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Survey Finds Architects Designing Green to Address Demand for Lower Building Operating Costs
2007 Autodesk/AIA Green Index Shows Increasing Practice of Sustainable Design; Client Demand and Technology are Key Drivers
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For Immediate Release |
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Washington, D.C., November 7,
2007 — Autodesk, Inc. and the American Institute of Architects (AIA)
today announced the results of the 2007 Autodesk/AIA Green Index,
an annual survey that measures how AIA member architects in the
United States are practicing sustainable design, as well as their
opinions about the green building movement. The index shows that
green building has taken a firm hold on the industry and has
captured the attention of both architects and their clients. The
2007 Autodesk/AIA Green Index survey reports 70% of architects say
client demand is the leading driver of green building and that the
primary reason these owners and developers are demanding greener
buildings is for reduced operating costs. Architects are responding
by significantly increasing their use of sustainable elements such
as high-efficiency HVAC systems, recycled building materials and
using software to model energy usage.
Today's Green Building Landscape
According to the Autodesk/AIA Green Index, less than half of
architects were incorporating sustainable design practices into
their projects five years ago. However, this number is quickly
rising with 90 percent of architects expecting to incorporate some
sustainable elements by 2012. This rapidly growing adoption of
sustainable design is in direct response to a strong client demand
for green building, with 70 percent of this year's respondents
citing client demand as the main driver pushing architects to go
green. When asked to cite a reason behind clients' push toward
green building, 64 percent of respondents cited the reduced
operating costs that can be obtained through sustainable design as
the cause.
"Buildings are the leading provider of greenhouse emissions, and in
2005 the AIA set a goal to reduce carbon emissions from buildings
by 50 percent by 2010 and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030,"
said AIA EVP/CEO Christine McEntee. "The results of the survey are
encouraging, but there needs to be a greater sense of urgency to
make sustainable design the norm in the profession. To that end, we
will be releasing additional resources in 2008 to better educate
both architects and clients on best practices and benefits of green
buildings."
The survey also shows that architects are making significant
strides to meet their client demand for green building. Working to
develop their sustainable design skills, 88 percent of respondents
have received training or continuing education focused on green
building. This year's Green Index also shows a significant increase
in the practice of sustainable design since 2002. According to this
year's survey, the industry has seen a 25 percent increase in the
number of architects utilizing high-efficiency HVAC systems in
their projects over the past five years. Other areas of growth
include the use of highly reflective roofing materials, which has
jumped 18 percent since 2002, and the adoption of energy modeling
and baseline analysis, which has seen a 17 percent increase in that
same period.
Moving the Industry Forward
While almost 75 percent of Green Index respondents believe that the
building industry is headed in the right direction regarding
climate change, and 54 percent believe architects are responsible
for developing and implementing solutions to this issue, the survey
also shows that there is still significant opportunity for
architects to deliver on green building practices. Although 50
percent of architects reported having clients inquire about green
building on the majority of their projects, only 30 percent of
architects actually implemented green building elements in their
projects. In addition, only 10 percent of architects are currently
measuring the carbon footprint of their projects.
"We are encouraged that the 2007 Green Index shows a growing number
of architects practicing green building," said Phil Bernstein,
FAIA, LEED AP, Autodesk Vice President of AEC Industry Strategy and
Relations. "Since only 10 percent of architects are currently
measuring the carbon footprint of their projects, Autodesk
recognizes a need to make this an easier and more efficient process
using new and existing technology solutions. We look forward to
continued cooperation with the AIA to help architects use
technology to design more environmentally responsible
buildings."
When asked what green building efforts they expect to adopt in the
next five years, over half the respondents said they will be using
tools to enable the prediction and evaluation of the environmental
impact and lifecycle of the building materials used in their
projects, a 36 percent increase from today. Fifty-six percent of
respondents also stated that they will be using design software to
evaluate and explore alternative building materials to maximize
energy performance and minimize their environmental
footprint.
Research Methods
The Autodesk/AIA Green Index was conducted online by StrategyOne
Research in October 2007 among 347 practicing architects in the
United States. The architects were questioned on their use of 14
green design practices: five years ago, over the previous 12
months, and their expected use five years from now. The design
practices were based on the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED
(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards.
The architects who responded to the survey come from a mix of
design practices. Forty-four percent are predominantly involved
with commercial projects, 32 percent with institutional, 20 percent
with single family homes, and 4 percent with industrial projects.
Sixty-two percent of the architects have 15 or more years of
experience. Additionally, 88 percent of the architects have
received training or continuing education on the subject of green
buildings. The full report is available on the Autodesk Web site at
http://www.autodesk.com/green.
About the American Institute of
Architects
For 150 years, members of The American Institute of Architects have
worked with each other and their communities to create more
valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings and
cityscapes. AIA members have access to the right people, knowledge,
and tools to create better design, and through such resources and
access, they help clients and communities make their visions real.
http://www.aia.org
About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc. is the world leader in 2D and 3D design software for
the manufacturing, building and construction, and media and
entertainment markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software
in 1982, Autodesk has developed the broadest portfolio of
state-of-the-art digital prototyping solutions to help customers
experience their ideas before they are real. Fortune 1000 companies
rely on Autodesk for the tools to visualize, simulate and analyze
real-world performance early in the design process to save time and
money, enhance quality and foster innovation. For additional
information about Autodesk, visit http://www.autodesk.com/.
Autodesk and AutoCAD are registered trademarks or trademarks of
Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand
names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective
holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and
specifications at any time without notice, and is not responsible
for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this
document.
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