Majority want their next home to be built with sustainable materials

Over half of 25-40-year-olds say it’s important that their next home is made using sustainable materials.

Window manufacturers Eurocell asked 1,000 people what design features they want for their future home, who identified double/triple glazing (58%), solar panels (35%), energy efficient appliances (34%) and the use of recycled and sustainable building products (22%) as the features they would like the most.

Eurocell says housing developers and not central government are pushing this trend and they hope that their statistics will show that there is consumer and tenant demand for sustainable development.

The research is part of Eurocell’s ‘The Future Home Report’ which you can read here.

Steve Marshall, architect director and head of housing at Building Design Partnership said: ‘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 as buyers start to ask why the council is offering something that private developers are not.’

James Roberts, project architect at SimpsonHaugh, said: ‘It comes down to what 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 airtight 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.’

Last month, Charlie Knox, director of environmental and sustainability at building and project consultancy Paragon, wrote in Environment Journal about common misconceptions around environmental and sustainability risks associated with developments and property transactions.

‘As more businesses are prepared to accept environmental responsibility within our industry, there will be an increase in sustainable property investment and development that achieves socio-economic growth within the UK without negatively impacting the wider environment, which ultimately we will all benefit from,’ he wrote.