Abstract

Materials, as the physical human-environment interface, are key challenges and requirements for sustainable design. This study investigates the epistemology of building materials to understand the considerations and consequences of material selection, both in and within the specific context of Punta Cana. By employing reflective research methods to interpret six environmental building philosophies, this study reveals the building community's need to resolve inflexible dualisms regarding technology, globalization, and cultural meaning to overcome professional divisions that hinder interventions toward sustainability. The results call for common goals, such as zero waste, to explore a wider range of suitable building solutions and provide unified sustainable design criteria. Finally, a qualitative life-cycle analysis suggests that bamboo, a building material commonly disregarded by dualistic mindsets, may convey more environmental, economic, and social benefits in Punta Cana than concrete, the prevailing Dominican structural building material. The conclusions of this study call for increased criticism and ethics throughout the design process to avoid misleading assumptions, represent implicated stakeholders, and promote context-based building solutions. Keywords: sustainable materials, environmental philosophy, zero waste, vernacular, bamboo, Dominican Republic