Eco-labeled wood products in the U.S. residential construction industry: Architects’ awareness and usage of certified wood and green building programs

Abstract

The use of environmentally friendly building materials has experienced slow growth within the residential construction market due to higher cost and low availability of certified wood. The development of green building programs (GBPs) marked the beginning of the effort to adopt energy-efficient design guidelines and utilize eco-friendly renewable materials in structures. These programs were targeted at reducing environmental impacts by integrating eco-friendly materials into the design and construction of buildings, including promoting the use of environmentally certified wood products (ECWPs) harvested from sustainably managed forests. This research was designed to determine which attributes influence architects’ decisions to use environmentally certified wood products in residential construction projects and how this might influence their perceptions and use of green building programs. The results indicate that architects who have participated in a GBP were more likely to have used ECWPs. The material attributes that influence architects’ selection of materials are mainly related to economics and function as opposed to environmental friendliness. These results will help to inform and broaden the understanding of issues that influence the adoption and utilization of environmentally certified wood products, and identify some of the factors that can contribute to their continued growth in the U.S. marketplace.