Sustaining the future - more than half of consumers want homes of the future to be built with environmentally-friendly materials

Housing Thu, Jun 27, 2019 11:05 AM


New research has revealed that more than half of consumers believe it is important that their home is made using environmentally-responsible materials.

Conducted by Eurocell plc, the UK’s leading manufacturer, distributor and recycler of PVC-U window, door, conservatory and roofline systems, the research looked into consumer attitudes towards sustainable building. When asked about their preferred sustainability features, consumers identified double/triple glazing as the most appealing (58%), followed by solar panels (35%), energy efficient appliances (34%) and the use of recycled and sustainable building products (22%).

One of the key drivers behind this trend is the implementation of sustainability features by developers, which are regularly being incorporated into housebuilding voluntarily rather than as a result of legislation.

Explaining this trend, Steve Marshall, Architect Director and Head of Housing at BDP commented: “Some of our local authority clients like to be seen as leading the way and pushing standards when it comes to sustainability. They need to be seen to be doing the right thing and as such will go above and beyond minimum requirements. It might take time for this to impact the standards that others build to, but this may happen asbuyers start to ask why the council is offering something that private developers are not.”

Whilst housing developers are pushing this trend currently, a group of architects presented with these statistics believe that consumer and tenant demand is likely to be a driver for sustainable development in the future. Despite this increased awareness it was highlighted by the architects that, for homes to become more sustainable, consumers need more education on what sustainability actually means in housing.

JamesRoberts, Project Architect at SimpsonHaugh, said: “It comes down towhat is tangible. People understand the concept of double glazing and smart meters, for example. However, if you look at the sustainability


credentials of the materials used, or how air tight a home is, these are less tangible yet can have an equally significant impact on how sustainable a home is. As such, willingness to invest in some ‘sustainable design features’ is likely to increase as the public’s understanding of them does. Some they will already be investing in, without appreciating it.”


What’s clear is that sustainability means different things to different people across the housebuilding industry. As such it is critical that the sector works to both understand, and meet, the expectations of future homeowners – especially as they become increasingly educated in this area.You can see all of Eurocell’s findings from the survey in the Future Home Report which can be downloaded in full here https://www.eurocell.co.uk/whitepaper

Featured News

Specification news
Cost-effective and easy to install shower and bathroom...

Parkside Architectural Tiles has launched a new range of shower and bathroom wall...

Read More >>

Specification news
Glidevale Protect supports Vistry Group’s new zero...

Leading building products manufacturer Glidevale Protect has supplied two of its...

Read More >>

BUILDING PRODUCT LIBRARY - LATEST BROCHURES

REVO.Prime TSA 325 NT Brochure

REVO.Prime TSA 325 N...
By GEZE UK Ltd

Download Now >>

Natural ventilation strategy for Sunderland SEND school Brochure

Natural ventilation...
By Passivent

Download Now >>

Squash Court Flooring Brochure

Squash Court Floorin...
By Junckers Limited

Download Now >>

Junckers Acoustics Floor System Brochure

Junckers Acoustics F...
By Junckers Limited

Download Now >>

BUILDING PRODUCT DIRECTORY - LATEST PRODUCTS

Ei1025 Environmental Sensor
Ei1025 Environmental Sensor

Discreet and secure, the Ei1025 Environmental Sensor can be placed throughout a property to monitor...

Read More >>

Ei1000G SmartLINK Gateway
Ei1000G SmartLINK Gateway

The Gateway and Cloud portal use Aico’s SmartLINK technology to bring together data from all...

Read More >>

Ei3030 Multi-Sensor Fire and Carbon Monoxide Alarm
Ei3030 Multi-Sensor Fire and Carbon Monoxide Alarm

The Ei3030 is a multi-sensor Fire & Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarm. Containing our proven and dependable...

Read More >>

CONSTRUCTION VIDEOS - LATEST VIDEOS

Forma aluminium column casings for Winchester College
Forma aluminium column casings for Winchester College

In progressive and dynamic business sectors, such as construction, it’s natural to be forward...

Watch Now >>

Decorative metal bulkheads & column casings for Tesco Extra, Birmingham
Decorative metal bulkheads & column casings for Tesco Extra, Birmingham

Decorative aluminium horizontal bulkheads more than 100 metres long have been supplied and installed...

Watch Now >>

Vecta building linings for the perfect finish
Vecta building linings for the perfect finish

More than 150 sq.m of Vecta aluminium wall lining and a feature bulkhead have been manufactured and...

Watch Now >>