the life cycle performance of sustainable renovation concepts

Although these conclusions account for commercial real estate in the U.S.A., it can beconcluded that sustainable real estate provides significant economic advantagescompared to non-sustainable real estate.The environmental advantages of sustainable buildings are: (Lockwood, 2006);(Elkington, 1997); (www.usgbc.org)- enhanced and protected ecosystems and biodiversity- improved air and water quality- reduced solid waste- conserved natural resources- less site disturbance- reduced amount of resource extractionThe social advantages of sustainable buildings are: (Lockwood, 2006); (Elkington, 1997);(www.usgbc.org)- Improved indoor air quality, natural day lighting and user comfort, which results in• greater employee productivity• less absenteeism• stronger employee attraction and retention- Local economies benefits, because emphasis is placed on purchasing locally producedgoods and servicesAccording to Green Advantage (www.greenadvantage.org), the cumulative effect oflarge-scale green building can have enormous benefits for the community, nation, andplanet. These benefits are:- reduced energy dependence- fewer power plants- cleaner air- healthier environment- increased sustainability- improved public health- decreased susceptibility to disasters3.3 SUSTAINABLE RENOVATIONThis paragraph describes the concept of sustainable renovation.3.3.1 DEFINITION OF RENOVATIONThe dictionary defines renovation as the process of making a house or district inhabitableagain due to radical alteration. Renovating is defined as adapting or modernizing.According to the website of the Rijksoverheid (www.rijksoverheid.nl), renovation is equalto house improvement and comprises the partly renewal of a house due to theapplication of changes or enlargements.3.3.2 DEFINITION OF SUSTAINABLE RENOVATIONNow the definition of renovation is defined, the next question is: What is the definition ofa sustainable renovation?According to Juan, Goa & Wang (2009), sustainable renovation means implementingspecific actions which improve or upgrade building quality with regards to sustainabilityand ensuring that these actions are cost-effective and within the owner‟s budget.34