Environmental Leader

U.S. architects say durability is the most important attribute for a “green” building product, according to an industry survey commissioned by PPG Industries (Pittsburgh, Pa.) Other key green features include ENERGY STAR compliance, life-cycle assessment, no- or low-volatile organic compound (VOC) content and the ability to source products regionally.

Durability is also ranked the most important attribute among building products in general, ranking slightly ahead of price. Other key attributes include product warranties, features and technical support.

The study also reveals that Armstrong (37 percent) and USG (35 percent) are perceived as green product building leaders. Kohler, Owens-Corning, DuPont, Johnson Controls and PPG are among other companies identified as green leaders by more than 20 percent of those surveyed.

PPG was recognized as the green, or sustainability, leader in the glass and metal coatings categories by margins of 33 percent and 8 percent respectively over the nearest competitors.

About 30 percent of respondents’ firms work on projects outside the United States.The fastest-growing overseas markets are India and Dubai, which grew by 60 percent and 44 percent respectively since 2006. China is down by 29 percent from 2006 but remains the second-largest source of foreign commissions, between Canada and Mexico.

According to the 2008 Autodesk/American Institute of Architects Green Index, 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.