About three weeks ago, in a debate organized by the Order of Engineers in Porto regarding the Real Estate Awards, president Fernando de Almeida Santos mentioned the constraints that still persist in the practice of engineering, architecture and construction, despite improvements in legislation having already been made.
“We want A energy certification for everything, in the interest of climate change issues, but this costs around €500 per square meter [m2] housing. It is one thing to have energy luxury, it is another thing to have thermal comfort, which is sufficient, as long as it is ensured”, he exemplified
For the president, and many other agents in the real estate market, this type of obligations must be rethought in light of current housing needs and which are homes at affordable prices for the middle class. In fact, one of the questions that will be debated this Friday, October 17th, at a meeting organized by Nos is, precisely, whether sustainability and energy efficiency are important elements for those who buy or the price continues to be the most relevant.
The challenge is really for architects, engineers and builders who have to understand how to approach sustainability, environmental obligations and energy efficiency and make projects less expensive.
There are several solutions that can be used to bring sustainability not only in the use of the house but also in the construction. In fact, one of the most talked about topics in the sector today is modular or off-site construction, that is, making the components in a factory, such as a wall with windows, and then just having to assemble them on site.
Then there is the issue of certifications and, of course, technology and Artificial Intelligence that is on everyone’s lips today due to the impact it has on all types of business. Hence it is also a topic to be addressed at tomorrow’s meeting.
What is it?
It is a debate about sustainability and energy efficiency in housing and the consequences they have on this market, particularly on final costs.
When, where and at what time?
October 17th, Friday, from 9:30 am to 11:00 am, at Nos headquarters, in Campo Grande, Lisbon.
Who will be present?
- Ana Luisa Cabrita, partner and head of the ESG area at Cushman & Wakefield
- Aline Guerreiro, architect and founder of the Sustainability Portal
- Daniel Beato, executive director of Nos
- Frederico Pedro Nunes, COO (director of operations) at Bondstone
- Tiago Belo, COO of Solyd
Why is this meeting central?
At a time when the lack of affordable homes continues to dominate the political and social debate, it is also relevant to understand the impact that sustainability has on construction costs and the final price and also whether it is an attribute valued by buyers.