Environmental impact in low-income housing: Sustainability strategies for impact reduction

Abstract

The research analyzed the environmental impact of Social Interest Housing (VIS) in the Carlos Pizarro neighborhood of Pasto. The study was based on the architectural survey of a typical house, in which the masses of the materials used were calculated and evaluated using Eco-Indicator 99. The results showed that materials such as steel, brick and acrylic paint generated the greatest environmental load, with a total impact estimated at 3,109,076 millipoints. Based on this diagnosis, two improvement proposals were formulated. The first consisted of replacing the internal walls with light structures of wood, fiberglass and gypsum panels. However, the reduction achieved was only 0.6%, which showed that partial interventions had a limited effect. The second proposal proposed a comprehensive transformation through the use of sustainable and recycled materials, such as PVC, polyaluminum and Tetrapak tiles. This redesign allowed a 92% reduction in the initial environmental impact, demonstrating that sustainable construction strategies were effective only when applied from the beginning of the construction process. Additionally, the incorporation of photovoltaic and rainwater harvesting systems was evaluated. The solar panels guaranteed the energy supply of the houses, even with the possibility of injecting surpluses into the grid. The rainwater collection system made it possible to replace up to 71.6% of the monthly potable water consumption, mitigating the pressure on this resource. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that sustainability in VIS was achievable through a comprehensive redesign, the selection of low-impact materials and the implementation of energy and water efficiency technologies.