Sustainability Report
Embodied carbon
Carbon emissions were calculated based on material quantities estimated from site photographs and project description (120 m² gross floor area, Bogotá). Emission factors sourced from ICE v3.0 and Ecoinvent 3.9. The existing structure of a heritage house was preserved entirely — original red brick walls, original deteriorated plaster walls, and the structural system were left untouched and excluded from the calculation. Materials assessed include: recovered/recycled timber for ceiling cladding and floor (~10 m³, factor ~0 kg CO₂eq — no new extraction or industrial processing, transport only); natural stone column cladding (~2 ton, local stone); painted steel structure for staircase, railings, and terrace frame (~350 kg); glass/polycarbonate skylight panels (~40 kg); tensioned jute/linen canopy on exterior terrace (~15 kg natural fiber); solid wood kitchen counter and shelving (~0.8 m³); exterior oxide-red paint (~30 m²); polished concrete on exterior terrace (~20 m²); and MEP installations for restaurant use. Carbon capture credited for recovered timber elements retaining embodied carbon from original extraction cycle. No formal LCA software was used; calculations performed manually using ICE and Ecoinvent databases.
Operational Emissions / Energy
Operational carbon estimated for a restaurant operating 6 days per week (Tuesday–Sunday), 12:00–22:00, 312 days per year (120 m², Bogotá). Electricity consumption estimated at ~1,200 kWh/month (14,400 kWh/year) for lighting, refrigeration, ventilation, and kitchen equipment; Colombian grid emission factor 0.126 kg CO₂eq/kWh (UPME 2023). Gas natural estimated at ~25 m³/month (300 m³/year) for professional gas cooking range; factor 2.04 kg CO₂eq/m³ (UPME). No mechanical heating or cooling — Bogotá's temperate climate eliminates HVAC demand. The jute canopy on the exterior terrace provides passive shading reducing solar heat gain. Natural ventilation through original window openings reduces mechanical ventilation needs. Total estimated: ~2,426 kg CO₂eq/year across 120 m².
Service and maintenance emissions
Service and maintenance emissions are exceptionally low by design. Original brick and plaster walls require no coating, painting, or treatment — their aged patina is the intended finish, eliminating entire maintenance categories. Recovered timber floor requires only periodic oiling and occasional sanding (~0.04 kg CO₂eq/m²/year annualized). Recovered timber ceiling requires no maintenance. Painted steel staircase and railings require touch-up repainting every 5–7 years (~0.02 kg CO₂eq/m²/year). Jute/linen canopy requires replacement every 4–5 years (~0.03 kg CO₂eq/m²/year — natural fiber, low impact). Solid wood kitchen counter requires annual oiling only. General restaurant maintenance and consumables estimated at ~0.07 kg CO₂eq/m²/year. Total estimated: ~22 kg CO₂eq/year across 120 m². No formal LCA software used; estimates based on ICE v3.0 and standard commercial maintenance cycles.
Afterlife
Adaptive reuse is the founding premise of the project. The intervention occupies a heritage house in Bogotá, extending the useful life of a building whose original construction dates back several decades. The spatial organization — a sequence of rooms of different scales connected by a courtyard and exterior terrace — is a traditional Colombian house typology that has already proven its adaptability across generations and programs. The current restaurant use required minimal structural modification; the same spaces could revert to residential use, accommodate a gallery, a studio, or a cultural venue without altering the primary structure. The deliberate decision to leave walls unfinished and floors unrenovated means the building retains its capacity to absorb future interventions without generating demolition waste.
The recovered timber floor and ceiling are the project's most powerful circular economy argument: these materials have already completed one full lifecycle and are now in their second — they can complete a third. When the time comes, the timber boards can be lifted, cleaned, and reinstalled in another project, continuing to circulate without returning to the extraction cycle. The steel staircase and railings are bolted assemblies that can be dismantled and reused or recycled. The jute canopy is a natural fiber element that is fully biodegradable at end of life. The solid wood kitchen counter and shelving can be disassembled and reused as furniture. The original brick walls and plaster — conserved without coatings — remain in their most recoverable state: future interventions can add or subtract without stripping layers of accumulated finishes. In this project, the circular economy is not a strategy applied at the end — it is the origin of the project itself.