{"id":5267,"date":"2026-05-13T15:01:34","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T19:01:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oge.mit.edu\/msrp\/?post_type=profiles&#038;p=5267"},"modified":"2026-08-12T08:13:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T12:13:45","slug":"mark-blakemore","status":"publish","type":"profiles","link":"https:\/\/oge.mit.edu\/msrp\/profiles\/mark-blakemore\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Blakemore"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"599\" src=\"https:\/\/oge.mit.edu\/msrp\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/Blakemore-Mark.jpg\" alt=\"by Corban Swain\" class=\"wp-image-5577\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1;object-fit:cover;width:200px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/oge.mit.edu\/msrp\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/Blakemore-Mark.jpg 400w, https:\/\/oge.mit.edu\/msrp\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/Blakemore-Mark-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Tuskegee University<\/strong><br>Faculty Advisor: Prof. John Ochsendorf<br>Research Supervisor: Nebyu Haile<br>Department: Architecture and Planning<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Biography<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mark Blakemore, raised in Memphis, Tennessee, is a senior at Tuskegee University<br>pursuing a bachelor\u2019s in architecture. Driven by a commitment to excellence and service,<br>Mark focuses his work on sustainability, innovative design, and urban revitalization.<br>His dedication is highlighted by his participation in the 2025 MIT x Tuskegee Exchange<br>program. Additionally, as an initiate of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Mark is dedicated<br>to achievement and service in community action, volunteering for local clean-ups, food<br>drives, and youth empowerment initiatives. Following graduation, Mark intends to<br>practice architecture professionally and earn a master\u2019s degree. He intends to establish an<br>internationally practiced architecture firm paired with real estate. Outside of his professional<br>aspirations, Mark enjoys art, gardening, and investing. He views architecture not as a career,<br>but as a template to revitalize communities, elevate the quality of life, and build an enduring<br>legacy for people and respect the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><br><strong>Reducing Environmental Impact of Brick Production in India<br>Mark Blakemore Jr.1, Nebyu Haile2, John Ochsendorf2<\/strong><br>1Robert R. Taylor School of Architecture and Construction Science, Tuskegee University<br>2Department of Architecture, Massachusetts Institute of Technology<br>India is a developing country experiencing rapid urbanization, developing infrastructure, and<br>new construction given the rising population and economic output. Consequently, bricks are<br>being extensively utilized in construction. Unfortunately, brick production has drawbacks<br>with the environment, economic sectors, and health of individuals. Challenges with brick<br>production involves the firing process for brick manufacturing, exhausting non-renewable<br>materials, degrading the environment, and health implications. Brick manufacturing results in<br>high emissions of carbon and pollutants contributing to negative impact to the soil, water, air,<br>and vegetation. Adopting sustainable practices is essential to maintain the environment and<br>have necessary materials for future generations to function with little to no changes in living<br>standards or quality. My research focuses on analyzing the embodied carbon and energy to<br>produce bricks from Fixed Chimney Bull\u2019s Trench kilns in comparison to Vertical Shaft Brick<br>Kilns and Zigzag kilns. Also, I inquired incorporating fly ash, glass and sawdust as alternative<br>materials from waste into brick mix to lower the amount of clay. Current projections imply that<br>VBSK and Zigzag kilns instead of FCBTK output less embodied carbon and energy thus being<br>more environmentally friendly. Also utilizing alternative materials lowers the required energy<br>to make bricks than traditional clay bricks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":5577,"template":"","profile_category":[25],"class_list":["post-5267","profiles","type-profiles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","profile_category-2026-interns"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/oge.mit.edu\/msrp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profiles\/5267","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/oge.mit.edu\/msrp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profiles"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/oge.mit.edu\/msrp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/profiles"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/oge.mit.edu\/msrp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profiles\/5267\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5798,"href":"https:\/\/oge.mit.edu\/msrp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profiles\/5267\/revisions\/5798"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oge.mit.edu\/msrp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5577"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/oge.mit.edu\/msrp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"profile_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oge.mit.edu\/msrp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profile_category?post=5267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}