Sustainable Building: Rethink Construction | Less is More
- Faced with a critical housing shortage and growing environmental concerns, Vancouver is exploring an innovative solution: reusing existing homes.
- Carl Elefante, principal emeritus with Quinn Evans, famously said, "The greenest building is one that is already built." He advocates for a cultural shift toward stewardship of existing...
- Vancouver, constrained by geography, sees nearly 3,000 single-family homes demolished annually.
Vancouver tackles its housing crisis sustainably! Rather of demolishing homes, the city is pioneering a revolutionary approach: enduring building through the relocation and modernization of existing houses. Renewal Development is leading the charge, identifying homes slated for demolition and moving them to new locations, offering a practical response to the housing shortage. This strategy drastically reduces landfill waste and significantly cuts carbon emissions—by as much as 24% over 60 years—compared to new construction, offering more affordable housing options, too. News Directory 3 shares how the reuse-first approach makes lasting environmental and economic sense. Discover what’s next as Vancouver scales up its sustainable building efforts!
Vancouver Tackles Housing Crisis by Reusing Existing Homes
Updated June 12, 2025
Faced with a critical housing shortage and growing environmental concerns, Vancouver is exploring an innovative solution: reusing existing homes. Instead of demolishing houses to make way for new construction, some companies are relocating and modernizing them.
Carl Elefante, principal emeritus with Quinn Evans, famously said, “The greenest building is one that is already built.” He advocates for a cultural shift toward stewardship of existing buildings to maximize their benefit across generations.
Vancouver, constrained by geography, sees nearly 3,000 single-family homes demolished annually. Glyn Lewis, founder and CEO of Renewal Development, noted that about 20% of these homes are in good condition. His company identifies homes slated for demolition, modernizes them, and moves them to areas where housing is needed.
Lewis said renewal Development acts as a general contractor,handling everything from foundation construction to utility connections at the new site.
According to Renewal Development, demolishing an average 1,500-square-foot home sends about 100 tons of material to landfills. Lewis estimates that demolished homes account for one-third of Vancouver’s landfill volume. By reusing homes, the company reduces landfill waste and carbon emissions.
A life cycle assessment by Renewal Development found that reusing an existing home can save 24% of carbon emissions over 60 years, compared to building a new, energy-efficient home.This is largely due to the embodied carbon in new construction materials.
Denice Viktoria Staaf, an ESG consultant at Labeling Sustainability, said reuse is far better than transferring or recycling materials. She added that reusing a home eliminates the notable carbon footprint associated with new construction.
“It’s amazing and rare what Renewal Development is doing.it’s heartening to hear that someone is recycling building at that scale. Renewal Development is a great example of that rediscovery of a paradigm that has existed for a long time.”
Lewis said a new 1,500-square-foot home costs about $1 million to build. Renewal Development offers similar homes for less than half the cost,with transportation being the primary expense.
What’s next
Renewal Development aims to scale its operations to save 200 homes per year in British Columbia. The company also advocates for green policies that support density and reduce demolition waste.