Hydro and Parsons Healthy Materials Lab (HML) have partnered to advance the understanding of low-carbon aluminium in buildings.
The partnership focuses on approaches that are impacting aluminium’s environmental profile and what architects, designers, and manufacturers need to consider as material choices are reassessed in response to climate and regulatory pressures.
Aluminium has long been viewed as one of the most carbon intensive construction materials, largely due to coal-based production methods of primary material.
That perception is increasingly evolving as improvements in recycling technologies and access to renewable energy are decreasing aluminium’s carbon footprint.
Recycled aluminium is rapidly becoming a high-performance material with lower emissions and a growing relevance for low-carbon and energy efficient buildings.
Duncan Pitchford, Head of Recycling at Hydro Aluminum Metals USA, said: “Sustainability starts at the drawing board as an initial framework for a plan of action.
“Architects and designers play an important role in influencing industries to shift toward low-carbon materials.
“By partnering with a renowned institution like Parsons’ Healthy Materials Lab, we want to empower architects and designers with the knowledge needed to make more sustainable material choices.”
The collaboration between Hydro and Parsons HML has two main components.
The first is an aluminium study, currently underway, which examines low-carbon aluminium solutions, their benefits and limitations, and the implications for material specification and use in construction.
Findings from the study will be published later this year and translated into accessible educational content for architects, designers, builders, and manufacturers through HML’s platform and network.
The second component is a Masterclass on recycled aluminium for construction, which was held on April 28 at the Royal Norwegian Consulate General in New York, USA.
Co-hosted by Parsons HML and Hydro, the session brought together professionals from architecture, design, sustainability, academia, and industry to discuss how recycled aluminium compares with primary production, and how material choices influence emissions across the building value chain.
The Masterclass emphasised the need for shared understanding across disciplines as a precondition for accelerating circular and low-carbon construction practices.
Jonsara Ruth, Co‑Founder of HML, said: “Design decisions are shaped by the information available.
“Through this collaboration with Hydro, we are expanding research and education around recycled and low‑carbon aluminium, building on what we explored in the Masterclass and developing guidance that supports more informed material choices.”
