Survey Says …
Is sustainable building just a fad that will come and go with the changing times, or will it be a business practice that finds roots in the construction industry? A recent survey of mechanical engineers shows sustainable design work will continue to increase in 2010.
The second annual Sustainable Design Trend Watch survey, commissioned by the ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers), www.asme.org, New York, N.Y., and Autodesk, www.autodesk.com, San Rafael, Calif., generated more than 3,000 respondents of the more than 53,000 ASME professionals and nearly 20,000 ASME student members.
In this year’s survey, 6% more respondents indicated they believe sustainable design will be incorporated into work in 2010. In addition, more than two-thirds of mechanical engineer respondents have work on sustainable projects while more than half of ASME student members are involved with sustainable design in studies.
Based on the results from the survey, the biggest drivers of sustainable design are regulatory requirements, growing energy costs, and client demand.
According to Thomas Loughlin, executive director, ASME, the results of the survey demonstrate sustainable design practices are exerting a positive influence on the mindset of engineers, and engineers will be at the forefront of sustainable technologies that could produce large-scale impacts on the industry.