2024 | Living in a Materials World | Theresa Mark and Kenza Hajji
What we’re making our buildings out of may be killing us. The choice of materials that designers make impacts the health of building occupants, factory workers, and residents of communities adjacent to those factories. The manufacturing and transport of construction materials is responsible for 11% of global CO₂ emissions. Disposal methods of some materials add a significant strain on landfills and add microplastics to our waterways.
Image credit to ©UNDP Climate Promise
On the other hand, some are working to advance a new model for materials and buildings, where materials sequester carbon, support health, and are part of a circular economy modeled on flows in nature. A model where nothing is wasted.
