A New Age of Construction Materials

For much of human history, the majority of building materials were locally sourced, low-carbon, and specifically designed with local climate conditions in mind. This approach was the only logistically and financially viable solution available. In the mid-20th century, suburbanization trends supercharged by the GI Bill and cheap 30-year mortgages–alongside public infrastructure projects like The Federal Highway Act of 1956–led to a construction boom that drove a meteoric rise in material consumption:

Concrete and steel became overwhelming favorites for builders, followed by glass, brick, and wood. But the rising cost of conventional materials—as well as increasing concerns about the climate—have opened a window for new materials to upend the dominance of the traditional mainstays. The cost of construction materials has increased the same amount over the past 4 years as it did over the previous 15 years before that. 

Solving this problem requires navigating a complex web of material sourcing, logistics, and deployment. Today’s letter will explore the future of building materials, including:

• Current building materials, incumbent manufacturers, and sustainability considerations;
• New materials and processes that aim at being cheaper, more durable, better looking, easier to work with, and/or less environmentally damaging; 
• A deep dive into three promising upstart companies that are providing “best in class” material solutions in their respective domains; 
• Hybrid approaches, regulatory tailwinds and headwinds, and future outlook.