materials
Choose bio-based and circular materials
We select materials based on their environmental impact, performance, and aesthetic qualities. Our approach prioritizes carbon reduction, healthier indoor environments, and bio-based, circular alternatives, responding to the local context and the availability of regional (waste) materials and resources.
Why materials matter
Material choices are among the most impactful and architect-led decisions in the design process. They shape both how buildings perform and how they endure. In new construction, materials represent the majority of a building’s total embodied carbon, and therefore play a decisive role in meeting carbon targets and permit criteria. In the Netherlands, the MPG is already required for residential and office buildings, and its limits are expected to tighten in line with EU policy. Bio-based and circular materials are increasingly favoured in public procurement and subsidy schemes. Clients are also becoming more aware of indoor health and durability, especially in social and institutional projects.
What materials track is about
This track focuses on the conscious selection and application of building materials that reduce environmental impact, contribute to healthier indoor environments, and align with circular design ambitions. Architects play a decisive role in material choice, from the earliest sketches to detailing, and this track recognises that influence as central to climate-responsive architecture.
Materials affect multiple impact areas at once. They directly determine a project’s embodied carbon emissions, contribute to the MPG score, and shape thermal behaviour, durability, maintenance needs, and user comfort. Material strategies must therefore be realistic, data-informed, and integrated into the full design and engineering process.
In design practice
Choosing the “right” material is never generic. It requires evaluating alternatives based on their technical properties, location, sourcing, processing, and future adaptability. Bio-based options (like timber, hemp, straw or flax) can offer carbon storage and healthy environments, but must be assessed against fire safety, acoustic needs, and lifespan. Circular materials, reclaimed, reused, or recycled, often require early coordination with suppliers and contractors to match availability with project timelines and detailing. To navigate this complexity, we approach materials through the lens of building layers, each with different lifespans, and potentials for reuse or carbon savings. This allows setting ambitions, tracking progress across phases.