Building A Better World: How Implementing Biogenic Materials in Residential Spaces Could Create Positive Externalities In Housing Markets

Abstract

This paper seeks to look at the economic benefits of switching to biogenic housing materials when constructing residential spaces, as laid out by the principles of Lewis Tsurumaki Lewis Architect’s book Manual on Biogenic House Sections. By measuring the aggregate embodied carbon levels found in a house’s material makeup, we can calculate monetary externalities that go unaccounted for due to the social cost of carbon. This paper found that using materials like steel and concrete create significant external costs to the construction of residential spaces, up to $600,000 per unit, while utilizing biogenic materials like wood and bamboo can significantly reduce these costs or even create positive value. While switching to biogenic materials is not sustainable in all scenarios, the data suggests that when applicable, using green materials in residential construction could create both significant environmental and monetary benefits, which should hopefully encourage consumers and developers to change building practices over time.