A New Age of Construction Materials

Meet the companies pioneering new construction materials promising benefits on cost, climate, and capabilities

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.