Urban Evolutions enters the EPD arena
Reclaimed wood royalty just added third‑party proof to the spec sheet. Urban Evolutions’ first Environmental Product Declaration(s) are live, which means architects and contractors can now model embodied carbon with product‑specific data instead of generic penalties. Here is what that unlocks in bids, and how it repositions a beloved reclaimed brand.
What Urban Evolutions just published
EC3 now shows Urban Evolutions with their first product‑specific EPDs live. The debut covers core reclaimed wood offerings that specifiers actually buy, not a one‑off SKU that gathers dust. The declarations follow the ISO 14025 and EN 15804 ruleset so they slot into project calculators without workarounds.
Scope notes matter with reclaimed wood. Rather than chase every surface treatment as a separate document, the initial set focuses on representative product families so teams can bid quickly while maintaining comparability. That is the smart starting line for a first wave.
Why this changes the math in specs
On carbon‑scored projects, no EPD often means a conservative default that inflates a material’s footprint in the model. Product‑specific EPDs let teams claim the measured number, which keeps reclaimed wood in play when schedules are tight and substitutions loom. The practical win is shorter back‑and‑forth with sustainability reviewers and fewer surprises late in design.
The program operator and verification
The new EPDs are published by a mainstream, internationally recognized program operator with third‑party verification and conformance to EN 15804. That creates confidence for reviewers who check provenance first and formatting second. If your internal playbook asks for a particular operator, these documents meet the bar.
Competitive snapshot in the reclaimed set
Reclaimed specialists that specifiers often shortlist still show limited product‑specific EPD coverage in EC3. Pioneer Millworks publicly notes they are working toward EPDs, which aligns with what we see in the databases today (Pioneer Millworks, 2024). TerraMai’s portfolio is celebrated by designers, yet we did not find current product‑specific EPDs under that brand in EC3 as of January 6, 2026. That leaves space for Urban Evolutions to set the pace in reclaimed.
Zooming out to the broader wood flooring market, large multinationals like Kährs list multiple current EPDs for engineered wood floors in EC3. That is a reminder that spec competition does not stop at the reclaimed niche. Entering the transparency arena now keeps reclaimed wood in the same conversation as mass‑market alternatives.
Commercial upside without the buzzwords
The near‑term benefit is simple. When a design team filters for products with EPDs, Urban Evolutions now appears in the results. That increases odds of staying on the page, not being value‑engineered away. The cost of producing an EPD is frequently earned back with even a single mid‑sized project where product‑specific data avoids a penalty in the model.
What specifiers will look for next
Two quick tips make these new documents work harder.
- Map product names one‑to‑one. Match the EPD family names to catalog names so submittal reviewers do not have to guess.
- Publish the PDFs in a single, easy‑to‑find hub. Link them from product pages and from the sustainability page so sales can share one link, fast.
Can we find the EPDs on the company website
As of January 6, 2026, we did not find the new EPDs on Urban Evolutions’ website sustainability pages. There is an FAQ that historically explained the absence of EPDs, which now needs an update to reflect the live declarations (https://urbanevolutions.com). Visibility is key for submittals and AEC library scrapers, so posting the PDFs and a short summary table should be priority number one.
How newcomers ship faster without drowning their teams
The heavy lift is not the LCA math, it is clean, complete data collection from plants and suppliers. The fastest programs centralize utility pulls, production volumes, and transport data in weeks, not months, then publish with the operator that best fits the category and target market. Pick a partner who removes the data wrangling from your engineers and product managers so they can keep building product. That is how first EPDs become a repeatable play, not a one‑time sprint that stalls.
Bottom line for Urban Evolutions
Urban Evolutions has moved from admired to measurable. First‑ever EPDs signal to specifiers that reclaimed wood can be both storied and standardized. In a category where peers are still catching up on transparency, this is a real edge. It will only compound as the portfolio rounds out across additional product families and finishes. It is a good day to be on their sample wall, and an even better day to be in the schedule. We are definately watching what comes next.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly did Urban Evolutions publish in their first EPD wave
Product‑specific EPDs covering core reclaimed wood families, verified to ISO 14025 and EN 15804. The documents are structured for easy use in project carbon models and submittals.
Which competitors already have similar EPD coverage
Among reclaimed‑focused peers, EC3 still shows limited or no product‑specific EPDs under common shortlist brands like TerraMai and Pioneer Millworks as of January 6, 2026. In the broader wood flooring market, large multinationals such as Kährs do have multiple EPDs listed.
Where should Urban Evolutions post these EPDs so teams can find them
Create a single EPD hub on the website, link it from every relevant product page, and add file names that mirror product families. This helps specifiers and automated library tools find and verify the right document quickly.
About the Author
Hazel Brooks is an editor at EPD Guide covering EPDs and the fast-evolving sustainability data landscape. She tracks program-operator updates, standards and guidance changes, and new EPD releases, connecting the dots across the market to report on trends, shifting expectations, and the competitive EPD landscape. Her work focuses on making complex data sets easier to navigate and access, so manufacturers and sustainability teams can act with clarity and confidence.
