When designing a home, there are an almost insufferable number of decisions to make before you even start to consider what is 'good'.
What is a 'good' construction product?
On the list of things to consider are:
- Life-cycle energy costs
- Transportation carbon footprint
- Ethical procurement
- Impact on operational energy use
- Material sustainability
- End-of-life uses
You can spend a lot of time thinking.
The issue is that the true cost of the products aren't necessarily reflected in the price. When we buy a product with a massive carbon footprint, we don't have to pay the price to off-set the impact on climate if the supply chain doesn't have to pay it.
If we buy a product manufactured under oppressive labour laws that don't adequately value human life, and human capital, we don't pay the price of the negative social impacts of low-wages.
It would be much easier for the average consumer, and the general market, if product pricing reflected the true costs.