PROJECT

The construction sector is a sector in continuous updating due to the integration of new technologies for the design of projects and the incorporation of environmental considerations of construction materials. This incessant and rapid modernisation of the labour system requires constant and continuous training of the professionals in the sector, most of whom have professional careers of more than 20 years’ experience. In Europe there are 600,000 architects, 64% of whom are over 40 years old.

In recent years there has been a large decline in the number of architects working independently, in favour of an increase in work in companies and firms. The percentage of architects practising individually has fallen by up to 50% in the last decade. These tendencies suggest that architects are returning to a paid employment in the practice, instead of free exercise, assuming that they will have to adapt to the design systems established in the companies, much more prone to modernization and integration of innovative methodologies, complicating the incorporation of professionals with extensive experience whose training does not fit the current design tools.

The environmental profile is an increasingly important criterion for public and private procurement and for consumer choice. Companies and professionals have various mechanisms for accrediting and communicating the environmental excellence of their products and services, including Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). These EPDs provide a reliable, relevant, transparent, comparable and verifiable environmental profile that allows an environmentally friendly product to stand out, based on LCA according to international standards and quantified environmental data.