Sustainability Report
Embodied carbon
Carbon emissions were calculated based on material quantities estimated from architectural drawings and site photographs (190 m² gross floor area, Bogotá). Emission factors were sourced from the Inventory of Carbon & Energy ICE v3.0 and Ecoinvent 3.9.
Materials assessed include: restored hardwood floors (sanding and sealing only, no replacement), restored copper fireplace hood, in-situ terrazzo in bathrooms and kitchen backsplash, new aluminum joinery and interior partitions, new painted steel screen with polycarbonate panel, timber slat wall panel, new kitchen cabinetry, skylight with steel IP beam reinforcement, and general MEP installations.
The existing reinforced concrete structure was excluded as this is a renovation, not new construction. Carbon capture estimated for timber elements only.
No formal LCA software was used; calculations performed manually using ICE and Ecoinvent databases.
Operational Emissions / Energy
Operational carbon estimated based on typical energy consumption for a stratum 4 apartment in Bogotá (Teusaquillo), 190 m², permanent occupancy.
Electricity: ~350 kWh/month (4,200 kWh/year); Colombian grid emission factor 0.126 kg CO₂eq/kWh (UPME 2023).
Gas natural: ~15 m³/month (180 m³/year) for cooking and domestic hot water; factor 2.04 kg CO₂eq/m³ (UPME).
Fireplace: occasional decorative use, ~20 kg wood/year; factor 1.7 kg CO₂eq/kg (combustion).
No mechanical heating or cooling — Bogotá's temperate climate eliminates HVAC demand.
The skylight reduces artificial lighting needs.
Total estimated: ~930 kg CO₂eq/year across 190 m².
Service and maintenance emissions
Service and maintenance emissions estimated for a renovated urban apartment in Bogotá.
Main maintenance cycles: hardwood floor resealing every 5–7 years (~0.13 kg CO₂eq/m²/year annualized); interior paint touch-ups every 3–4 years (~0.28 kg CO₂eq/m²/year).
Aluminum and steel elements require no replacement within a 20-year horizon. Terrazzo surfaces require only occasional polishing with no material replacement. Copper fireplace hood requires cleaning only.
General building services and minor repairs estimated at ~0.1 kg CO₂eq/m²/year.
No formal LCA software used; estimates based on ICE v3.0 database and standard maintenance cycles.
Total estimated: ~106 kg CO₂eq/year across 190 m².
Afterlife
Adaptive reuse is the founding premise of the project: rather than demolishing or replacing, the intervention restored a mid-century apartment in a heritage building on Bogotá's Parkway, extending its useful life by several decades.
The spatial organization, a linear sequence of rooms around a central circulation axis, is inherently flexible and could accommodate a live-work unit, a professional studio, or a two-unit subdivision without structural modifications.
The skylight and open kitchen layout are program-neutral interventions that add value regardless of future use. The building typology itself, a multi-story residential block from the 1950s–60s, has already proven its adaptability across multiple decades and occupancy changes.
Several elements are designed for disassembly or reuse.
The steel screen with polycarbonate panel is a modular, bolted assembly that can be dismantled and reinstalled elsewhere without material loss.
Kitchen cabinetry uses standard joinery and could be relocated or repurposed.
The restored hardwood floors are solid wood boards that can be sanded and refinished multiple additional times, or lifted and reused in another project.
The copper fireplace hood, already a restored piece, can circulate again as a salvaged element.
Aluminum joinery profiles can be melted and recycled with significantly lower energy than primary aluminum production, closing the material loop at end of life.
Key products in low carbon design
