Surfaces that Make Sense
A1DesignBuild is a designer and builder of homes in Bellingham and Whatcom County, Washington. We specialize in everything from home remodels to complete high-performance home builds, and our over 70 years of providing excellent service to the community assures that your home project gets done right - each and every time.
Building a Better Home: Sustainable Materials that Just Work
This article is condensed from a talk A1DesignBuild lead designer Maggie Bates presented at the 2025 Sustainable Connections kick-off event in Bellingham, WA, promoting high-performance and passive house choices.
The choices we make for our homes impact our well-being and the planet. By doing something as simple as selecting healthy, sustainable building surfaces, you can make a difference while also finding materials that are truly one of a kind and beautiful.
Just as we should carefully consider what nourishes our bodies, we should be equally diligent about what constitutes our living spaces. The difference between a toxic environment and a nurturing one often lies in the materials we choose.
Navigating the Sustainable Landscape
With a vast array of building materials available, finding the truly "good stuff" can be a challenge. Here are some ‘go-to’ resources for high-quality, sustainable products:
Green Building Supply: A comprehensive resource for various sustainable building materials.
Small Planet Supply: Especially recommended for mechanical components.
Green Home Solutions (Seattle): A fantastic local store with an excellent selection.
Pioneer Millworks (McMinnville): Offers amazing sustainable wood products.
Sustainable Woods Northwest: Another trusted source for responsibly harvested wood.
Beyond specific vendors, a crucial philosophical underpinning of this approach is captured by environmental justice advocate Vandana Shiva: "The environmental movement can only survive if it becomes a justice movement." It’s good to consider the human impact behind the products we choose, and advocate for ethical labor practices and environmental restoration when we can.
Cork on the side of our Net Zero Tiny Home at our Northwest Avenue location in Bellingham, WA. Ask for a tour.
The Power of Natural Surfaces
Another guiding principle of choosing good surfaces? If a product is close to its natural state, you're on the right track.
Sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it?
Here are just a few examples of the remarkable materials available right now:
Wool Carpeting: Beyond its durability, wool acts as a natural air cleaner, attracting dust and helping to regulate indoor humidity.
Marmoleum (Linoleum): This classic material, around since the 1800s, is made from flaxseed oil, wood flour, limestone, and natural pigments on a jute backing. Modern "click floor" versions make installation even easier.
Recycled Rubber Flooring: An exciting new product featuring synthetic rubber, 25% Nike Grind (recycled Nike shoes!), and 10% cork, offering a 10-year warranty and an end-of-life take-back program. It's also Red List Free, meaning it's free of hazardous chemicals.
American Clay Paint: A natural, zero-VOC indoor paint made from sand, aggregates, shells, clays, and pigments. It absorbs and releases moisture, resists mold and fading, and creates a calm aesthetic.
Cork: This sustainable, renewable, and naturally antimicrobial material boasts excellent acoustical advantages and incredible durability. Cork flooring the A1DesignBuild showroom looks brand new for 19 years, and is a true hero of natural materials.
Soapstone: A natural, heat-resistant, and super-dense stone for countertops. While it can scratch, these marks develop a beautiful "patina character" over time. Responsible mining practices from Brazilian sources were also highlighted.
Cambria: For those desiring pristine, engineered stone countertops, Cambria, a Midwest-based company, is an excellent choice. They recycle 100% of their water and have programs to support their non-English speaking employees.
Reclaimed and FSC Certified Wood: Sustainable Northwest Wood offers stunning countertops, butcher blocks, panels, and flooring from reclaimed and FSC-certified (Forest Stewardship Council) wood, ensuring responsible forestry practices.
Fireclay Tile: This California-based company (now with a Spokane factory) produces handmade tiles with a focus on sustainability. They are a B Corporation and 30% worker-owned.
Paperstone and Richlite: Made from layers of paper infused with low-emission phenolic resins, these materials have high recycled content and offer a distinct aesthetic for countertops.
FSC Certified Ipe: While requiring careful sourcing, FSC-certified Ipe offers a super hard and durable decking material.
Reform Building Products (Keboni): A bio-based liquid treatment strengthens the cell structure of sustainably harvested FSC wood siding or decking, offering a 30-year warranty and low maintenance.
Lunawood: Heat and steam-treated sustainably harvested wood that is fire retardant, durable, and weathers beautifully without resealing.
Pioneer Millworks Reclaimed Oak Fencing: A unique "black and tan" engineered wood flooring made from reclaimed oak fence boards with a durable wear layer.
Shou Sugi Ban: This ancient Japanese technique of burning wood creates a durable, weather- and insect-resistant siding that offers a distinctive aesthetic. Pioneer Millworks produces a regionally sourced FSC certified version.
Your Voice, Your Home
At the end of the day, you must pick the surfaces and materials that truly make you feel at home. That have the right aesthetic. That really speak in your own voice. But with all the myriad of choices available (and there are more coming everyday), there is definitely a choice that can be both beautiful and sustainable. It is easier than ever these days to be socially responsible and build the house of your dreams.
Want to learn more? Reach out to Maggie and she would be happy to discuss this further with you.
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