“Resource efficient development (…) allows the economy to create more with less, delivering greater value with less input, using resources in a sustainable way and minimising their impacts on the environment.”
EC Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe
Resource efficient building offers a systemic approach to sustainable building; it goes beyond zero energy, zero emissions and zero carbon and looks at the big picture – how can the existing building stock be (better) utilized (e.g. through renovation and urban mining) and how can new buildings be built in a more resource efficient way, i.e. with less resource intensive materials, new technologies and new design approaches? It is a system-wide approach that looks at material and energy flows throughout the life of a building. Resource efficient construction ultimately means using fewer material resources to build or renovate homes, buildings and infrastructure while achieving the same or better functionality (Meghan O’Brien, 2011).