Taken from EFE
Green homes, which are becoming increasingly common in the heart of Lima, have begun to establish themselves as a desirable alternative for Peruvians and are increasingly demanded by owners and investors, while builders see them as a future option.
In their commitment to caring for the environment, several construction companies are seeking to ensure that these buildings have eco-friendly characteristics, taking care to reduce their environmental footprint by using green spaces, solar panels, water reuse and energy savings, which is also felt in the tenants' wallets.
"I can't imagine building anything other than this," Fernando Carrasco, general manager of the Creativa group, told Efe.
To address the construction projects they promote in Lima, he explains that they start with a question: "How can we make people feel that the building helps them?"
"Solar panels are a great thing," he says, before highlighting that helping "make the entire footprint of the building a park" is another point in its favor because it allows residents to enjoy green spaces in which to socialize.
Creativa's approach to construction in Lima includes "organization and cleanliness" as a central element, which means savings for the residents, while "the facades are of this type that are called eternal" and which avoid "the cost of maintenance", as well as the pollution that this entails.
"Solar panels help provide light to certain common areas and emergency stairwells at no cost," he points out before noting that "the floors are eco-friendly because you can get them dirty, clean them, and nothing has happened.".
A trend linked to awareness
"Firstly, we see a trend and greater awareness among people to seek sustainable developments because they feel they are contributing to the fight against climate change," explains Tabata Hinojosa, deputy manager of residential housing at BBVA Peru.
Because of this, the bank has launched a mortgage plan aimed at this type of housing that attracts, "above all, younger generations who buy out of conscience because they share these values," Hinojosa explains.
"It has several positive aspects: you contribute to the environment, you save money, and finally, the characteristics, which will depend on the level of certification, will give your property a potentially higher resale value," he adds.
The growth in mortgage applications for these homes has not stopped, and Hinojosa says that, so far in 2022, they have placed more than 60 million soles (about 14.5 million dollars) of green mortgages, although their goal "is to double this figure" by the end of the year.
"But the goal is for our portfolio to be 80% (in three years) and in the future 100% under these characteristics," he adds.
The "skyline" of the future
Those interested in these products may end up living in buildings like those built by Vicca Verde, a brand of Inversiones JF, whose general manager, Horacio Goitre, is considering the life that green buildings will have in 100 or 200 years, shaping the Lima of the future.
"Sustainability has three parts (...) environment, economy and society; if you are a project that only went for the plants side you will be ecological, but not sustainable," he explains.
Therefore, he considers it key to "find that balance between those three parts" and, by doing so, "that's when you can talk about the project being sustainable", while generating an economic impact and producing a "pleasant quality of life".
"One of the things we always keep in mind is that whatever we do, we should think of it as something that will become part of the city's heritage in the future. There's a responsibility behind that," he concludes.
