Use of wood in green building: a study of expert perspectives from the UK

Green building (GB) is an emerging topic in research. However, few studies have directly linked wood materials with the concept of GB. Here, we attempt to increase our understanding of GB and the potential for using wood to enhance this concept from the market point of view, with emphasis on experts in the UK construction sector, using qualitative analysis of interview data. The main results support Abidin's broader concept of GB (2005) and suggest that there is potential for integrating GB and corporate social responsibility in the construction sector; thus we add affordable housing as an additional element in the economic dimensions. Our results further verify the crucial role that the UK government has played in GB formation, promotion and development and showed a positive increase in using wood in the UK construction sector, supporting the notion that the environmental performance of wood is the major driver in embracing wood in the GB concept. In addition, we showed that experts who have sound knowledge of wood as a building material agree on its superior environmental credentials; however, end users who may lack information and knowledge of wood products often show strong prejudice against its use. Finally, we demonstrated that the major drivers promoting wood as a sustainable solution for GB in the UK construction sector include legislation, environmental awareness, attitudes and traditions, market and competition, promotion and communication, and technology and know-how.

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