Environmental responsibility: Sustainability roadmap for construction materials
In recent decades there has been constant and legitimate concern for the environment, promoting projects, initiatives and actions aimed at counteracting climate change and the depletion of natural resources, which, despite advances and technologies, still play a leading role in our lives today. At Arquitectura y Concreto we are committed to environmental responsibility in our projects. That's why we'll tell you about some of the internal practices we implement to give our clients confidence and backing when investing in a property with a clear environmental commitment.
The environmental responsibilities companies must take on differ by sector, due to the conditions and qualities each must meet. In the construction sector, environmental responsibility can be reflected in various ways, from the materials used, to the conservation of water and energy resources, compliance with regulations on the management of waste and/or materials, and practices that help improve people's lifestyles.
There are many ways to take action to counteract climate change and tackle the waste and mismanagement of natural resources; some can be physical, such as solar panels, wind turbines or carbon storage. Others can be intangible, such as developing corporate strategies that promote efficient and conscious management of materials and waste in the market. Either of these approaches has a positive impact on the goal of caring for and conserving our resources.
Today we want to tell you about the intangible side of environmental responsibility that Arquitectura y Concreto has been promoting and working on. We currently have a wide variety of material and service suppliers who are increasingly joining our sustainability strategy. It is based on the Sustainability Roadmap for Construction Materials, a document issued by the Colombian Green Building Council (CCCS).
The roadmap's goal is to help builders and companies in the sector verify that the inputs they use are responsibly sourced, contributing to greater technical knowledge of the aspects to consider when selecting materials, with awareness of their possible effects on the environment. It serves as a reference point for the sector based on sustainability attributes viewed from 3 dimensions that form the structural backbone of this guide.
Corporate Management: Provides a frame of reference for the general practices of material manufacturers.
Materiality: Identification of criteria applied to the product's or material's processes and components.
Performance: Detailing parameters that help the material fulfill its function in a specific space.
Based on this document, Arquitectura y Concreto, as a company committed to responsibility and sustainable practices, seeks to steer the construction sector toward generating greater benefit for society as a whole. The roadmap sets out 3 main sustainability goals for materials:
Environmental: Directly related to impacts and effects on the natural environment.
Health and well-being: Seeks for materials to support the protection and improvement of human health and quality of life.
Social responsibility: Expanding the scope of the responsibility that organizations in the construction materials value chain have toward society.
At AyC we work to guide our suppliers, following the parameters proposed by the sustainability roadmap. First, we seek compliance with Environmental Legal Requirements, such as mining permits, discharge authorizations and air emission permits, among others. Along with this, we also promote these recent environmental initiatives that seek a collective contribution to raising awareness of climate change, by creating educational spaces for our suppliers, where we hold activities and meetings to discuss the benefits and qualities of this type of environmental responsibility plan.
We encourage them to prepare product data sheets declaring their products' attributes, such as life cycle, origins, reincorporation process, uses and compliance with environmental standards such as ISO 26000 (social responsibility guidance) and ISO 14000 (standards covering environmental aspects), among others.
These are some of the internal practices we carry out at AyC in the selection of materials, services and suppliers, putting costs second and prioritizing each one's environmental impact and responsibility. Among our other contributions, as we've shared before, our projects are geared toward reducing our impact, such as using concrete with 100% reused aggregates in furnishings, subgrade improvement and working with stamped concrete.
Projects with sustainability certification
These are some of our projects that reflect our commitment to the environment and sustainable practices:
Calablanca A real estate project located in Cartagena, perfect for those looking for a space that combines nature, harmony and comfort with an ideal view of the Barú sea. Recently recognized with LEED certification for sustainable building design and construction. Learn more about this project here.
Terrazas del Río is an apartment project in Envigado with a prime location near Centro Comercial Viva Envigado, between Avenida Regional and Avenida Las Vegas. A real estate project designed to elevate your life and happiness, with built areas of approximately 70 m² to 96 m². This project holds CASA Colombia sustainability certification.
Avenida Park is a project in Medellín, strategically located in the Castropol area of El Poblado. It has two apartment towers with built areas from 64 m² to 120 m², with up to 3 bedrooms, 3 or 4 bathrooms and parking, plus a storage room. The project is backed by CASA Colombia design certification.
Tell us what you think about these initiatives and which others you think we could implement. Write to us on our channels: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.