Welcome to the first installation of our monthly series 'Materials Unwrapped'! From emerging innovative materials to traditional craft techniques we'll be peeling back and peering into the world of fabrics in our built environment.
As a practice, our foundation is built on the value that nature connections can bring to the built environment. But valuing the essential role that nature plays in our spaces while understanding it’s limitations when it comes to materials, is equally as important.
Think Accreditation & Certification
Manufacturers will quite often make claims or statements regarding the credentials of their products, but this shouldn’t be taken as fact. Because while we’re seeing a lot of innovative materials coming to market, not all are necessarily better alternatives.
The most effective, both in terms of time spent and validity, is to ask whether a product or material has any third-party accreditations or certifications. This indicates that they have been assessed independently by an expert to meet a certain standard – standards which will be readily available to the public online.
There are lots of third-party accreditors out there, some are even specific to naturally sourced materials – such as timber. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) are not only accreditors, but also provide resources and databases which make it easier to search for accredited products.
Additionally, broader certification is available – such as Cradle-to-Cradle (C2C), who offer a stand-alone Certified Material Health Certificate. This verifies that the materials (and any chemicals used) are ones which prioritise both the health of humans and our environment.
Think Transparency
What a manufacturer says about their product shouldn’t be taken completely for granted. What a business chooses to disclose about their products – especially if it is where there is room for improvement is quite often an indication that they committed to actively doing better.
There are an increasing number of companies taking this more transparent approach by being open about their practices and fabrication regarding sourcing raw materials as well as how they re-use waste.
Equally, any additions that are made to materials – be that a render, lacquer or other non-natural finishes may impact the integrity of the original material. Alongside this, the way a product or material is installed (especially using adhesives) should always be noted when weighing up options.
Check out any literature or additional resources that a business has released, as well as any pages on their website addressing sourcing, use or sustainability. Look for a combination of quantitative evidence (the numbers), which indicates they are measuring their impact, and qualitative evidence (the thoughts), which indicates they are thinking about their impact.
Think Local
Mass-manufacturing of materials and the ability to transport them over vast distances has meant we are now presented with numerous options; it begs the questions – is a material really ‘natural’ if it’s needing to travel thousands of kilometres from source to site? Or are the benefits of a natural material outweighed by its embedded impact created when bringing it to site?
Over the last few years, the profile of locally sourced materials has become increasingly more desirable – and in turn, more available to built environment professionals. From an aesthetic perspective, locally sourced natural materials will make a building more akin and connected to the surrounding environment. And from a logistic and ethical perspective it shortens supply chains, creating more visibility and stability for specifiers.
Also, while products with longer supply chains may at times appear more cost-effective, they are also more susceptible to a domino effect of delays, risks associated with manufacturing and rising costs – to name but a few.
Keeping the Balance
When we can do so responsibly, specifying natural materials can be an effective way of increasing the wellbeing benefits within our spaces through creating nature connections.
But these nature connections, however impactful they might be, are counterproductive if we’re not also addressing how they’re sourced and fabricated. And while we can’t always guarantee we’re going to be able to select the best possible materials for every project, we can continue to research better alternatives and ask questions of our suppliers to ensure change is happening.
