In The Mix by Northwest Masonry Institute

After the 2003 Paso Robles earthquake, seven retrofitted unreinforced masonry buildings walked away nearly untouched. The ones that hadn't been strengthened? Torn down. Mason Moritz, once a structural engineer at Holmes in San Francisco, now a field engineer for Python Fasteners, joins the podcast to explain why that story keeps repeating, and why most engineers never hear it.

Python manufactures the first ICC-certified, seismically rated anchor for existing masonry, born out of the Christchurch earthquake's real-world stress test on New Zealand's historic buildings. Mason's job now is closing the gap he used to sit on the other side of: most engineering programs teach little to no masonry design, so URM gets written off as a liability instead of understood as an asset. 
 
In this episode:
  • The Paso Robles case study: retrofitted URM buildings vs. the ones that got demolished
  • How the Christchurch earthquake shaped Python's anchor research
  • Why URM has a bad reputation engineers haven't been taught to question
  • Mason's path from Holmes Structural Engineers to studying historic buildings in Portugal and the Czech Republic
  • Closing the education gap: Berkeley, Cal Poly SLO, and Trento research partnerships
  • Stabilize-in-place vs. rip-out-and-replace, and what's at stake for historic building stock
  • Why reuse is the ultimate sustainability move: "the greenest building is the one that's already there"
Learn more about the Northwest Masonry Institute: https://masonryinstitute.com/in-the-mix

What is In The Mix by Northwest Masonry Institute?

In the Mix is a podcast dedicated to the people, projects, and innovations shaping the masonry industry—block by block, brick by brick.
Hosted by Adam Hutchinson, Executive Director and professional engineer, this show brings together architects, engineers, contractors, and industry leaders to explore how masonry drives resilient, sustainable, and high-performance building design.
Each episode breaks down real-world applications of masonry construction, from structural integrity and fire resistance to long-term durability and environmental impact. You’ll hear behind-the-scenes insights, industry challenges, and practical conversations that matter to those designing, building, and specifying with masonry.
If you’re passionate about stronger buildings, smarter construction, and advancing masonry in modern design—this is your place to get in the mix.
Join us in supporting the Masonry Industry mission: https://masonryinstitute.com/in-the-mix