In three out of six European countires, architects express their preference of working with manufacturers who provide complete systems.
These are some of the results of the 2011 European Architectural Barometer Report, a quarterly study among 1,200 architects in Europe.
In recent years, manufacturers have switched from offering a single product to developing and providing complete integrated system solutions and concepts. How has this change effected and altered an architect's work?
The total system solution seems to be preferred by a large share of the architects in southern Europe, namely France, Spain and Italy. According to the European Architectural Barometer results, between two thirds (66% in Italy and Spain) and three quarters (76% in France) of the architects surveyed agreed that using a complete system greatly aided their work. According to the study, achitects or builders working with roofs, for example, would prefer to work with systems which include roofing materials, roofing components, solar, insulation, etc.
In the North-West part of Europe an avid preference for the use of complete systems is not as clear as it is in the south. In the UK and the Netherlands, the architects were divided into two groups, taking opposing stances on the subject. In Germany, 45% of the architects surveyed agreed that integrated systems were favourable. In turn, 25% of architects in this country disagreed with this opinion.
The results of the survey can be explained in two ways; one argument demonstrates the belief that in working with a complete integrated system, the amount of work for the architect is greatly reduced. On the other hand, the complete integrated systems can also be seen as a limitation on the architect's creativity and design scope.
Other trends in the development of the European construction market can be studied in the European Architectural Barometer report. On a quarterly basis, this study is conducted by Arch-Vision throughout Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. One topic highlghted by the research is considered and discussed each quarter.
