Five ways building materials impact society

Understanding the impact building materials can have on society can be challenging. AIA created the Architecture & Design Materials Pledge to inspire architects to shift the ways in which products and finishes are evaluated. The Pledge considers five aspects when evaluating products and finishes, which capture how materials impact society:

1. Human Health
   Architects hold a responsibility to protect the health, safety, and welfare of building occupants. This includes the evaluation of emissions and harmful substances in products. Seek out materials that support and foster life throughout their life cycles and that eliminate the use of hazardous substances. 
2. Social health & equity
   Human rights abuses and violations of decent work conditions occur globally in the supply chain of many goods, including building products. Architects and designers can support social health and equity through products produced by manufacturers who support positive impacts to their workers and communities in their operations and supply chain.
3. Ecosystem health
   The extraction, production, and assembly of building materials often create negative environmental impacts. It's important to prioritize building materials that support and regenerate the natural air, water, and biological cycles of life through thoughtful supply chain management and restorative company practices.
4. Climate health
   Construction materials generate more than 11-percent of greenhouse gas emissions. If this trend continues, more than 50-percent of emissions from new construction will come from CO2 emitted in the production of materials. To mitigate this impact, architects and designers can make use of environmental product declarations and whole building life-cycle assessment.  Select materials to accelerate the drive to zero by building less, reusing and retrofitting more, and choosing materials and products that will store carbon in our buildings in the long term. 
5. Circular economy
   Since demolition and renovation activities contribute significantly to global waste, seek out opportunities to prioritize reuse of existing building stock and components, and for new construction, to design for a long and climate-resilient lifespan, and for future flexibility and adaption to new uses.

Learn more about the A&D Materials Pledge, including how firms are reporting and sharing data, how your firm can commit to the pledge, and AIA resources for support.