The Materials Movement

Report Summary: The Materials Movement: Creating Value with Better Building Materials provides an introduction for real estate owners, developers, and investors to understand why and how to integrate healthy, sustainable building materials in new and existing development projects. The report highlights best practices for cost-effectively integrating nontoxic, low-carbon materials that help real estate meet sustainability, health, and financial goals. Specifically, this report

• Articulates the real estate business case for prioritizing healthy and sustainable building materials in projects and portfolios;
• Outlines the science behind the life cycle impacts of building materials on human health and the environment;
• Highlights high-level strategies and best practices for incorporating better building materials; and
• Shares innovative projects that successfully integrate healthy and sustainable materials to achieve positive outcomes.  

Real estate developers, owners, and investors play an essential role in the industry’s transition to better building materials. When development teams request low carbon spaces that are free from harmful chemicals, manufacturers, design teams, and contractors respond to the increased demand, and work to improve their products and selections. Enhancing the health and sustainability of materials provides multiple benefits for business, people, and the planet, and the real estate industry can help bring about change to improve long-term outcomes for individuals and communities.

Featured projects include:

• 1550 on the Green | Houston, Texas
• Westlake 66 | Hangzhou, China
• PAE Living Building | Portland, Oregon
• Sven | Long Island City, New York
• U-lex @ Othello Square | Seattle, Washington
• Prologis Evergreen | Brampton, Ontario, Canada
• 505 First | Seattle, Washington
• Holbein Gardens | London, United Kingdom
• Watershed Row and Wood River Mercantile | Klamath Falls and Fort Klamath, Oregon

The Materials Movement webinar is available here.