Getting Better on the Path to Regenerative
BOOK REVIEW:
The Regenerative Materials Movement: Dispatches from Practitioners, Researchers, and Advocates (Ecotone/ILFI, 2023)
compiled and edited by The International Living Future Institute
By Katie Kangas, AIA
Building materials surround us. They represent jobs in procuring and refining materials. They reflect the design intent of architects and interior designers. They are a line item on the budget sheets of contractors. They embody the energy and substances used to produce and move them to the site. And when done well – these building materials are inherited by the next generation of building inhabitants. Too often, it seems building materials are selected by cost alone. But what factors should contribute to the selection of materials in building projects?
The Regenerative Materials Movement, compiled by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), presents a collection of essays from researchers, advocates, and practitioners about making building materials decisions. This book begins to share a vision on how everyone involved in building materials could improve the built environment. The chapters vary from research to case studies describing the extraction, production, selection, installation, and retirement of materials. With countless individuals impacted by the selection of building materials and many industries involved in this cycle, ILFI outlines a vision to encourage all stakeholders to move toward regenerative materials.
The book begins with articles focused on advocacy for the long-term health of individuals impacted by the production of building materials and the building inhabitants. When materials are produced without regard to public health, regions of the world could turn into Louisiana’s infamous cancer alley. Several articles describe methods for alternative material selection or refined processes to reduce the adverse impacts of production on public health. Other articles describe the impact of VOC, lead paint, and mold on the health of building inhabitants. Several case studies describe affordable housing projects where poor and deteriorating building materials negatively impacted the long-term health of its residents. These cautionary tales have contributed to the production of The Red List and governmental regulations on manufacturing. Learning from the mistakes of the past is crucial, but deep change across industries also requires a shared vision toward a better future.
Malisa Maynard of Mohawk writes: “I believe it comes down to one word: better. It’s something to strive for, something to demand, something to believe in. Better is something everyone can strive for at the individual level, on a ranch in Montana or at the highest seat in a Fortune 500 company. Every positive action matters and everyone can achieve better – but no individual, business, industry or sector can solve all of today’s challenges…. Let’s work to create a regenerative future and invest in materials, products and processes that are better.”
The theme of doing better carries across each chapter – as authors share perspectives on healthy building materials from different market sectors and professions. While this book doesn’t have all the answers, it provides a strong pulse check to confirm the regenerative materials movement is progressing. I finished this book with a better understanding of the current status of this growing movement and I now know where to look to find out more. Many authors provided first steps and tools for doing better at material selections. The “Biophilic Response to Wood” piece outlined research that reflects the way wood can improve the mental health of building users, for example.
Change within a single company requires a shared vision that is communicated with clarity, commitment, and accountability. ILFI communicates its vision through the lens of seemingly disparate professions. The result is a book where not every contribution is for everybody, but everyone may find relevance in at least one chapter of this publication. I’m an architect, and I thought my practice was outside of this growing market sector, yet I found the content very helpful. I was most surprised by the diversity of the contributors. I’m looking forward to integrating this vast (and growing) network of available resource into my own practice.
ILFI’s end goal may still be a moving target, but everyone can find ways to do better in their contribution to the building materials process. By aligning each small effort, the resulting impact will be greater than the sums of its parts as our children and theirs may live in healthier, happier spaces.
https://store.living-future.org/
Katie Kangas, AIA founded Pasque Architecture in March of 2020 to provide story centered architecture and design. Katie is building a process centered practice to provide simple functional design that is beautiful and inspiring.