The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and non-government organization mindful MATERIALS have partnered to create a database of sustainable material specifications and encourage firms to sign AIA’s Architecture & Design (A&D) Materials Pledge.
The pledge aims to serve as the “north star” of building product sustainability, allowing architects and designers to publicly commit over time to demanding and specifying products which disclose and reduce their impacts across five categories: climate health, human health, ecosystem health, social health, and equity within a circular economy. More than 162 firms have signed the A&D Materials Pledge to date.
The collaboration will also bring clarity to those seeking to take action to achieve their pledge commitments by recognizing a common framework for defining product sustainability. This comes in the form of mindful MATERIALS’ Common Materials Framework (CMF).
As of last month, mindful MATERIALS completed version 1 of the CMF and will digitize and integrate it into a cloud-based database. The organization will also work with other tech platforms to recognize the CMF, allowing for achievement of the materials pledge and more consistent decision-making regarding sustainability.
“This partnership is an important step for AIA’s members and our building product manufacturing partners as we rally around a consistent, holistic approach to sustainable product specification,” says AIA executive vice-president and CEO Lakisha Ann Woods, CAE. “Industry consensus around what constitutes a sustainable material will accelerate transformation within firms and create business development opportunities for manufacturers.”
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