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The relationship between motivations of architectural designers and environmentally sustainable construction design

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  • Niamh Murtagh
  • Aeli Roberts
  • Richard Hind

Abstract

Research on sustainability in construction design has tended to focus on technological, institutional and economic drivers, but there has been little change in the industry. Social scientific approaches offer insights on the lack of progress. However, few previous studies have investigated psychological factors despite the pivotal role of the individual professional decision-maker. The aim was to understand what personal motivations drive architectural designers to pursue sustainable design in their work and whether non-environmental motivations can drive sustainable outcomes. Twenty-eight architectural designers in 14 small firms in the London area were interviewed. Thematic analysis was conducted, informed by the self-determination theory of motivation. Although extrinsic motivators were noted, autonomous motivations including a moral imperative and personal commitment predominated. Further, the participants demonstrated other self-determined motivations including realization of self-identity, pursuit of quality in design and awareness of their work’s impact on people. These autonomous motivations align closely with sustainability principles including design for durability, high standards and technical expertise. The findings point to the risks of reliance on extrinisic motivators such as regulation, and the opportunities to engage architectural designers more extensively in sustainable design by linking sustainability to autonomous motivations.

Suggested Citation

  • Niamh Murtagh & Aeli Roberts & Richard Hind, 2016. "The relationship between motivations of architectural designers and environmentally sustainable construction design," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(1), pages 61-75, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:conmgt:v:34:y:2016:i:1:p:61-75
    DOI: 10.1080/01446193.2016.1178392
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bruno S. Frey, 1997. "Not Just for the Money," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 1183.
    2. World Commission on Environment and Development,, 1987. "Our Common Future," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780192820808.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Li, Qianwen & Qian, Tingyu & Wang, Jiaqi & Long, Ruyin & Chen, Hong & Sun, Chuanwang, 2023. "Social “win-win” promotion of green housing under the four-subject evolutionary game," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(PA).
    3. Maria Vasilska, 2021. "Characteristics of Strategic Subcontracting Relations of Industrial SMEs," European Journal of Economics and Business Studies Articles, Revistia Research and Publishing, vol. 7, ejes_v7_i.
    4. Albert Ping Chuen Chan & Amos Darko & Ernest Effah Ameyaw, 2017. "Strategies for Promoting Green Building Technologies Adoption in the Construction Industry—An International Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-18, June.
    5. Yajing Zhang & Jingfeng Yuan & Lingzhi Li & Hu Cheng, 2019. "Proposing a Value Field Model for Predicting Homebuyers’ Purchasing Behavior of Green Residential Buildings: A Case Study in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-31, December.
    6. Isabelle Wrase, 2023. "An Analysis of Sustainability in Real Estate in Job Advertisements and Personal Profiles in Switzerland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-19, June.
    7. Wei Wang & Shoujian Zhang & Yikun Su & Xinyang Deng, 2018. "Key Factors to Green Building Technologies Adoption in Developing Countries: The Perspective of Chinese Designers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-22, November.
    8. Maria Unuigbe & Sambo Lyson Zulu & David Johnston, 2022. "Exploring Factors Influencing Renewable Energy Diffusion in Commercial Buildings in Nigeria: A Grounded Theory Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-32, August.
    9. Zhang, Jingxiao & Li, Hui & Olanipekun, Ayokunle Olubunmi & Bai, Li, 2019. "A successful delivery process of green buildings: The project owners’ view, motivation and commitment," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 651-658.
    10. Oriol Pons-Valladares & Jelena Nikolic, 2020. "Sustainable Design, Construction, Refurbishment and Restoration of Architecture: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-18, November.
    11. Quangdung Tran & Sajjad Nazir & Tu-Hieu Nguyen & Ngoc-Khoa Ho & Tuan-Hai Dinh & Viet-Phuong Nguyen & Manh-Hung Nguyen & Quoc-Khanh Phan & The-Son Kieu, 2020. "Empirical Examination of Factors Influencing the Adoption of Green Building Technologies: The Perspective of Construction Developers in Developing Economies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-28, September.

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