Dezeen Wire: architectural researchers Arch-Vision have published a report demonstrating that demand for sustainable building materials across Europe is increasing.

The survey of 1,200 architects found that customers in France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain were willing to invest more in sustainable materials, although demand has decreased in the UK and Italy.

The following information is from Arch-Vision:

Increasing willingness to invest in sustainable building materials in Europe

The demand for sustainable materials in Europe is growing. Principals do not only ask more for sustainability, but they are also more willing to invest in it. These are some of the results of Q3 2011 report of the European Architectural Barometer, a quarterly study among 1,200 architects in Europe.

The architects from almost all countries, besides the UK and Italy, are reporting that more principals are starting to ask for sustainability products.

The highest willingness to invest in sustainable materials is found among the principals in Germany (53%) and France (52%) - either because in the long run, investments like this pay of, or because their customers understand their benefits.

In Germany, France and the Netherlands, the demand for sustainable material has advanced most visibly compared to the Q 3 2010 survey. In Q3 2011, more principals asked and were willing to pay for sustainable products than in Q3 2010 when respectively: 26% of the German, 26% of the French and 26% of the Dutch architects had experienced demand for sustainable materials with principals ready to pay for.

In Spain, the importance of sustainability is also growing among principals (from 5% in 2010 to 22% willing to pay the price for it in 2011).

Diminishing numbers of principals ready to invest in sustainable materials can be observed in the UK and Italy. The market in Italy is going through one of the most difficult periods for the sector, which might possibly cause this downfall.

These and many other results and trends of the development of the European construction market can be found 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 (in Q3 2011, the special topic is sustainability). Architects can be used not only as a reliable source for future building volumes information, but their role is very important as they have great influence on how projects are built and which materials are used.

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