Just like new buildings, conversions should also be geared towards sustainability. However, the dimensions of the term "sustainability" take on a completely different meaning in the restructuring and renovation process: An economically and, above all, socially prudent approach is the key to the successful renovation of a housing estate or a residential building.

Between June and August 2010, Stadtentwicklung Zürich organised the three-part dialogue process "Forum Housing Inner City" with neighbourhood representatives, experts from the real estate sector, tenants and homeowners as well as representatives of the city. The topic was the neighbourhood and social compatibility of real estate management measures and strategies; the focus was on the following questions:

• How can a renewal dynamic for a district be made sustainable?
• What does a sustainable property-related building strategy look like?
• And who can do what for a sustainable district and building renewal?

On the occasion of the last forum event, the mayor launched the idea of an award for renovations of residential buildings, which are carried out in a comprehensive sense sustainably and thus also as socially and neighborhood-friendly as possible. This suggestion, which has been further elaborated by urban development, forms the concept for the "Sustainable Renovation Award" of the City of Zurich, which is now being announced for the first time.

At the end of 2010, 53,912 buildings were counted in the city of Zurich. Around half of these, namely 26,953 buildings, date from the years 1931 to 1980 and are in need of renovation. The need for renovation of Zurich's residential building fabric is great. Especially with regard to energy efficiency and climate protection.

In this context, the "Sustainable Renovation Award" of the City of Zurich stands for renovations of residential buildings that are carried out sustainably in a comprehensive sense: economically and ecologically reasonable, but above all as socially and neighbourhood-friendly as possible. This recognition gives the City of Zurich the opportunity to become active in a field in which it has no direct options for action outside its own portfolio by providing good examples. In addition, public perception can increasingly be directed to the building stock, which is constantly gaining in importance in view of its quantitative importance on the housing market and hardly any more existing building land reserves.

The Sustainable Renovation Award of the City of Zurich pursues three goals:

• Primarily, a careful balancing of the sustainability dimensions of renovations should be appreciated.
• Furthermore, the award contributes to sensitizing the public and the actors on the housing market to the high social value of socially acceptable action in the real estate sector.
• And thirdly, carefully and prudently renovated settlements and residential buildings are given broad exemplary character through their communication.

Central to the application of a conversion project for the prize are the principles that serve the jury as a basis for decision-making:

• The refurbishment must not have glaring weaknesses in any sustainability dimension – special attention is paid to social compatibility.
• The conversion should have taken place within the framework of a viable overall strategy of building management and renewal and should have a high level of innovation in at least one sustainability dimension.

Topics such as consideration for tenants, a pragmatic implementation of the renovation, a good architectural and design quality of interior and exterior spaces or a balanced interplay of plant, energy and operating costs (life cycle costs) as well as maintenance costs are addressed.

• The rents should obey an appropriate and transparent pricing and be affordable for the previous as well as for new residents;
• a resource-conserving use of operating energy and a reasonable consumption of land per capita are further components of sustainable renovation.

Due to the different challenges and target groups, the jury awards awards in the two categories "Individual Buildings" and "Building Groups/Settlements".