Why Quality Materials Matter in Housing and Commercial Buildings

Written January 5, 2025

We are perhaps faced with one of the biggest challenges of our generation: addressing the current housing crisis by building millions of affordable homes while confronting the staggering weight of biodiversity loss. Globally, over 1.2 million plant and animal species are estimated to be under the threat of extinction, many of them before 2100.¹ Yet, we must build—and we must find a sustainable way to do it—given the fact that construction contributes to 37% of total greenhouse gases, with Portland cement production alone responsible for 8%.²³

The only sustainable practice for a civilization is its ability to remain in equilibrium with its environment. We need materials that can be produced sustainably, reused after their useful life, and maintained with minimal environmental impact. Bricks and modern innovations in cement-making technologies are paving the way. However, we must also re-engage the human spirit for artful design and inspiration. A staleness built now will not endure for generations; it merely reflects the consumption mindset of our time.

The foundation of modern luxury and convenience lies in the buildings we occupy. Human-created structures profoundly affect us. This is why we often gather in historic districts and places made of enduring materials like brick, stone, concrete, iron, and limestone. Masons have long understood that if you build a certain way, your structure becomes a living artifact—a time capsule that communicates your values and identity. This is why buildings constructed in the late 1800s and early 1900s are often honored as historical landmarks: they embody aesthetic beauty, over-engineering, longevity, and fireproofing techniques.

Why This Matters Now

Sustainability is more critical than ever. Weather events are intensifying, destroying communities, towns, buildings, and homes. Yet many modern structures are built so cheaply and quickly that they lack inspiration or cultural enrichment. Sustainable construction practices should consider all possible degrees of sustainability—not just the materials themselves but also the supply chains, production methods, VOC contamination from building materials, and longevity.

Buildings designed to be fireproof and durable are more likely to withstand extreme weather events, offering communities a chance to rebuild. Bricks, made from one of nature’s most abundant resources—clay—are among the hardest, longest-lasting building materials available. Bricks are also 100% recyclable, often repurposed into aggregates for road construction, landscaping, and new brick-making materials.

New technologies are being developed to create innovative bricks that store carbon, integrate recycled waste, or even grow from mycelium.⁴ A building made with bricks requires greater care because it is built to last far longer than a wood-frame building and is more challenging to demolish. A builder’s mark shall extend far into the future in such a way that transcends a single lifetime. The responsibility to build something timeless, aesthetic, and unique is critical.

Such structures also create markets for repair and maintenance, adding value to the craftspeople who construct them and fostering higher wages. Artistry adds an intangible quality that elevates a building’s significance, demanding attention, care, and love.

The Problem with Modern Housing

A new home along the I-25 corridor costs between $400,000 and $500,000. But what are buyers truly getting for this price? Developers have replaced character and inspiration with uniformity, cramming subdivisions with two-story behemoths that feature monotone cement-board siding and minimal yards. The result is a landscape of uninspired boxes devoid of artistry.

Even the materials betray a lack of durability and authenticity. Faux stone, for example, is made from lightweight plaster and cement to reduce labor costs and installation errors. On a recent job, I encountered a faux stone veneer glued and screwed onto plywood—a far cry from traditional masonry. This approach sacrifices long-term value for short-term savings, yet the homes remain prohibitively expensive.

What About Commercial Buildings?

Smaller commercial buildings are often constructed from wood, with notable exceptions like banks and hospitals, which use steel and concrete. Some dealerships use CMU (concrete masonry unit) blocks, but even these lack artistry. Many modern buildings feature mixed materials—primitive-looking stonework combined with cement or composition siding. Recently, I saw a Family Dollar with plastic panel bricks masquerading as the real thing.

A Crisis of Sustainability

The United States is experiencing a housing crisis, requiring millions of new homes. But will these homes be affordable? And will they be built to last? Current practices suggest otherwise. Building with wood requires extensive logging, which leads to ecologically “dead” forests of factory-farmed trees. In contrast, materials like earth, clay, stone, and bricks offer longevity and resilience. While materials like Portland cement have environmental costs, quarries in Colorado, for example, are often converted into nature preserves after use. This approach minimizes long-term ecological impact.

Wood-built homes are more prone to fire, rot, and eventual demolition, whereas masonry structures require less maintenance, are more stable, and can house generations. Buildings that last longer demand fewer resources over time, making them a more sustainable option.

The Vision of Willis Construction

From our founding, Willis Construction has prioritized more than just profits. As a student of philosophy and engineering, I envisioned a business model grounded in durability, sustainability, and community enrichment. Profits will be reinvested to enhance our capacity to build durable structures from brick, stone, concrete, and iron. Our vision is to plan not just for the next decade but for the next century. As a member of gen Z, I understand that this level of foresight is essential in a world grappling with extreme weather, growing inequality, a more dangerous and chaotic world and biodiversity loss.

Our Values, Vision, and Goals

1. Empowering Workers: We aim to uplift our workforce by offering higher wages, greater incentives, and planning for their futures. Well-compensated workers take pride in their craft, leading to fewer mistakes and higher-quality projects. Respect for all trades is central to our philosophy.
2. No Mediocrity, No Corners Cut: Continuous improvement is at the heart of our construction practices. We seek better methods to build lasting structures without compromising quality.
3. Transparency: We commit to openness in our construction methods, finances, and business goals.

Goals for the Future

As we approach the end of our third year in business, we aim to acquire property for a material yard to support masonry construction. This facility will enrich the surrounding community with gardens, renewable energy resources, and green architecture. It will also serve as a campus for a school dedicated to sustainability, engineering, construction, and environmental stewardship.

The material yard will also support our second business phase: reusing, recycling, and reselling materials from construction debris. By keeping items out of landfills, we can lower costs, hire more people, and bring dignity to blue-collar work.

In the long term, we aspire to build public works that inspire communities: parks, libraries, public gardens, and other shared spaces. We want to construct buildings that will outlive us, leaving a legacy of artistry and durability.

Join Us

Willis Construction invites you to join our mission in any way you can. Even a simple like on social media means the world to us. If you want to partner with us, schedule construction for your next project, or join the conversation, please explore our website and leave a comment.

Do have a blessed day,

Alex Willis
Owner

1https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/explainers/what-are-the-extent-and-causes-of-biodiversity-loss/

2Shttps://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/43293

3https://time.com/7023365/cement-concrete-climate/

4https://www.biobasedpress.eu/2020/04/mycelium-as-a-construction-material/