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Building Details

Building NameUrbanización El Paraíso Construction / refurbishment date01/05/2019 Building Size12,767.91 sqm
Building Typeresidential multi unit Address 12-01 12th Street Valparaíso Antioquia 56030 Colombia Region americas

Performance Details

Health and Wellbeing

Existing buildings or developments that demonstrate outstanding performance in improving the health, equity and/or resilience of people in local communities.

Other Achieved Certification Scheme and Level: Nivel excepcional en Sostenibilidad Cinco Estrellas by Certificación Casa Colombia (CCCS) Verification Year: 2020

Additional Details

SYMA’s business model is based on comprehensive social support to homeowners through financial, social and environmental education processes, which have enabled people with monthly incomes of less than US$225 to achieve financial closure to acquire a sustainable, healthy and quality home. In fact, 85% of the owners are people who, thanks to these processes, were able to access the financial system and the system of national and departmental subsidies, equivalent to 50% of the value of the home. In addition, they are beneficiaries of a discount on the interest rate, thanks to the sustainability levels of the project. This will allow them to pay a lower housing loan installment than what they were paying as renters.

However, this accompaniment process is not limited to obtaining the financial closure of the families, also proposes during the first year of the project’s operation to generate the “El Paraíso Culture” through meetings and education programs that promote sustainable community habits, from the operation of its Business and Cultural Center El Paraíso, located inside the urbanisation.

The main purpose is to accompany people in the construction of their dreams with the development of sustainable habitats, a dignified, balanced, safe, happy life and a healthy community coexistence. This is the first and only housing project in Colombia to obtain the Exceptional Level of Sustainability of the CASA COLOMBIA Certification of the Colombian Council of Sustainable Construction.

It was built through construction processes that optimised water consumption, minimised the generation of waste, prioritised its use, and managed its proper handling.

Its operation demonstrates savings of 20% in water and 35% in energy, housing with optimal lighting and natural ventilation, promotes the local economy through the creation of sustainable complementary service areas, a Contact Center that generates employment, open and green spaces for agro-ecological food production, composting, recreation and connection with nature.

The most important initiative is called Road to my home – SYMA Culture that refers to “El Paraíso Culture” and intends to develop coexistence skills in order to improve people’s quality of life. The attributes of this program are featured below:

  • Responsible Personalised Accompaniment from Start to Finish to families to achieve financial closure and facilitate their access to the financial system and housing policy subsidies, without displacement from their place of origin in municipalities with less than 30,000 inhabitants and where the 90% of the families earn less than 2 minimum Wages.
  • Access of rural and ethnic communities to the banking system and housing projects.
  • Our main achievement is the accompaniment processes we carry out. The referral indicator exceeds 25%.
  • Inclusion of Collaborators: 21% of our collaborators are owners of our projects.
  • Construction of Sustainable Habitats based on the accompaniment and development of community skills after the delivery of the houses.

Submitter's Details

OrganisationSYMA Consultores y Constructores S.A.S Sociedad "BIC" Member of GBCConsejo Colombiano de Construcción Sostenible (CCCS)

“In Latin America, sustainability must go beyond solar panels, complex automation systems or philanthropy exercises. The key to sustainability must be a system of thought and action that allows the generation of social, environmental and economic value from the daily decision making of the people on site, to the most transcendental decisions at the level of the company or society.”