The mixture of two and three storey buildings, the range of age, colour, brick and stonework texture

Another principle that ties together character and sustainability is adaptability. It is an extension of the least energy use principle but concerns built as opposed to natural resources. Built resources are those that are used but not used up in the way that energy or water are. They include, amongst other things, streets, buildings, car parks, parks and greens. The form and character of many such elements in historical settlements have come about through
the necessity of getting the most use out of a building using the least energy and materials. The simple way to do this is to create buildings that can accommodate a number of different activities with little or no change to the building. Also, as buildings are changed over time, those that are most adaptable tend to be retained rather than being pulled down.