This Earth Day, we call attention to the urgent need to reimagine the built environment as a place of care—for human health, for ecological systems, and for future generations. As we navigate a shifting climate, rising economic pressures, and mounting evidence of environmental degradation, our material choices take on new and profound significance.

As our co-directors Alison Mears and Jonsara Ruth write in their recent contribution to the International Living Future Institute’s publication, Building a Future: What Good Looks Like:

“Imagine a built world created with the intention of supporting people’s health, nature’s ecologies, environments, and all living things…We can build a new future by designing nature-based practices; creating viable, marketable products; integrating and transforming existing structures; supporting resilient and regenerative systems; and building healthy, affordable places for everyone.”

In today’s economic landscape marked by uncertainty, the imperative to design and build with local, biogenic, and salvaged materials has never been more relevant. Sourcing regionally available materials, utilizing homegrown resources, and repurposing what already exists are not only sound ecological choices, but also practical economic strategies. 

Following are free resources as part of an Earth Day commitment to regenerative and circular design:

Buildings made from earth-based materials—raw soil mixed with water, fibers, and additives—have been prevalent for thousands of years. Utilized globally, 30% of the world population today…→  

This article explores the role of earthen materials—such as adobe and rammed earth—in reducing embodied carbon and promoting regional building traditions that align with ecological and cultural contexts. Continue reading → 

A curated directory of recycled and upcycled furnishings, designed to help reduce waste and support circular material flows within interior spaces. Download here. 

This guide outlines strategies for sourcing salvaged building materials and implementing deconstruction practices—key steps toward material reuse and carbon-conscious design.
Download here. 

As we envision new futures, we must also recognize the longstanding practices that have modeled sustainable stewardship of land and material. Indigenous communities, including the work of social political and environmental activist and water protector Winona LaDuke have long advanced sustainable approaches to living with resources from our Earth. We also remember Wanda Dalla Costa’s presentation from last April, who as a member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation and a practicing architect and educator, spoke about her design methodologies incorporating Indigenous generational knowledge. With every project, she asks: How can we localize design for the immediate ecology? Co-designing with North American Indigenous groups for nearly twenty years, Dalla Costa will speaks about Indigenous place-keeping, culturally sensitive design, urbanism, and climate resilience. 

Their leadership offers essential guidance in navigating this critical moment.

Finally, as Mears and Ruth write:

“The rate of plastic use in residential housing has exponentially increased. They are used in practically every part of a conventional building and are part of the unregulated supply chain of toxic ingredients used in building products.”

It does not have to be this way. 

Earth Day reminds us that the status quo is not inevitable. A healthier, more just built environment is not only possible—it is already in practice. By aligning design with ecological principles, local resources, and material health, we can construct buildings that regenerate rather than deplete, and that truly support all forms of life.