2023 began with good news for sustainable construction in Colombia: it added project number 503 registered with the characteristics required by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) CertificateCreated by the United States Sustainable Construction Council (USGBC) and with a presence in several Latin American countries.
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This was announced by Viviana Valdivieso, executive director of the Colombian Council for Sustainable Construction (CCCS), who revealed that, of that amount, about 250 are certified and total more than 5,750,000 square meters.
“Currently, the participation of projects that meet the requirements of certification in the country is headed by offices, with 42 percent, followed by commerce, 18 percent; residential uses and educational institutions, with 7 and 6 percent, respectively”, said the directive, who added that “buildings stand out because they improve efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and create healthier places”.
Another aspect to take into account –which responds to the demands of investors and developers– is that for its execution materials and technologies that contribute to sustainability are usedin line with the country’s public policies, which plan to reach net zero carbon buildings by 2050. Added to this is a national circular economy strategy that prioritizes the building sector.
Sustainable construction is already part of the DNA of building firms
Roberto Moreno, president of the Amarilo construction company, the first to obtain the double LEED Platinum certification for its corporate headquarters in Bogotá, highlighted that “the sustainable contribution of the building is represented in 78 solar panels, which generate 15 percent of the energy for its operation, rainwater treatment systems and a network of pipes used in toilets and plant irrigation; this, in addition, allows saving 35.1 percent in the consumption of drinking water and 48.3 percent in energy; In addition, it facilitates the collection of 70 percent of rainwater and the reuse of 32.3 percent of it in the toilets”.
These benefits are closely related to the study ‘LEED Business Case in Latin America’ carried out by the CCCS for Mexico and Colombia, in which the lower costs in building operation, reflected in utility bills, were some of the added values, to which were added better health and well-being for the occupants of the buildings, whose complaints and absenteeism rates decreased. Today, the great advantage is that sustainable construction is already part of the DNA of building firms and investors, who are increasingly demanding.
This is Latin America
The director of the Colombian Council for Sustainable Construction (CCCS)Viviana Valdivieso also highlighted the performance of Latin America and the Caribbean: “We have 5,964 LEED projects in 39 countries that represent 46.5 million square meters. Most of them are in 18 Latin American countries, with Brazil (1,465 buildings) and Mexico (1,837) leading this market in the region. Colombia ranks fourth with 503 projects, after Chile, which has 527 registered projects.”
It should be noted that Colombia also stands out in the adoption of the platform Arc, tool of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), a supplement to LEED used to measure and compare the sustainability performance of existing buildings. There are currently 2,045 in Colombia using the free Arc platform to track energy and water use, their carbon footprint, and measure human health and waste management. Colombia is the second in the region with 467 projects, after Brazil.
Some works that traced the sustainable route in the country
• The first project to obtain LEED certification was the Novartis New Building in Bogotá, in August 2010.
Vivero Parque Residencial was the first certified urban project in Latin America with LEED v4.1 for cities and communities.
• The main terminal of the El Dorado airport was the first of its kind to be certified with the latest version of the LEED certificate in operation and maintenance.
• The Rochester school, in Bogotá, modified the Gold recertification, becoming the first school in Latin America to achieve this recognition.
• The Amarilo corporate building, in Bogotá, was the first to obtain double LEED Platinum certification, now LEED® v4.1 recertified.
• Vivero Parque Residencial was the first certified urban project in Latin America with LEED v4.1 for cities and communities for its plan and design, at the Gold level.
Gabriel E. Florez G.
Special for EL TIEMPO
@GabrielFlorezG