Building materials, ranging from natural substances like wood, rock, and clay to advanced synthetic products, are fundamental to construction and form an established global industry. Historically, there has been a significant shift towards more human-made, durable, and globally transported materials, a trend that typically increases their overall economic, ecological, energy, and social costs. Economic considerations involve balancing a material's initial purchase price against its lifetime cost, factoring in durability, maintenance, and potential risks like damage. Environmentally, materials incur substantial costs through macro-pollution from extraction and manufacturing, micro-pollution such as indoor off-gassing, and their overall carbon footprint. Additionally, they consume significant "embodied energy" during production and installation, and can have social costs related to worker health and potential impacts on building occupants, underscoring the importance of concepts like green building and sustainable development.