Sustainability

Using renovation to create a recycling-oriented society,
one with smart, enjoyable home lives, characterized by well-being

Renoveru’s corporate activities focus on four areas: reducing environmental impact/dealing with climate change; transitioning to a society that makes best use of existing housing stock; building attractive communities; and providing a workplace where diverse people can do their best. The ultimate aim is to contribute to a recycling-oriented society for a sustainable, abundant future, and to help people take a smart approach to creating an enjoyable home life characterized by well-being.

1.Reducing environmental impact/dealing with climate change

Renovation has been shown to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 76% and waste generation by up to 96% versus rebuilding/new construction. For a house of about 70 sqm, this is equivalent to about 66 tons of CO2, or the amount absorbed over a year by 7,500 cedar trees. Further, improving the environmental performance and thermal environment of existing homes makes for healthy, comfortable, eco-friendly living. Renoveru is also proactive in making joint industry-academia research and other information more visible and widely known.

icon_sustainability01
img_sustainability01
img_sustainability02

SourceRenoveru, based on Renoveru, Sato Kouichi Laboratory, Kanazawa Institute of Technology,
Asabuki Kanako Laboratory, Kokushikan University, “Impact of Renovation on Reducing CO2 Emissions and Waste Generation.”

2. Using technology to transition to society that makes best use of housing stock

In order to solve the post-war housing shortage, the real estate, financial, and construction industries built an industrial structure suited to supply large volume of new housing as they developed. However, Japan’s housing stock is now sufficient and the issue of vacant houses is intensifying, with empty houses projected to reach 30% of the total by 2030. To support the transformation of the above industrial structure, we have built technology-enhanced renovation platforms, which we are working to make open source. We are one of the first to standardize IoT device-connected smart homes. We also established the LIVING TECH Association, Japan, and are working to spread awareness.

icon_sustainability02
img_sustainability04
Old, unrenovated property
Often sold to wholesalers as buyers are difficult to find
img_sustainability05
Example of Renoveru renovation
Floor plan, design, fixtures, and plumbing refreshed to suit customer’s lifestyle

3. Building attractive communities

Our urban creation projects revitalize buildings with low or no occupancy due to generational change. The core concept is creating value for communities. With end-to-end support from planning through design, construction, leasing, and operations, we help create new value that enhances the appeal of the entire community in the best way, project by project. We aim to create buildings in tune with the landscape and greenery that are open to and loved by the community.

icon_sustainability03
img_sustainability06 BOIL: Cultural center where local community can participate Kanagawa Prefecture: Communications building transformed into complex
img_sustainability07 SWEET AS: Nurturing a sports-oriented local community Yamaguchi Prefecture: Steel works transformed into sports complex

4. Workplace where diverse people can do their best

People from their 20s through 70s work together at Renoveru. Roughly half of our employees are women. Retired engineers, technical trainees from Vietnam, and working mothers returning from maternity and childcare leave are active in our workplace.
Our technology, systems, and values (code of conduct) are aimed to draw out the energy of our diverse human resources, enhance the value provided to customers, society, and industry, and support fulfilment of our mission.

icon_sustainability04
img_sustainability08
img_sustainability09

Training multiskilled engineers

Redefining the value of craftsmanship for a world where home creators can shine more brightly.

In the world to come, which will make best use of housing stock, the shortage of craftspeople (already a societal issue), is set to intensify. How do we design a world where they can shine more brightly, and how do we increase their numbers? These are issues we—a renovation company—need to tackle head on. We are currently gathering and systematizing construction technical expertise to train multiskilled engineers able to handle several specialized processes individually.

img_sustainability10

LIVING TECH

Designing the future of housing.

How should technology change our homes and lifestyles? In order to design homes and lifestyles of the future, we conduct R&D in the field of what we call “living tech” around the keywords of IoT, smart houses, and connected homes. We held Living Tech conferences for business executives in 2017 and 2018 focusing on using technology to change our lifestyles. In April 2020, we established the LIVING TECH Association, Japan, with our CEO Tomohiro Yamashita serving as representative director.