleans CityBusiness 53A