The expert spoke about the growing use of Russian building materials

In 2024, the share of Russian building materials used in the construction of office real estate increased from 66% to 72%, the share of Chinese products increased from 10% to 15%, and European products fell from 24% to 13%. Roman Kartashev, Sales Director of Rockwool (manufacturer of stone wool solutions), told Izvestia on April 30 about the current market situation and prospects for import substitution of building materials for commercial real estate.

"Most likely, the share of Russian building materials used for office real estate will grow by another 4-5% in 2025. In 2024, the rapid growth in the building materials market was replaced by moderate demand, due to an increase in the Central Bank's key interest rate and the end of the preferential mortgage program. However, the stagnation of the residential real estate market today is partially offset by the active construction of commercial infrastructure," he said.

Moreover, companies are actively investing in improving conditions for their employees and investing not only in the construction of new offices, but also in the renovation of old ones. A comfortable modern workplace is a significant advantage in finding and retaining staff in a scarce labor market.

"All this can support the demand for construction and finishing materials, and we expect that in 2025, as in 2024, the leadership will remain with domestic manufacturers. After the departure of foreign companies, the building materials market was forced to quickly orient itself, today domestic manufacturers have a complete list of materials sufficient for the Russian market," he said.

According to him, over the past few years, the reputation of Russian manufacturers of building materials has improved, and confidence in their products has grown. In addition, developers are trying to depend less and less on imports, as this carries additional risks for business.

During the renovation and construction of offices, maximum attention has recently been paid to acoustics and sound insulation, as well as energy efficiency and thermal insulation. The first directly affects people's well-being and labor productivity, the second is closely related to the ESG agenda and the ability to save on heating large areas.

"Thus, according to our data, the demand for wall panels and special acoustic islands that allow creating acoustic comfort in office premises increased by one and a half times in 2024 compared to 2023. In turn, the demand for thermal insulation materials for commercial real estate increased by an average of 10%," Kartashev summed up.

They will collect on bricks: the residents will no longer be charged for acceleration of capital repairs

Regional operators will be required to carry out an inspection of the technical condition of the house every five years

Earlier, on March 6, it was reported that 56% of Russians surveyed face conflicts and quarrels in a couple during the repair work. Most often, conflicts are caused by the choice of finishing materials, the choice of interior style, and budget issues. This is stated in the results of the Leman PRO research.