Whether net zero, Passive House, or other certification is your objective, incorporating a healthy materials strategy is as essential as figuring out how you will design the building envelope and mechanical systems. Thoughtful selection of materials can help design teams get a better handle on the embodied carbon impact of those materials choices and thus help buildings achieve better embodied carbon outcomes. In this active, high-participation session, attendees will identify where harmful chemicals might reside in building products using the “Six Classes” approach. We’ll review some of the literature on the impacts of materials choices on a building’s carbon footprint. Finally, we’ll discuss design strategies to increase the use of healthier materials in order to better address occupant and ecological health.