How can we balance the need to build resilient homes with the use of low embodied carbon materials? At a glance, it can seem that we must trade off one goal for the other.

Consider this real-world example: we can design a home that performs beautifully in terms of energy efficiency, but if the chosen materials can’t stand up to a major wind event, the home fails—and rebuilding wipes out any carbon savings. On the other hand, if we need a flood-resistant foundation, concrete (despite its high embodied carbon) remains one of the most reliable solutions.

So what do we do?

It's a complex issue that sets up interesting trade-off discussions and considerations between designers, builders, and trades during the design phase. And it’s something that needs to be done early on. We can’t be taking a reactive stance; the more we acknowledge that there are competing ideas at play at the beginning of a project’s lifespan, the better we’ll become at finding realistic compromises, before they become expensive and complex headaches down the road.

These are important strategic discussions we are undertaking with and for our clients. Need assistance in solving this paradox? We’re here to help; contact us today.

By Mark Rosen