Trasciende La Parroquia

The project was developed to bring those living in informal settlements to a more urban environment within the city, closer to sources of employment, urban facilities, and public transportation. The success of this project created interest and increased efforts to promote sustainable and affordable housing in the urban context. 

This project was the first of its kind to integrate ‘sustainability’ within its housing model, and the first pilot project approved under the new priority housing regulations in Guatemala City. The project was also one of the first to register in the pilot version for the local certification programme, ‘CASA Guatemala’, and the first project to achieve the certification. Guatemala GBC created the CASA Guatemala programme as a way to encourage and measure sustainable housing development. CASA Guatemala is applicable only to housing developments and is currently being very well received for priority housing projects. 

Habitability and Comfort 

• Ensures optimal natural air flow conditions in all interior spaces. 
• Gardens offering exercise machines and swings for children. 

Community and Connectivity 

• Located in close proximity to collective transport stations and various urban facilities within walking distance such as banks, gyms, supermarkets, restaurants, a hospital, and more than four schools and education institutions. 
• Socialisation process during the construction process, including maintaining open communication with the community for waste management and dust mitigation. 

Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change 

• A stormwater runoff retention tank for better resilience for residents as well as the surrounding neighbourhood and infrastructure. 
• The implementation of responsible stormwater management has minimised flooding and overloading of public infrastructure. Guatemala city, located in a warm tropical climate zone, has faced alterations in the natural rain cycles where it rains more volume in short periods of time, making it considerably vulnerable to heavy rains. 

Resource Efficiency and Circularity 

• Built in a previously developed area with minimal requirement of new land space, reducing environmental impact. 
• 20% water reduction per day per household, with a landscape design that achieved a 34% water reduction for irrigation. 
• Reduced waste production, such as the use of cast-in-place reinforced concrete walls. 

Economic Accessibility 

• Total investment of $1,937,742 USD from a private developer. 
• Each housing unit costs an estimated $25,836 USD – $32,295 USD, less than half the median home value in Guatemala City. 
• One of the largest companies in Central America for cement and concrete is supporting and promoting developers and municipalities to create incentives for the easier uptake of sustainable housing projects, creating great interest for various developers and projects. 
• Currently, there are eight projects for urban affordable housing, with access to incentives, and working with three banks that offer special mortgages for projects certifying CASA Guatemala, such incentives are supporting urban projects to take more sustainable approaches. 
• The Municipality of Guatemala now offers a 25% reduction in licence fees for social housing projects under a green building certification process. Additionally, banks began to generate financial incentive programmes for developers seeking a certification for their projects. Three of the projects that are currently pre-certified in the CASA certification programme arise from these incentives. 

Certification: 

CASA Guatemala 

More information: 

https://casagt.org/trasciende-la-parroquia/ 

https://casagt.org 

http://www.fopavi.gob.gt/Documentos_en_Index/junio2020_ Politica_Vivienda_vf.pdf