The use of materials is a constant in the AEC industry. Even if you designed a project that used no energy and consumed no water, you are still using materials. By the way, it took energy and water to make these materials. Our industry is only starting to embrace an understanding of what it takes to get materials and the limitations of the raw resources available for those materials. That embodied energy, though, is only part of the material lifecycle what happens to the material or product when that end user is finished with it? Can it be reused, salvaged, or completely recycled? Did we need that material to begin with?

When you ve decided you need a material or product for a building assembly, what do you know about it? How do you prioritize or justify its use over another material or product for the same situation? Questions are arising about the many diverse impacts of materials. Can you answer them across the lifecycle in regard to the manufacture, installation, use, and end life of your material selections? The following list shows some things to consider during your selection process:

• Does the product or assembly reduce the energy and water consumption of the building over its lifetime?

• Does the product or assembly throughout its lifecycle include any substances or processes that have the potential to adversely affect human health or the environment? Consider the impact on air, atmosphere, water,...