Architects, as a profession, are heavily invested in product and material choices. These choices are critical. They are choices that directly affect how to minimise operational and embodied carbon. Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? But just how literate are architects when it comes to sniffing out greenwashing regarding claims about particular products? And in a fast-moving space, how can architects ascertain what innovations might reduce carbon?

Certainly, there is a lot of murkiness and ambiguity in supply chains when it comes to making LCA and Whole-Of-Life Assessments. Some carbon accounting methodologies are no doubt better than others—but there will always be overlaps, tolerances, and wiggle room between methods. This is the point: Architects must be aware of the intricacies of different carbon accounting methodologies and be alert to green gaslighting. This is critical when making product selection and material choices. Talking about “materiality” as a kind of architectural reverie and poetic denies the political nature of material and product selection. Material and product selection is political because it directly relates to the need to rapidly decarbonise the design and construction industry.

A very recent report entitled: “Building Materials and the Climate: Constructing a New Future,” published by the UN Environment program and written by experts from Yale, McGill University, and the American Institute of Architects, offers some certainty in the murky landscape of materials. The report advocates a whole life-cycle approach to rapid decarbonisation in the building sector and outlines three crucial, accessible actions:

• Avoid
• Shift
• Improve

Avoid the Extraction and Production of Raw Materials

First on the agenda is the need to circumvent the extraction and production of virgin raw materials. Building less but smarter is the motto here. The report recommends adopting data-driven design approaches to optimise materials use and curtail waste. A circular economy model is the ideal driving force—where reusing buildings and employing recycled materials are more than just options. They are necessities.

Shift to Regenerative Material Practices

Next, the report pushes for a paradigm shift towards regenerative material practices. Hemp can be a thing in construction! Sustainably-sourced bricks, timber, bamboo, and even waste products from agriculture and forestry serve as excellent alternatives to traditional carbon-intensive materials. Adopting ethical sourcing practices for low-carbon, earth- and bio-based building materials can make a world of difference in reducing the built environment’s carbon footprint.

Improve Conventional Materials

Lastly, and this is the tricky one, the report recognises that completely eliminating conventional materials like concrete, steel, and aluminium might not be practical. However, it does recommend radically decarbonising these materials by employing advanced technologies. As we know, architects love new technologies, although some of these technologies still exist in a future la-la land. It’s a pressing responsibility to assess the practical implementation of such technologies and advocate for them throughout the design and construction phases. But the real point is that newly-developed materials should be a last resort, part of a broader mixed-materials strategy prioritising sustainable options.