As well as being used for research activities linked to Proinged\u2019s work, the building itself will demonstrate innovative technologies, says San Juan, a researcher at the Research and Policy Institute of the Built Environment in La Plata.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The structure is built with bricks made from recycled polyethylene terephthalate, better known as PET \u2013 the plastic used for drinks bottles and food containers \u2013 or from mycelium, the root-like structure of a fungus. Other materials included: board made from peanut shells and agro-industrial waste; adhesives made from soy protein; and insulation from recycled expanded polystyrene and sheep\u2019s wool. These technologies were developed by research institutes and private enterprises across Argentina that work on recycling used materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Aerial](\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/aerial_Renewable-Energy-Centre-of-Buenos-Aires-Province_Argentina_IIPAC.jpeg\")
<\/div>Sheep\u2019s wool is used for heat and sound insulation in walls, ceilings and mezzanines. \u201cIn Buenos Aires, sheep wool does not have a significant value for the textile industry, and they burn it, bury it or give it as part payment for shearing. We use this resource for insulation panels,\u201d says Alejandra N\u00fa\u00f1ez Bert\u00e9, director of Project Abriga, the organisation that provided the wool for the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThroughout history people warmed themselves with the sun, and it was only with oil and air conditioning that we forgot about it,\u201d says San Juan. \u201cNow, aware of the damage, we have to recover this knowledge with a 21st-century vision. We cannot continue to build as we did 40 years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Carbon-heavy construction in Argentina<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The global buildings and construction sector contributes significantly to climate change. In 2022, it was responsible for 37% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and 34% of energy demand, according to the UN Environment Programme<\/a>. Much of this energy demand was for operational needs such as heating and cooling. In Argentina, the emissions figure is the same<\/a>, but the sector reportedly accounts for 40% of energy consumption. Steel, cement and aluminium \u2013 all materials required in modern construction \u2013 are estimated to be responsible for 15%<\/a> of global emissions. Most emissions are generated at the production stage of these materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the Argentine construction industry, the use of these \u201ctraditional\u201d materials predominates<\/a>. \u201cConstruction with cement, bricks and concrete is still widely used, and other materials such as prefabricated concrete or recycled wood, which are aimed at greater efficiency in energy consumption and the use of energy for construction, are not used as much,\u201d says Miguel Ippolito, a member of the Argentine Construction Chamber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, he points out that there has been an increase in \u201cdry\u201d construction, based on prefabricated materials that do not require the use of water and can make building more efficient and faster. Drywall \u2013 also known as plasterboard \u2013 reduces fuel consumption by 60%<\/a> and carbon dioxide production by 22.5%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Carolina Ganem, a researcher at the Institute of Environment, Habitat and Energy of the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (Conicet) in the province of Mendoza, there is a vicious circle between the effects of climate change and how we use buildings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTemperatures are rising due to increased anthropogenic emissions and therefore the use of heating and cooling equipment in dwellings is increasing. This use, in turn, generates more emissions and an increase in the anthropogenic waste heat derived from them, which in turn increases the heat in cities,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When, in 2020, Ana Basso and her partner began to imagine their new home in the town of La Serranita, in the province of C\u00f3rdoba, they had one thing clear: they wanted the experience of a project that was self-built.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe wanted it to be like this not only because of economic necessity, but also because we wanted to be part of the process. From the beginning we knew it was a project that would take time,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The family moved into the house in December 2024 when the last windows and doors were installed. \u201cThe house is very cool in summer and feels warm in winter,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The La Serranita project used a timber frame as the load-bearing structure, which is then filled in using light straw clay<\/a> (straw coated with a slurry of water and clay) to create walls, which are then plastered with earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe frames are spaced every 60 centimetres with small columns that distribute all the weight of the roof of the structure, and make the strength of the house more evenly distributed,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Until 2018, the use of timber frame structures<\/a> was not considered common in Argentina, and required a Certificate of Technical Aptitude (CAT<\/a>), an authorisation granted to innovative construction systems after being subjected to different safety tests. Since its recognition<\/a> as a \u201ctraditional\u201d system that year, this technical authorisation is no longer required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Argentina, architecture that uses environmentally friendly techniques and materials is known as bio-construction. For Leonardo Nucci, a bio-constructor in the Patagonia region, there is confusion between systems classified as traditional and non-traditional. \u201cCement or industrialised construction is often referred to as traditional, when what is traditional is bio-construction,\u201d he says. \u201cCement has only been used in Argentina for a century. Only industry has been responsible for changing our collective consciousness about traditional forms of construction.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nucci is part of the Bioca Network<\/a>, made up of inhabitants of El Bols\u00f3n, in the province of R\u00edo Negro, and the municipalities of Lago Puelo, El Hoyo and Epuy\u00e9n, in the province of Chubut. The network promotes bio-construction to adapt construction systems to the cold and windy climate of Patagonia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although bio-construction is a sustainable and culturally rooted<\/a> technique, unlike timber frames there is no national regulation to legally enable it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn the absence of a common regulation for bio-construction at the national level, municipalities decide according to the information they have, which explains why many projects fail to obtain municipal authorisation to move forward,\u201d says architect Mar\u00eda Rosa Mandrini, from Red Protierra Argentina<\/a>, an organisation that promotes building with earth throughout the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2021, the network published a draft ordinance<\/a> to enable local governments to regulate bio-construction. This document proposes local guidelines to standardise techniques and promote good construction practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mandrini explains that municipalities in 15 provinces<\/a> have since approved local ordinances on bio-construction, while three provinces have passed laws relating to such methods. The breadth of these initiatives, she says, \u201cshows the versatility of this type of construction to adapt to different climates and seismic zones\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Argentina currently has a housing deficit<\/a> that affects some 4 million families: about 1.6 million are reportedly homeless, and more than 2 million lack safe infrastructure. There is an urgent need for social housing. \u201cIn these cases, addressing energy efficiency helps mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and also combats poverty. In countries like ours, that\u2019s the key,\u201d says Gil, highlighting the urgency of implementing efficient and affordable technologies such as LED lamps, heat pumps and electric hot pots for cooking, which would save on utility bills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gil suggests that energy efficiency must be accompanied by public policies and adequate social and cultural initiatives to ensure that efficient technologies are taken up. \u201cThe role of the state is important, but the role of society and its involvement seems to me to be fundamental for this transformation,\u201d he concludes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the national level, there are regulations that promote energy efficiency and sustainable construction. For example, the IRAM 11600 series<\/a> of standards provides reference guidelines for thermal conditioning and insulation, as well as energy savings in heating. However, specialists agree that the voluntary nature of the application of these regulations limits progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ganem says what is needed are mandatory standards according to each of the country\u2019s climatic regions, with minimum standards for thermal, energy and lighting conditions in buildings. Applying existing standards, such as IRAM 11600, could have a positive impact, she adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another recent initiative is the creation<\/a> in 2023 of the National Housing Labelling Programme (Pronev<\/a>), promoted by the former Ministry of Energy. It assesses the degree of energy requirement that a house needs during a year to satisfy heating, cooling, domestic water heating and lighting needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although it is voluntary in most of the country, some provinces such as Santa Fe have their own regulations and require<\/a> energy efficiency labelling when registering a property. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The labelling considers factors such as climate, building systems, materials, openings and ventilation, and allows estimating utility costs and environmental impact. So far, 1,357 labels have been issued<\/a> and 3,738 dwellings have been analysed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Carolina Sfeir, head of the Directorate of Energy Policy and Tariffs of the province of Buenos Aires, emphasises that in order to expand the programme, it must be overseen by local and provincial governments. \u201cThere are people trained [to evaluate <\/a>a house\u2019s energy performance] all over the country and [cooperation agreements to join the programme] in different provinces, but not all new houses have to have this labelling. It is still up to the [builder] to decide whether or not to incorporate sustainability criteria in the construction,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, the world\u2019s most widely used classification for measuring the sustainability of buildings, Brazil and Mexico lead the Latin American ranking<\/a> in the construction of sustainable buildings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"illustration](\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/20250624_tradicional-construction-methods_Ricardo-Macia-Lalinde_Dialogue-Earth_EN.jpeg\")
<\/div>Construction alternatives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Diagram](\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/20250626_bio-construction-methods_Ricardo-Macia-Lalinde_Dialogue-Earth_EN-2.jpg\")
<\/div>![\"A](\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/bioconstruction-house_project-TierraFuego_Patagonia_Argentina_Leonardo-Nucci.jpeg\")
<\/div>Energy efficiency to combat poverty<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Families in low-income sectors often self-build their homes without any technical design or focus on energy efficiency, explains Salvador Gil, a researcher at the National University of San Mart\u00edn and a specialist in sustainability. \u201cThis is their home, and this must be understood as a starting point for planning any improvements,\u201d he warns. The lack of thermal insulation in these homes increases<\/a> energy demand and families resort to expensive and inefficient sources of heat, such as firewood or bottled gas, which can cost up to five times more<\/a> than mains gas, and involves physical effort and transport costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Nuevo](\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Angel-Molina-uses-wood-cooker-in-Nuevo-Alberdi-Rosario-Argentina_Celina-Mutti-Lovera_Dialogo-Chino-scaled.jpg\")
<\/div>The role of the state <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It is still up to the builder to decide whether or not to incorporate sustainability criteria in the construction<\/blockquote>Carolina Sfeir, head of the Directorate of Energy Policy and Tariffs of the province of Buenos Aires<\/cite><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n