Sustainability Report
Embodied carbon
Carbon emissions were calculated based on material quantities estimated from architectural photographs and project description (120 m² gross floor area, Bogotá). Emission factors sourced from ICE v3.0 and Ecoinvent 3.9. The existing reinforced concrete structure — slabs, columns, and staircase — was preserved entirely and excluded from the calculation. Original wall plaster was also conserved as an intentional finish, eliminating the need for new wall cladding across the full interior surface area. Materials assessed include: new microcement floor on ground level (~65 m², factor 15 kg CO₂eq/m² — thin 3mm layer, significantly lower impact than terrazzo or polished concrete); new laminate floating floor on second level (~55 m², factor 90 kg CO₂eq/m² — the dominant item at 79% of total); handmade terrazzo bar counter and five round terrazzo tables (~0.12 ton + 5 units); white tubular steel shelving for plants (~60 kg); olive green painted steel window frames (~80 kg); white painted steel railings (~50 kg); solid wood bench seating, shelves, and interior window frame (~0.6 m³); white paint on staircase, railings, and ceiling (~40 m²); and MEP installations for café-restaurant use. No formal LCA software was used; calculations performed manually using ICE and Ecoinvent databases.
Operational Emissions / Energy
Operational carbon estimated for a café-restaurant operating Tuesday through Sunday, 9:00 AM–7:00 PM (312 days/year, ~10 hours/day), 120 m², Bogotá. Electricity consumption estimated at ~800 kWh/month (9,600 kWh/year), reflecting daytime service with espresso machines, refrigeration, lighting, and light kitchen equipment; Colombian grid emission factor 0.126 kg CO₂eq/kWh (UPME 2023). No gas infrastructure assumed — café and light food service fully electric. No mechanical heating or cooling — Bogotá's temperate climate and the building's thermal mass eliminate HVAC demand. Large original windows provide abundant natural daylight reducing artificial lighting needs during peak service hours. Total estimated: ~1,170 kg CO₂eq/year across 120 m².
Service and maintenance emissions
Service and maintenance emissions are low by design. Original plaster walls require no maintenance — their aged, organic texture is the intended finish, eliminating periodic repainting of the main wall surfaces. Microcement floor requires annual sealing and occasional buffing (~0.03 kg CO₂eq/m²/year); laminate floor on second level subject to commercial wear, partial replacement expected every 8–10 years (~0.10 kg CO₂eq/m²/year — the dominant maintenance item). White painted steel railings and shelving require touch-up repainting every 4–5 years (~0.03 kg CO₂eq/m²/year). Olive green window frames require periodic repainting (~0.01 kg CO₂eq/m²/year). Solid wood bench and shelves require annual oiling (~0.01 kg CO₂eq/m²/year). General café maintenance and consumables (~0.02 kg CO₂eq/m²/year). Total estimated: ~24 kg CO₂eq/year across 120 m². No formal LCA software used; estimates based on ICE v3.0.
Afterlife
The project occupies an existing house whose reinforced concrete structure and original plaster walls were preserved without modification. The spatial sequence — ground floor café, upper level lounge, and interior garden — follows the residential typology of the original building, which has already proven its capacity to accommodate different programs across decades. The current café-restaurant use required minimal structural or material change; the same spaces could revert to residential use, transition to a studio, a small office, or a cultural space without generating demolition waste. The interior garden embedded in the ground floor is a program-neutral element that adds ecological and spatial value across any future use. The large original windows, conserved and repainted, ensure the building retains its connection to the street and the neighborhood regardless of what comes next.
The white tubular steel shelving is a modular bolted assembly that can be dismantled and reused or recycled. The solid wood bench seating can be disassembled and repurposed as furniture. The handmade terrazzo tables are freestanding pieces that can be relocated or resold as salvage objects — their material and craft quality make them desirable beyond this specific project. The laminate floor on the second level is a floating system that can be lifted and reinstalled elsewhere. The olive green steel window frames can be removed, repainted, and reused in another renovation. The microcement floor, while a thin applied layer, can be ground down and the concrete substrate reused without generating significant waste. The original plaster walls — the project's most important material decision — require no action at end of life: they were here before the project and will remain after it.