Lisa Grosse, brand manager at Cedral UK, highlights some of the key findings of its recent survey into architects’ attitudes to housing design and the use of cladding
We are witnessing several major trends that are reshaping building design in the residential sector. These have been driven by the growing urgency to meet sustainability targets, the need to adapt to climate change, and advances in technology.
Cedral surveyed 250 architects, building specifiers and construction professionals who are involved in the materials sourcing process to gain deeper insights into industry perspectives on challenges and opportunities in key areas including new builds, retrofitting, modular construction, climate-conscious design and sustainability.
Could refurbs and retrofits hold the key to future sustainable building?
Three in 10 (30%) survey respondents had noticed a heightened focus on retrofitting in the past five years, and half (50%) of those we surveyed expected to see an increase in refurbishment and retrofit projects in the next two years.
The main reasons behind this include:
- Boosting property value – half (50%) of survey respondents said they expected to see an increase in these types of projects because they can increase the value of a building.
- Sustainability – just over two in five (41%) survey respondents said the number of these types of projects will increase because they are deemed more sustainable. A third (33%) expected to see more retrofit and refurb projects because of their importance for meeting net zero targets.
- Rise in office-to-residential developments – with many office spaces now sitting vacant, these spaces now represent a major opportunity when it comes to tackling the UK’s housing shortage. Two in five (40%) respondents expected to see an increase in the number of refurb and retrofit projects due to the rise in office-to-residential developments.
Additionally, three in 10 (31%) respondents said they expected to work on more refurb and retrofit projects because of the government’s commitments to remediate non-conforming cladding on high-rise residential buildings.
Modular construction will grow in importance
The industry is embracing modular construction as a means of delivering high-quality, efficient and environmentally responsible buildings.
Not only did half (50%) of survey respondents report an increased focus on modular projects in the past five years, but almost half (49%) expected this momentum to continue in the next five years. Meanwhile, almost four out of five (78%) respondents agreed that working with modular construction will become more important in the next one to two years, citing cost savings (57%) and efficiency (51%) as advantages. Some 41% also saw improved quality as an advantage of modular, 39% cited a reduction in environmental impact, and 37% saw the benefit of design flexibility.
Climate change is having a significant impact on building exterior design and specification
Almost all (96%) respondents said climate change is affecting facade design and specification choices in one or more ways, with 59% of respondents saying climate change is affecting the choice of materials chosen. Just over half of respondents (56%) said there is greater importance placed on insulation, while 41% said there is greater use of surrounding planting. Over a third (35%) said there is greater consideration of the building’s orientation.
Over seven in 10 (72%) respondents agreed that climate change has had a significant influence on building design from an aesthetic perspective. Respondents were most likely to say that the main facade design trend they expect to see in the next three years is exterior living walls. Smart facades (39%), minimalism (32%) and a return to traditional materials such as brick or stone (32%) were also expected to prove popular.
More needs to be done to achieve long-term sustainability
Discussions around sustainability, futureproofing and a fabric-first approach have become increasingly prominent for housebuilding. One of the trends we are seeing for exteriors is more natural products, such as fibre cement cladding. A strong, versatile and sustainable material containing cement and fibres, it uses fewer raw materials and less energy in its manufacture and produces less waste than some traditional building materials.
However, almost all (97%) survey respondents reported that they are experiencing one or more challenges when it comes to innovating new ways to improve the sustainability of building projects.
The obstacles that the architects and building specifiers are most likely to be facing are caused by economic factors outside of their control such as the cost of materials (65%) and the cost of construction (62%).
Challenges that the industry has more control over include:
- A lack of standardisation or guidance on sustainable building practices (35%)
- A lack of training and awareness of sustainable design principles (34%)
- A lack of operative training and awareness of sustainable building practices (29%).
To download the full report, go to: https://www.cedral.world/en-gb/professionals/-/whitepapers
