Green Building Projects Continue to Grow

The worldwide market for green buildings will continue to double every three years, with tenant requests for sustainable design driving a large amount of the development, according to a new report from the research firm Dodge Data & Analytics. The survey, released at Greenbuild 2015, asked over 1,000 respondents from the architecture, engineering, FM, and consulting industries about their expectations for green building project involvement through 2018, a 25% increase in the sample size over the 2012 edition of the survey.

The researchers found the largest percentage of green building projects continue to be in the commercial building segment, accounting for 46% of planned green projects. The survey also noted that green activity in institutional facilities such as schools, hospitals, and public buildings will pass the number of projects completed in existing facilities during 2018, at 38% and 37% respectively. The most common driver for the implementation of green projects is client or tenant requests (40%) with environmental regulations coming in second at 35%. The authors also note that for the first time in the 2016 report, respondents cited occupant benefits as a driver of green building investment, with healthier neighborhoods (15%), return on investment (11%), and improved recruitment (5%) all increasing next year.

Considering a green project in your facility? Check out these tips for certification in programs that can recognize you for your efforts!