Sustainability is growing, and product image is important when it comes to architects specifying products and materials. A recent Arch-Vision study asked architects in Europe what the most and least sustainable façade materials/products are, in their view. The results showed that bricks, wood, and stone are currently thought of as the most sustainable products to build with. Brick, especially in Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands, is a product strongly related to a sustainability image. However, there was some disagreement on wood, as it was also named by some architects as being the least sustainable material. There were contradicting opinions on concrete also, as 13% of French architects named it most sustainable and 10% listed it least sustainable. Concrete and composite or HPL Façade panels were most often listed as the least sustainable products.
According to the study, more than two-thirds of architects in Europe are proactive in sustainability and specifying sustainable products. So products that are perceived as least sustainable are at a great disadvantage in the European market for building materials.
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