Sustainability Report

Carbon emissions were calculated based on material quantities estimated from architectural photographs and project description (91 m² gross floor area, rural location near Farallones). Emission factors sourced from ICE v3.0 and Ecoinvent 3.9. This is a new construction project; the full structural system is included. Materials assessed include: new steel structural frame — columns, beams, and roof structure (~3,500 kg, factor 2.46 kg CO₂eq/kg — the dominant item at 37% of total); zinc/galvalume roof cladding (~400 kg, factor 3.5 kg CO₂eq/kg); concrete block wall enclosures (~18 ton, factor 130 kg CO₂eq/ton); concrete slabs for bathrooms and isolated footings (~15 m³, factor 300 kg CO₂eq/m³); polished concrete floor across social areas and bedrooms (~75 m²); large-format black steel window and door frames (~600 kg); cane brava ceiling cladding (~0.4 ton, factor 10 kg CO₂eq/ton — renewable, near-zero impact); handmade blue zellij ceramic tile in bathrooms (~0.25 ton); natural plywood cabinetry in kitchen and bathrooms (~0.6 m³); handmade terrazzo washbasin; fired clay tile at entrance; and rural MEP installations. Carbon capture credited for cane brava elements. Note: if certified recycled steel were specified (factor ~0.7 kg CO₂eq/kg), embodied carbon would drop to approximately 150 kg CO₂eq/m². No formal LCA software was used; calculations performed manually using ICE and Ecoinvent databases.

Operational carbon estimated for a vacation house used occasionally by owners and rented intermittently, with total active occupancy estimated at fewer than 60 days per year (91 m², rural location). Electricity consumption estimated at ~80 kWh/month during active occupation periods (~960 kWh/year equivalent); Colombian grid emission factor 0.126 kg CO₂eq/kWh (UPME 2023). No gas infrastructure available at rural location — induction cooking assumed. No mechanical heating or cooling — the warm-temperate climate of the Farallones area and the passive ventilation strategy of the steel-and-glass envelope eliminate HVAC demand. The cane brava ceiling provides natural thermal insulation reducing heat gain. Total estimated: ~165 kg CO₂eq/year across 91 m².

Service and maintenance emissions estimated for a lightly occupied rural vacation house. Main maintenance cycles: steel structure requires periodic anti-corrosion paint treatment every 5–7 years, especially critical in rural humid environment (~0.06 kg CO₂eq/m²/year); zinc/galvalume roof requires inspection and occasional fastener replacement only (~0.02 kg CO₂eq/m²/year); cane brava ceiling requires replacement every 8–12 years depending on humidity exposure (~0.03 kg CO₂eq/m²/year — natural fiber, low impact); concrete block walls require periodic repainting (~0.04 kg CO₂eq/m²/year); polished concrete floor requires annual sealing only (~0.02 kg CO₂eq/m²/year); black steel window frames require anti-corrosion treatment every 5 years (~0.03 kg CO₂eq/m²/year); natural plywood cabinetry requires oiling; general rural property maintenance estimated at ~0.02 kg CO₂eq/m²/year. Total estimated: ~20 kg CO₂eq/year across 91 m². No formal LCA software used; estimates based on ICE v3.0.