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U.S. Architects Report Increased Adoption of Green Building
Autodesk/AIA Green Index Survey Shows Growing Use of Green Roofs, Renewable Energy Sources and Design Software to Improve Building Performance
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For Immediate Release |
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Washington, D.C., November 19,
2008 — Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) and the American Institute of
Architects (AIA) have announced the results of the 2008
Autodesk/AIA Green Index, an annual survey that measures how AIA
members are practicing sustainable design, as well as their
opinions about the green building movement. This year’s index
shows an increase in the implementation of sustainable design
practices from architects and building owners. In addition, it
shows that architects’ clients have experienced a doubling in
the market demand for green buildings over the past year as well as
positive shifts in architects’ attitudes toward their ability
to impact climate change.
A major finding of the 2008 Green Index was that 42 percent of
architects report clients asking for green building elements on a
majority of their projects, with 47 percent of clients actually
implementing green building elements on their projects, an increase
of 15 percent from 2007. Client demand remains the leading driver
for green building, with 66 percent of surveyed architects citing
client demand as the primary influence on their practice of green
building. Architects believe that the primary reasons their clients
are asking for green buildings are reduced operating costs (60
percent), marketing (52 percent) and market demand (21 percent, up
from 10 percent in the 2007 survey). The full Autodesk/AIA Green
Index report is available at http://www.autodesk.com/green.
“We are encouraged to see the continued rise in demand for
green buildings, and that architects are responding to this demand
by increasing their practice of sustainable design,” said Jay
Bhatt, senior vice president, Autodesk AEC Solutions.
“Autodesk is committed to developing software that makes
sustainable design easier and more efficient, and it is rewarding
to learn through this survey that 41 percent of architects are
using software to help predict and evaluate the environmental
impact and lifecycle of their buildings.”
In response to the rising client demand for green buildings,
architects are increasing their use of certain sustainable design
practices. According to the survey, 34 percent of architects are
now implementing green or vegetated roof coverings on more than
half of their new projects, compared with 7 percent of architects
in 2007. Also, 39 percent are using renewable, on-site energy
sources, such as solar, wind, geothermal, low-impact hydro, biomass
or bio-gas on over half of new building designs, compared with just
6 percent last year. Architects indicated a significant increase in
their use of design software over the past year to help predict and
evaluate HVAC operating costs (39 percent, up from 31 percent in
2007), conduct energy modeling and baseline analysis (33 percent,
up from 29 percent in 2007) and evaluate and explore alternative
building materials (35 percent, up from 20 percent in 2007).
“The results of the Autodesk/AIA Green Index survey are
encouraging because it shows that clients and the market are
realizing the bottom-line benefits of sustainable design,”
said Christine McEntee, EVP and CEO of the AIA. “The AIA will
be adding to our various resources to help accelerate the adoption
of sustainable design principles by both clients and design
professionals, and advocating at the local, state and federal level
for energy-efficient buildings will continue to be our main
legislative priority.”
Positive Attitudes about Sustainable
Practice
The 2008 Autodesk/AIA Green Index found that 89 percent of
architects believe sustainable design should be practiced whenever
possible, up three percentage points from 2007. Over seven in 10
architects (71 percent compared with 67 percent in 2007) agree that
when thinking about architecture and the environment, they feel the
profession is headed in the right direction. Fifty-seven percent of
respondents indicated that their organization is starting to
implement standard operating procedures to inform clients about
green building, up from 49 percent in 2007.
U.S. Architects Aligned with European and Asian Peers in
Green Design
Over the past year, Autodesk also conducted similar green index
surveys of architects in Japan, Italy and the United Kingdom, in
partnership with organizations including the Japan Institute of
Architects and the Royal Institute of British Architects. When
asked why their clients were interested in green building,
architects in all countries agreed that it was due to the desire
for reduced operating costs. AIA members lead their global
counterparts in the belief that architects should practice
sustainable design whenever possible, with 89 percent of architects
in the United States agreeing, followed by 88 percent in the United
Kingdom, 73 percent in Italy and 59 percent in Japan. However, the
reasons architects are building green vary across countries. In the
United States green building designs are driven by client demand
(66 percent), whereas in the United Kingdom and Japan the primary
factors are regulatory requirements (75 percent and 64 percent
respectively) and in Italy, rising energy costs (70 percent).
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 of Autodesk,
Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates 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.
© 2008 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.
About The American Institute of
Architects
For over 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. By using sustainable design practices, materials, and
techniques, AIA architects are uniquely poised to provide the
leadership and guidance needed to provide solutions to address
climate change. AIA architects walk the walk on sustainable design.
Visit www.aia.org/walkthewalk.
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