Venla Wallius, Janni Kunttu, Elias Hurmekoski, Teppo Hujala, Anders Q. Nyrud, Hans F. Hoen. (2024). Attractiveness of wood-frame multi-storey buildings in seven European countries: consumer segmentation and the effect of fire safety information. Silva Fennica vol. 58 no. 5 article id 23035. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.23035

Keywords: wood construction; consumer perceptions; consumer segmentation; fire safety

Highlights: There are significant differences in the perceived attractiveness of wooden multi-storey construction between consumer segments; According to the survey results, young consumers living in urban areas have the most interest in wooden multi-storey construction; Targeted marketing efforts are needed to inform potential consumers of wooden multi-storey construction.

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Wooden construction has the potential to contribute to climate change mitigation, and it is being promoted by the EU and national governments. However, several market barriers to wood-frame multi-storey building (WMSB), have been recognized, including obstacles in national building codes, lack of expertise in wood construction, and material durability concerns among end-users as well as other technical aspects. Given that increased wood construction is a target, understanding consumer perceptions of WMSB is crucial. In this study, consumer attitudes on WMSB were studied through consumer segmentation relying on demographic attributes. Further, the effect of providing fire safety information was explored. To this end, an online survey was deployed in seven European countries, with 7007 responses. The results show that in general, the awareness and attractiveness of WMSB is low amongst European consumers. Out of all respondents, 46% had not heard of WMSB before and only 12% stated that they are interested in the subject and know something about it, showing a clear lack of information and awareness within the general public. Significant differences in the perceived attractiveness of wooden multi-storey construction between consumer segments exist, with younger consumers and urban consumers being more attracted to living in WMSB than older or rural consumers. Fire safety was an important attribute affecting overall attractiveness, yet updated information regarding fire safety and control in WMSBs had a small but statistically significant negative effect on the perceived attractiveness. The results indicate that targeted marketing efforts are needed to inform potential consumers of WMSB and aspects related to fire safety effectively.

Wallius, European Forest Institute, Yliopistokatu 6 B, FI-80100, Joensuu, Finland; Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 University of Jyväskylä, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2576-9994 E-mail: venla.j.wallius@jyu.fi
Kunttu, University of Helsinki, Department of Forest Sciences, P.O. Box 4, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7298-3363 E-mail: janni.kunttu@helsinki.fi
Hurmekoski, University of Helsinki, Department of Forest Sciences, P.O. Box 4, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8717-7287 E-mail: elias.hurmekoski@helsinki.fi
Hujala, University of Eastern Finland, School of Forest Sciences, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7905-7602 E-mail: teppo.hujala@uef.fi
Nyrud, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway E-mail: anders.qvale.nyrud@nmbu.no
Hoen, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway E-mail: hans.hoen@nmbu.no

article id 10503, category Research article

Katja Lähtinen, Liina Häyrinen, Anders Roos, Anne Toppinen, Francisco X. Aguilar Cabezas, Bo J. Thorsen, Teppo Hujala, Anders Q. Nyrud, Hans F. Hoen. (2021). Consumer housing values and prejudices against living in wooden homes in the Nordic region. Silva Fennica vol. 55 no. 2 article id 10503. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.10503

Keywords: housing markets; industrial building; structural material; sustainable urbanization; timber structures; urban construction; value expectations

Highlights: Consumers in the Nordic region are similar in their housing value expectations and prejudices against building with wood; Physical properties of houses seem to be less important as constituents of housing value for the consumers compared to intangible factors related to lifestyles and milieus; Urban consumers are the most prejudiced against wood building, and thus supply of homes meeting their value expectations is of a critical importance for sustainable urbanization.

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So far, consumer housing values have not been addressed as factors affecting the market diffusion potential of multi-storey wood building (MSWB). To fill the void, this study addresses different types of consumer housing values in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden (i.e., Nordic region), and whether they affect the likelihood of prejudices against building with wood in the housing markets. The data collected in 2018 from 2191 consumers in the Nordic region were analyzed with exploratory factor analysis and logistic binary regression analysis. According to the results, consumers’ perceptions on ecological sustainability, material usage and urban lifestyle were similar in all countries, while country-specific differences were detected for perceptions on aesthetics and natural milieus. In all countries, appreciating urban lifestyle and living in attractive neighborhoods with good reputation increased the likelihood of prejudices against wood building, while appreciation of aesthetics and natural milieus decreased the likelihood of prejudices. In strengthening the demand for MSWB and sustainable urbanization through actions in businesses (e.g., branding) and via public policy support (e.g., land zoning), few messages derive from the results. In all, abreast with the already existing knowledge on the supply side factors (e.g., wood building innovations), more customized information is needed on the consumer-driven issues affecting the demand potential of MSWB in the housing markets. This would enable, e.g., both enhancing the supply of wooden homes for consumers appreciating urban lifestyle and neighborhoods and fortifying positive image of wood among consumers especially appreciating good architecture and pleasant environmental milieus.

Lähtinen, Vaasan yliopisto/Seinäjoen yliopistokeskus E-mail: katja.lahtinen@luke.fi
Häyrinen, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Bioeconomy and Environment Unit, P.O. Box 2, FI-00790 Helsinki, Finland E-mail: liina.hayrinen@luke.fi
Roos, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet (SLU), Department of Forest Economics, Box 7060, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden E-mail: anders.roos@slu.se
Toppinen, University of Helsinki, Department of Forest Sciences/Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), P.O. Box 27, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland E-mail: anne.toppinen@helsinki.fi
Aguilar Cabezas, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet (SLU), Department of Forest Economics, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden E-mail: francisco.aguilar@slu.se
Thorsen, University of Copenhagen, Department of Food and Resource Economics, Rolighedsvej 23, DK-1958 Frederiksberg C, DenmarkBo Jellesmark Thorsen E-mail: bjt@ifro.ku.dk
Hujala, University of Eastern Finland (UEF), Faculty of Science and Forestry, School of Forest Sciences, P.O. Box 111, 80101 FI-Joensuu, Finland E-mail: teppo.hujala@uef.fi
Nyrud, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway E-mail: anders.qvale.nyrud@nmbu.no
Hoen, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway E-mail: hans.hoen@nmbu.no

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