VIDEO: Home-Grown Construction Tech Pioneer Tells Why Gateway South District Counts
Date Posted: September 10, 2024
Posted In: Discussion, Ideas, Regionalism, Workforce,
Editor’s Note: Luke Schuette, founder and CEO of structural bamboo manufacturer ReNüTeq, will be on the Forum’s Future of Construction discussion panel set for 7:30-9:30 AM Sept. 26th at Gateway South Advanced Building Collaboration District (GSABCD). The panel will be preceded by networking and followed by an exhibition of componentized/modularized construction technology and tours of the Crunden Martin Building, first development on the GSABCD site. Admission is free but attendees must register and must sign waivers to enter the site.
Growing up, Luke Schuette had the best of two worlds. He grew up on a farm near Staunton, IL, so he had the opportunity to be close to nature. But his Dad was a practicing architect, mostly designing churches and jails, so Luke spent his childhood riding around job sites watching buildings come to fruition.
In college at SIU-Carbondale he was the beneficiary of an architectural program — strongly influenced by visionary F. Buckminster (“Bucky”) Fuller — that focused on innovation and how things are built. His senior project — at which some SIU-C faculty looked askance — was related to the use of bamboo as a structural component.
Two decades later, Schuette holds several patents, has established relationships with bamboo farms and manufacturing in Colombia, South America, and has won projects from organizations like BMW and the Danforth Plant Science Center. He chairs the ASTM task force on structural bamboo and guided structural bamboo’s inclusion into building codes worldwide.
He does all of the manufacturing for his structural elements in St. Louis. Currently he is expanding one line at a former pharma plant in Wellston and preparing to manufacture bamboo/steel joists at the Gateway South Advanced Building Collaboration District just south of the Arch. In this video, part of a longer interview to be posted later, Schuette explains why Gateway South is important now.
September 26th Panel, Exhibits, Tours
The St. Louis Construction Industry has been a resource for construction knowledge and innovation for over half a century. Gateway South Advanced Building Collaboration District is positioned to serve as a global construction technology epicenter. This event is designed to help explain the history and future trajectory of construction technology and St. Louis’ role in that narrative.
The program portion of the Sept. 26th GSABCD event — staged in a large tent with video displays – will include a documentary on St. Louis’ role in construction technology, a panel discussion with industry thought leaders, a presentation on Gateway South, and an introduction to the Gateway Decathlon sustainable housing competition, slated to be held at Gateway South in 2025. Following the program, attendees will be able to view exhibits and speak with producers and practitioners of construction technology. Crunden Martin Building tours will be available on a limited basis.
Program Schedule
7:30 AM – 9:30 AM | Program and panel discussion
- Forum introduces Amanda Garrett, partner, design and construction, Good Developments Group, developer of Gateway South Advanced Building Collaboration District.
- Amanda Garrett provides information on the district and introduces Bobby Vance, competition manager for Gateway Decathlon.
- Bobby Vance introduces the concept and structure of Gateway Decathlon.
- Brief documentary video on St. Louis’ role in construction technology.
- Panel discussion. Panelists: Dafna Kaplan, CEO of Cassette (LA based modular construction manufacturer); Dan Wies, owner of Wies Offsite; Matt Breidenthal, HOK’s engineering practice leader; Bobby Vance, off-site industry expert + Gateway Decathlon competition manager; and Luke Schuette, founder and CEO of ReNUTeq.
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Trade show style exhibits and show-n-tell.
Program participants will include manufacturers, practitioners of modularized/componentized construction, design firms, educators, and students.