Paricutín RAQUIS | Arq. Mario Cerro | Media - Sustainability

Embodied carbon

Low Carbon

Carbon Emissions

125

kg CO₂-eq./m²

Carbon Capture

7.5

kg CO₂-eq./m²

The estimation of the project’s carbon footprint was carried out using a simplified approach based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) principles, appropriate for a conceptual stage.

1. Scope definition
The calculation considers exclusively embodied carbon emissions associated with the production and construction of the main materials. Operational emissions are excluded, given the project’s open and passive nature.

2. Project quantification
Based on the available information, an approximate built area of 400 m² was estimated. The project proposes a hybrid construction system composed of stone platforms, a lightweight steel structure, and low-impact envelopes.

Typical quantification factors per square meter were used:

Stone material (extracted on site): ~0.35 m³/m²
Structural steel: ~45 kg/m²

3. Assignment of emission factors
Average emission factors were used from international databases such as the ICE Database and reference tools like the EC3 Tool.

Since the volcanic stone is extracted directly from the site, a reduced emission factor (≈75 kg CO₂e/m³) was applied, accounting only for extraction, cutting, and installation processes, and excluding transportation and industrial processing.

For structural steel, an average value of ≈1.9 kg CO₂e/kg was used.

4. Emissions calculation
Total emissions were obtained by multiplying the estimated material quantities by their respective emission factors. An additional value for secondary materials and complementary systems was also included.

5. Estimation of sequestered carbon
Captured carbon was conservatively estimated considering only the contribution of vegetative elements integrated into the project. No significant biogenic carbon storage was accounted for, given the predominance of mineral and metallic materials.

6. Normalization of results
Results were expressed in kg CO₂e/m², allowing comparison with international benchmarks and environmental performance standards.

7. Scope and limitations
This calculation corresponds to a preliminary estimate based on reasonable assumptions typical of a conceptual phase. Results may vary in later stages as technical specifications, construction systems, and building processes are further defined.

Operational Emissions / Energy

Low Carbon

Carbon Emissions

4

kg CO₂e/m²

The project’s operational emissions were estimated based on a low-energy, open-use profile, consistent with its nature and without active climate control systems. An energy consumption of approximately 10 kWh/m²/year was assumed, accounting only for lighting and minimal services.

With a total area of 400 m², the estimated annual consumption is 4,000 kWh/year. This value was converted into emissions using a factor of 0.4 kg CO₂e/kWh, corresponding to Mexico’s electrical grid.

The result is approximately 1,600 kg CO₂e/year, equivalent to 4 kg CO₂e/m²/year.

This low level of emissions reflects a passive design strategy focused on minimizing energy consumption.

Service and maintenance emissions

Low Carbon

Carbon Emissions

0.25

kg CO₂e/m²

The emissions associated with the project’s maintenance were estimated as a percentage of the total embodied carbon, considering the intervention’s low technical and material complexity.

A value of 10% of the embodied carbon was assumed, distributed over a 50-year lifespan, including activities such as cleaning, replacement of minor elements, and superficial maintenance of the structure.

Based on an estimated embodied carbon of approximately 50,000 kg CO₂e, a total of about 5,000 kg CO₂e was obtained for maintenance, equivalent to approximately 100 kg CO₂e/year or 0.25 kg CO₂e/m²/year.

This value reflects the project’s low-intervention nature and minimal reliance on systems.

Afterlife

Adaptive Reuse and Flexible Design Considerations

The project incorporates an adaptability strategy based on material and constructive reversibility, rather than conventional programmatic flexibility. Its configuration relies on a modular steel structure system that allows for the disassembly, reconfiguration, or even relocation of its components.

The volcanic stone, extracted directly from the site, is arranged through stacked systems contained within structural elements, enabling its direct reuse without the need for additional processing, or its eventual reintegration into the original landscape. This condition significantly reduces waste generation and extends the life cycle of the materials.

Lightweight polycarbonate panel enclosures further reinforce the intervention’s demountable character, allowing for their replacement or reuse in other contexts, although with a shorter lifespan compared to mineral and metallic materials.

Overall, the project is conceived as a non-permanent intervention, capable of adapting, transforming, or disappearing without leaving a significant trace on its surroundings, aligning with principles of circular economy and low-impact construction.

Disassemblable Elements for Circular Economy

The volcanic stone used in the project is conceived as a material that is temporarily arranged rather than permanently transformed. Since it is extracted directly from the site and placed through stacking systems contained within metal structures, it avoids irreversible processes such as intensive cutting, bonding, or casting, preserving its original properties.

This approach allows that, at the end of the intervention’s life cycle, the stone can be easily removed and reintegrated into new construction uses without the need for significant reprocessing. Its modular and non-cemented condition facilitates both its reuse in other architectural configurations and its reintegration into the natural environment, minimizing waste generation.

In this way, the project not only reduces its initial impact but also anticipates future scenarios of disassembly and reuse, integrating volcanic stone into a circular economy system in which the material retains its value over time.

Sustainability Report

Embodied carbon

Operational Emissions / Energy

Service and maintenance emissions

Afterlife

Key products in low carbon design