Anna Gibson, product manager at EGGER UK, shares how material specification, responsible sourcing, and manufacturer choice can help project teams design for longevity and improve whole-life sustainability
Material specification strongly influences a building’s whole-life performance, from embodied carbon and resource use to durability, maintenance requirements, and eventual end of life. As the construction industry faces increasing pressure to reduce environmental impact, the focus is shifting to how materials perform across an asset’s full lifecycle, rather than their impact at the point of manufacture alone.
For architects, designers, and specifiers, this means more than checking environmental credentials when selecting materials. Expected service life, performance requirements, maintenance needs, and the potential for repair, replacement, or recovery all matter.
Designing for longevity therefore starts at the specification stage. By considering how materials will perform throughout a building project’s lifecycle, teams can make more informed decisions that support resource efficiency and whole-life environmental performance.
Why longevity matters in sustainable specification
Embodied carbon is an increasingly important consideration in construction. UKGBC estimates that embodied carbon from building construction and refurbishment currently accounts for 20% of UK built environmental emissions.
Reducing upfront embodied carbon is therefore an important part of decarbonisation, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. A material’s environmental impact can continue throughout an asset’s operational life through maintenance, repair, and replacement, before reaching its end-of-life stage.
This is reflected in the growing focus on whole-life carbon assessment. The second edition of the RICS Whole Life Carbon Assessment standard came into full effect on 1st July 2024, providing a consistent methodology for assessing carbon across the lifecycle of buildings and infrastructure. It considers embodied, operational, and user carbon and is intended to support decisions from early design through to end of life.
For project teams, this reinforces the importance of considering material choices in context. A product with a lower initial environmental impact may not necessarily deliver the best whole-life outcome if it requires frequent replacement, while a durable material may reduce future demand for new materials and associated construction activity.
The objective is not simply to specify the material with the lowest upfront impact, but to understand how each option contributes to the building’s performance over its expected life.
Choose sustainable manufacturers
The manufacturer behind the material can play a significant role in determining its environmental impact, from raw-material sourcing and manufacturing processes to resource efficiency and emissions.
For architects, designers, and specifiers, this makes manufacturer choice an important part of sustainable procurement. Rather than relying on broad claims about a product being ‘green’ or ‘eco-friendly’, project teams should look for measurable evidence of how a manufacturer is addressing its environmental impact.
This could include independently verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), recognised certification for responsibly sourced materials, information about recycled or recovered content, manufacturing emissions, and published sustainability targets. This information can also make it easier to assess materials consistently and show how specification decisions support a project’s environmental objectives.
Supply-chain transparency is becoming increasingly important, too. The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is due to apply from 30 December 2026 to large and medium-sized operators and traders, with additional provisions for smaller businesses. The regulation covers wood and certain derived products and requires relevant businesses to demonstrate that products placed on the EU market are deforestation-free and produced in accordance with the laws of the country of production.
The UK is also developing its own approach. The government announced in June 2026 that it intends to introduce new deforestation requirements in Great Britain, including due diligence requirements covering wood and certain derived products. Legislation is currently expected to be delivered in 2027.
For manufacturers and their customers, these developments reinforce the importance of tracing the origin of wood and demonstrating responsible sourcing. For specifiers, this provides another reason to examine the supply chain behind a product rather than assess its sustainability credentials in isolation.
Assess materials based on the demands of the project
Longevity begins with specifying materials suited to their intended application. Performance requirements can vary significantly between projects and even within the same building. High-traffic environments may place greater demands on surfaces through abrasion and impact, while kitchens, bathrooms, and other areas may require greater resistance to moisture, heat, or frequent cleaning.
Consider these factors before selecting materials. A sustainability credential doesn’t compensate for a product that is unsuitable for its intended application and needs to be replaced prematurely. For specifiers, durability should therefore sit alongside other established criteria such as technical performance, compliance, aesthetics, availability, and cost.
Maintenance should also be another key consideration. Materials that can be cleaned, repaired, or selectively replaced may help reduce the need for more extensive intervention. Where replacement is eventually necessary, the ability to remove an individual component without disturbing adjacent construction can further reduce material use.
Focus on function over short-lived design trends
Longevity also needs to be considered from a design perspective. While current trends can influence a project’s look and feel, specifying materials based too heavily on short-lived aesthetic trends can contribute to premature refurbishment when preferences change.
For architects and designers, this does not mean avoiding distinctive finishes or contemporary design. Instead, it means considering how a material palette will perform visually and technically over time. Versatile materials and considered colour and finish choices can give interiors greater flexibility, allowing individual elements to be updated without requiring a whole replacement.
This can be particularly relevant in commercial, hospitality, and residential developments where interior finishes may be refreshed as part of a change in ownership, branding, or occupancy. Selecting materials that can accommodate different design approaches can help extend their useful application rather than tying them to a particular moment in the design cycle.
The aim should not be to eliminate trends from the design process, but to avoid allowing them to dictate material choices that could shorten the functional or aesthetic life of an otherwise well-performing project.
Sustainable construction requires a longer-term view of the materials specified today. From responsible sourcing and manufacturer transparency to durability, maintenance, and end-of-life considerations, each decision can influence a building’s environmental impact throughout its lifecycle.
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