Materials or labor most expensive

Architect Hisham Alqasem

architecture is often an aspirational profession, with many architects hoping to contribute positively to social life, create emotional responses, and add moments of joy and solace to our daily experiences. However, market forces have a way of exerting constant pressure on this field, and are often the deciding factor in many design choices. Costs and economic value are generally a good indicator of how, when and to what extent certain materials are used.

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the standard rule of thumb is cheaper and better, but materials are only part of the equation. On-site labor, management and design costs are reconsidered, painting a complex picture of the balance between material cost and labor cost and their impact on the architectural product.

The way <The way industry is shaped today in most developed countries, labor is heavily taxed in all its forms, and this distortion leads to a tendency to reduce physical labor on site and intellectual labor in design studios. <The amount of design thinking is minimized, while also limiting the number of people working on the construction site, additional materials and finishes are used to make the final product somewhat aesthetically appealing, and this approach leads to an increase in the amount of unnecessary materials used by up to 30% and a rush to maximize capital, i.e. more material use and less labor, and this leads to a misuse of limited resources, an area where the construction industry already excels. To give a measure of the scale of the issue, some estimates put 38% of global CO2 emissions on the back of architecture, construction and related industries.

The other side of the coin shows high unemployment due to automation, poor redistribution of profits, and, in this area, also low demand for artisans. This has led to a loss of balance between the ease with which we overuse material resources and underuse our minds and creativity. The consequences also show up in the form of urban and rural environments.

Considering materials, not only their costs, but their intrinsic properties can elevate an architectural project while remaining grounded in local identity. Reducing the exploitation of building materials and replacing them with more human activity, both on site and in design studios, has benefits beyond sustainability. Besides reducing pollution from the creation of materials, it also promotes engagement within the community, develops the local economy, and can benefit the construction industry as a whole.

*Architect and faculty member at King Saud University

@ArchHesham