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Today, several studies are conducted to improve the performance of existing structural systems through overcoming the intrinsic limitations of conventional materials and construction techniques. For instance, well-designed conventional structures exhibit satisfactory resistance and ductility under seismic forces. However, they sustain significant damage, which can be identified through two indicatorsthe amount permanent lateral deformations and the extent of sustained local damage. The current paper presents the findings of an experimental study on reinforced concrete (RC) shear walls with improved damage resilience properties. The study included testing of a shear wall reinforced with shape memory alloy (SMA) and conventional steel to reduce residual deformations while maintaining acceptable levels of energy dissipation. Also, for further damage mitigation purposes, the wall was cast with steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC), which has improved post-cracking behaviour over normal concrete. As test results revealed, the innovative shear wall sustained less residual drift ratios and concrete damage in comparison to a conventionally built RC specimen. The innovative shear wall also showed significant improvements in ultimate drift ratio due to the elimination of the outmost rebar rupturing. The innovative wall had a higher initial stiffness with respect to the control wall. The wall also dissipated significant amounts of energy.