Environmental awareness in civil construction

At Arquitectura y Concreto we have one of the greatest and most beautiful missions in the industry, building the dream homes of Colombians, and with it we take on a great commitment to the environment in every construction project. Below, together with our experts Jorge Beltrán and William Villate, learn about some of the ecological methods applicable to the industry.

• What is environmental awareness in civil construction?

• Electricity use in a building

• Why incorporate environmental concepts into the design and construction of a civil project?

• Environmental awareness continues at home

It's the possibility of giving something back to our planet and/or making better use of natural resources. For example:

Solar energy: solar panels can provide the perfect power supply for a small on-site administrative office or even a beautiful sales office.

Ecological architecture: much of a project's ecological efficiency depends on its design, since from the moment each window, wall or roof is sketched in pencil, it's possible to plan the use of materials and natural resources, such as orienting the building to make the most of sunlight and avoid excessive electricity use.

Sustainable construction: this category gives rise to a series of actions that can qualify us for certifications for the proper and efficient use of natural resources. You can read more about it in our article What are sustainable projects and how do they benefit me?

This is one of the resources with the greatest impact on environmental awareness, since alternatives such as solar energy are sought, or efficiency gains are achieved with the tools at our disposal, for example:

• Identifying the best orientation to make the most of natural light.

• Using energy-saving light bulbs that provide the necessary amount of light with the lowest energy use.

• Using glass and windows designed to minimize the need for air conditioning.

At Arquitectura y Concreto we understand that our work and industry directly support community development, and we know that every new company in the sector can choose to build without thinking about its surroundings or to build in harmony with them; our team will always choose to side with the environment, mainly because this planet (Earth) is our home, and we must take care of it as much as we can.

For us, incorporating environmental concepts into every phase of a civil project is important because it's the only way we can give back to the ecosystem with high-impact measures.

Some may simply reforest to give something back to our limited list of natural resources, but for Arquitectura y Concreto, the set of actions will always include:

• Conservation and reuse of resources

• Incorporating the use of renewable resources

• Extending or making the most of the life cycle of raw materials

• Reducing waste and emissions harmful to the environment

• Energy efficiency

• High quality standards 

• Creating natural environments of great value to the community

Just as our team strives to create sustainable construction habits and methodologies, we know that to achieve the best result it's important that good actions don't stay only in the construction process, but continue throughout the long and beautiful stage of enjoying each home.

That's why we invite you to start developing sustainable consumption habits, avoiding:

• Leaving faucets running for a long time

• Using light bulbs in broad daylight

• Buying unnecessary products

• Hoarding things you no longer use when someone else could make use of them

• Throwing all waste in the trash without sorting it properly

Jorge Beltrán  

Professional in natural resource management and occupational health, specialist in environmental planning and integrated natural resource management. More than 13 years of experience in the construction sector; he is currently part of the integrated management department as an environmental supervisor at Arquitectura y Concreto. 

Civil engineer from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia and specialist in Construction Management from the Universidad Javeriana. More than 11 years of experience as site resident and site director.