Two-thirds of architects now calculate environmental impact

• NBS’s new report discovers two-thirds of professionals use technology to calculate environmental metrics
• Four in ten use digital tools to analyse the embodied carbon attached to a project or product
• A similar number (38%) digitally analyse energy demands as part of the building process
• Over half of professionals have used off-site construction in the past twelve months, rising by 7% since 2021

Today, NBS, the platform for connected construction information, reveals the results of its Digital Construction Report. The study explores the industry’s evolving relationship between digital technology and safety and sustainability – the sector’s biggest challenges. This year it showed two-thirds of professionals using digital tools to calculate environmental-related metrics, a sign that sustainable design is now intrinsic to construction processes.

Significantly, four in ten use digital methods to understand the embodied carbon attached to a project – that is, the amount of CO2 emitted during construction. A similar figure (38%) also uses it to quantify the energy demands of structures and the components that go into them. There’s room for improvement, but the figures show a clear push towards lower carbon outcomes.