Uploaded on 2015-04-22 by StephanieCarta

The particular material I'll focus on is the HardiePlank siding on all these homes. It's made out of fiber-cement, so this represents use of a material (cement) that is typical in construction, but in a way that is unique to this company's products. Because of this company's structure, I can't confirm on which continent my siding was made but I'll assume products used in the US were manufactured in the US. This description of the company is from their website (www.jameshardie.com): *Our operations encompass the United States, Australia and New Zealand. James Hardie® Building Products are also now available in Asia, with a manufacturing plant in the Philippines; in Europe, our operations are headquartered in Amsterdam. In every country in which we operate, our goal is to remain at the forefront of the fiber-cement industry, capitalizing on our global leadership in products...* This is a company who current business model is only possible in a globalized economy. The parent company is headquartered in Ireland, I would surmise to take advantage of Ireland's low tax environment. Of course, this is huge change from even 50 years ago when homes looked unique to their locale because of the need to use locally available materials. Now, my house might look similar to someone's half a world away. I think the open question for the developed world is how we also can use materials and techniques that are more sustainable, but also resilient in a four-season climate such as the East Coast of the United States. [1]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14297363288069474.jpg