IN-PERSON Barcelona Livable Cities. Section B

Abstract

Chiloé is an archipelago located in southern Chile, just off the coast of the mainland The largest island is Isla Grande de Chiloé. It presents extreme climatic conditions, with an average of 10°C, strong winds and few days without rain.
The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the 2030 Agenda provide crucial guidelines and targets for urban development, emphasizing the efficient and sustainable management of resources linked to human settlements. A key objective is to enhance livability by repurposing pollutants as agents for thermal conditioning. Chiloé’s extreme climatic conditions result in a significant demand for heating, predominantly met by firewood sourced from native forests. This practice contributes to environmental and economic challenges, particularly affecting low-income populations and exacerbating what is often referred to as energy poverty in the region. In a distinctive architectural residential project, discarded buoyancy elements from the adjacent mussel farming industry are repurposed. These elements, composed of expanded polystyrene (EPS), a durable waste material highly effective in energy terms, are used as thermal insulation. This application reduces the energy demand associated with active heating. The innovative use of buoys for home insulation presents a timely solution to challenges in resource management and waste, addressing issues of energy poverty and housing conditions in the archipelago’s harsh climate through an interdisciplinary approach encompassing architecture, territorial planning, and technical innovation. It is noteworthy that this initiative is grounded in principles of sustainability, fostering social well-being and enhancing economic viability, thereby influencing progressive developments in design and architectural practices.