Sustainable Construction as Getting Dressed of Place: Two Experiences in the Tropics

This article addresses the environmental impact of building materials resulting from construction and demolition waste and debris. It presents the potential of material resurrection through recycling and reuse, which enable the production of optimally performing and affordable building supplies. In addition to the production of materials with a lower CO2 footprint, such practices allow for the integral management of sustainable construction processes that optimize resources and minimize the waste of energy, water and material inputs such as prefabricated structures or concrete. The study aims to apply research results to present the concept of sustainable construction and architecture as "getting dressed of place", i.e. recognizing contextual variables to determine the aesthetic and technical guidelines that must be considered for the materialization of a project. It also shows how contextualized design of buildings can promote comfort and efficiency through bioclimatic strategies, as well as how the people involved in building activities must have decent working conditions, which includes everything from formal hiring to the provision of protection and industrial safety elements, an often neglected precaution in Latin American countries. Finally, relevant reflections are considered throughout the article, including the thoughtful use of water, the promotion of rainwater harvesting systems in buildings, and the understanding of sustainable construction activities as holistic issues, which recognize the integrality of the trade.