User perspectives on sustainable innovation in the construction industry

Abstract

Housing availability relative to population size is widely regarded as the main qualitative indicator of housing development standards. In Central Europe, there has been a notable trend of residents relocating from larger urban areas, where most housing is apartment buildings, to smaller satellite towns. Many investors and users are placing greater emphasis on construction methods, material bases, and sustainability. Among the sustainable housing options in Central Europe (V4 countries), single-family wooden houses are gaining popularity. Despite their advantages, the broader adoption of wood-based sustainable construction is hindered by limited public awareness. Hence, this study explores the perception of potential users and investors on wood-based constructions compared to traditional construction methods. Results show that potential users and investors perceive wooden constructions as capable of meeting the current legislative, energy-related, technological, and economic requirements. Correlation analysis of the data revealed differences in the perception of the parameters of constructions among various respondent groups. The primary contribution of this study lies in increasing awareness of wood-based constructions and analyzing the interactions among the selected parameters of constructions. Findings from this study highlight the potential for innovation aimed at enhancing efficiency and sustainability in housing developments.

Keywords

Wood-based construction / Environment / Innovation / Region of central Europe / Socioeconomic research / Sustainability

Funding

This study was simultaneously supported by the Scientific Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic (VEGA) with VEGA 1/0228/24 project and the Cultural and Educational Grant Agency Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic (KEGA) with KEGA 017TUKE-4/2024 project.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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