Bio-Based Materials Collective Calls for Systemic Change in Construction
James Kitchin, who is part of MASS, helped launch the Bio-Based Materials Collective, which promotes using sustainable materials rather than conventional options. Since it started at a 2023 gathering, the group has grown to over 1,000 members, including designers, farmers, and manufacturers. Kitchin highlights major challenges, like old building codes and insurers’ lack of knowledge. The collective held a summit in Chittenden County, Vermont, in 2025, focusing on the lifecycle of bio-based materials, with another event scheduled for May 7–8, 2026, in Poughkeepsie, New York. MASS has used these materials in projects like Ilima Elementary School in Congo and the Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture, and they created a helpful primer for industry professionals.
Key facts
- Bio-Based Materials Collective cofounded by James Kitchin of MASS.
- Collective grew from a 2023 gathering to over 1,000 members across the U.S.
- 2025 summit in Chittenden County, Vermont; 2026 summit in Poughkeepsie, New York, May 7–8.
- Ilima Elementary School in DRC sourced 99% of materials within 10 km.
- RICA used locally quarried quartzite stone, reducing substructure embodied carbon by 60%.
- Bio- & Mineral-Based Materials Primer developed by MASS, Perkins&Will, and the collective.
- Project with Northern Cheyenne Nation uses eastern red cedar, an invasive species.
- Kitchin is MASS Director of the Abundant Futures Design Lab.
Entities
Artists
- James Kitchin
Institutions
- Bio-Based Materials Collective
- Model of Architecture Serving Society (MASS)
- Perkins&Will
- Abundant Futures Design Lab
- Northern Cheyenne Nation
- Ilima Elementary School
- Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture (RICA)
- Aurora Farm
Locations
- Chittenden County, Vermont
- Poughkeepsie, New York
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Rwanda
- Great Plains
- United States
- Devon, England