Architects in the United Kingdom experience demand for sustainable (building) materials

The extent to which sustainable materials are used by architects strongly varies from country to country. These differences are mainly caused by their principals. In countries with a strong demand for sustainable projects, architects generally select materials with a sustainability certificate and there is often even a willingness to pay a premium for it. This is shown by the Q3 2010 report of the European Architectural Barometer, a quarterly study among 1,200 architects in Europe. In the United Kingdom, 73% of the architects experience a demand for sustainable materials. A quarter of the principals are actually willing to invest in it. This is reflected by the materials architects in the United Kingdom choose to work with: 47% of the architects prefer materials with a sustainability certificate and is willing to pay a premium for it. BRE is indicated to be the certificate architects work with the most in the United Kingdom (37%).

By Jeroen de Gruijl
18 Oct 2010
Dry- & wet finishing, Construction,
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The same architects consider carbon footprint (87%) to be the most important aspect that make a product sustainable. Biodegradable, minimum toxicity and minimum transport costs are considered to be least important.

These and many other results are shown in the European Architectural Barometer, an international research among 1,200 architects in Europe. Four times a year, this study is conducted by Arch-Vision in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Besides indicators to forecast European building volumes, a topic is highlighted each quarter. This is because architects are not only a reliable indicator for future building volumes, but they are also very influential in how projects are build and which materials are used.