The EU project Smart-ECO brings together experienced organizations spanning the full range of stakeholders covering the area of sustainable building. These include universities, R&D organizations, companies developing, supplying and using innovative technologies, consultants, users, government and policy makers. Smart-ECO uses this core partnership together with a wider stakeholder group community to focus on global issues of sustainable building to identify and evaluate priorities for current and future RTD activities. Activities and policies are due to be mapped to identify gaps and to focus future efforts. Innovative technologies, as well as improvements of the construction process, and their introduction into the building sector will be considered in relation to sustainable development, life performance, ambient intelligence, and other relevant stakeholder concerns.

The project focuses on routes and means to enable the uptake of efficient technological and non-technological innovation that in turn enable the building and construction sector to meet the requirement for sustainable building. The current situation and the vision of a more sustainable built environment sets the frame for the appreciation of the long term effectiveness of Eco-buildings and innovative technologies, especially renewable energy systems. Together, the vision and relevant EC policies will serve as a reference framework for the analysis of life performance aspects of innovative technologies applied to realise more energy efficient and more sustainable buildings.

This paper presents and discusses the process of establishing a reliable vision for sustainable buildings and related performance requirements.