Dezeenwire: Rotterdam research agency Arch-Vision have released a report on how European architects use trade journals. See the report below.
Trade journals very important source of information for architects
Traditional trade journals are still seen as an important source of information, especially when architects want to find out more about trends in architecture. Particularly, the trade journal “Architects Journal” is a valuable resource for many architects. This is the result of the Q4 2010 research of the European Architectural Barometer, a quarterly study among 1,200 architects in Europe.
UK architects name the internet as their most important information source to find out more about architecture, possibilities and trends (76%), products (79%) and technical product properties (76%). Trade journals come in second and are mainly used to focus on trends in architecture (69%). More than half of the architects use trade journals for orientation on products and 46% use them to focus on technical product properties.
On average, UK architects receive 7.1 different trade journals per month. This is the highest number compared with the other countries in this research (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands). Around 39% of the architects indicate they receive 6 trade journals per month or more, 16% receive 5 trade journals per month and only 1% indicate to receive no trade journals at all. Not all trade journals architects receive are read with the same interest/in the same time. Of all trade journals architects receive, 2.2 trade journals are read for at least 10 minutes. Around 20% of the architects indicate to read only one trade journal 10 minutes or more. For 29% of the architects these are 2 trade journals. A group of 22% read any trade journal 10 minutes or longer.
Architects Journal (32%) and Building Design (27%) are the trade journals UK architects read the most.
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.