By Francisco Peyret and Carmen Rioja
Ecology and environmental protection have not received much attention in Mexico in either public or corporate agendas, and sustainability has been relegated to a mere marketing discourse. In almost all cases, any talks about it have mostly been publicity stunts without any real reductions in the carbon footprint—the energy cost that we impose on the planet.
A few institutions and NGOs have prioritized clear actions and practical applications to rescue and restore the environment. However, concrete examples of environmental protection and rehabilitation of deforested territories are scarce throughout Mexico.
In a globalized world, relationships have become interdependent; therefore, change is more complex, even at the local level. In any instances there will be obstacles because of these globalized relationships, and this implies that a change in course involves great efforts and usually requires a long period of time to effect.
Fortunately, the first COP (United Nations Conference of Parties) held in Paris in 2015 established lines of action to stop the process of decomposition of nature and climate change.
Nature-based solutions (NbS) to address climate change deal with the implementation of actions to face this global phenomenon, which some local governments are already carrying out. On the one hand, there are important measures to regenerate forests, rivers, and streams. On the other hand, there is the recovery of public spaces and construction of sustainable infrastructure such as infiltration tanks, wetlands, and water retention ponds.
Mitigation actions—in consort with all the other measures that individuals and communities take—can lessen the environmental impacts we generate every day. These mitigation actions have to do with waste management, diminishing environmental pollution, energy efficiency, and the use of eco-techniques that allow individuals and communities to reduce our ecological footprint.
These lines of action are becoming more socially acceptable and visible, with clear trends, examples, and urban movements that aspire to be sustainable and seek to contribute to the regeneration of nature. Architecture offers such a possibility; it can envision a future in which we can survive as a species, in harmony with the rest of the life on earth, while guaranteeing a dignified life. This movement seeks to create responsible, friendly spaces that are restorative and become integrated into the environment in a respectful way.
Among those on the forefront of this restorative movement, we find extraordinary people like Óscar Hagerman, Johan Van Lengen, and Emilio Ambasz. Another is Fernanda Martínez de Velasco, a Mexican architect and gardener who has dedicated her life to serving nature, including creating a sanctuary for peacocks.
In the Bajío region, there is a new underground movement of avant-garde architectural firms and offices. They focus on issues of urban planning and architecture beyond the sustainable, not only in academies and universities, but also through conferences and symposia. Three outstanding architectural firms possessing international recognition in this area are Anonimous, G3 Arquitectos, and Aura Arquitectos.
There is discussion at the global level about the parameters and metrics to determine the impact of a particular building and its energy consumption. Among the topics considered are the use of green energy, the use of ecological technologies, how to achieve a zero-carbon footprint, and the use of sustainable and anthropologically correct construction techniques and ecological materials. There are few bodies dedicated to regulating these areas, particularly those that are sufficiently accredited to grant certifications. The International Living Future Institute is, perhaps, the only one satisfying such a function.
The Institute points out the current challenges for the restoration of the planet in saying, “All professional designers, contractors, builders, and building owners need to radically transform the way we create the construction environment to eliminate any negative impact on global health. Politicians and governments need to remove barriers to systematic change and realign incentives to truly protect the health, safety, and well-being of all people and all living beings. All humanity ought to reconcile the constructed heritage with the natural environment towards a civilization that creates greater biodiversity, resilience, and life opportunities for adaptation and development.”
The International Institute for Life in the Future has identified seven areas in which to apply the metrics and monitor the true energy use or waste of a building or group of buildings, along with the impact of these on global warming and life on the planet. The International Colloquium has been established to raise awareness of these seven areas: site, water, energy, health and happiness, materials, equity, and beauty.
Some noteworthy urban planning and regenerative architectural structures that are currently under construction include:
5° Paseo del Río Querétaro in the section that goes from the Glorieta de Ignacio Pérez at the height of Corregidora to Avenida de Ezequiel Montes: benches, stairways, large planters, and small squares were defined beneath trees, with fountains that cool the spaces. They created private shading that offers protection to birds, pollinators, and passers-by. On the banks of the Rio Ayutla, there is a bike path that offers cyclists a decent corridor along the river. The path, however, has been criticized because of the danger of the concrete side walls.
4° Patio of designers and architectural offices G3 and GoMa in Cervecería Hércules is an example of rehabilitation and regenerative restoration of what was an industrial space. Attempts at changing this area over several decades were not always successful. The current, positive aspects of the space are the cleanliness and the incorporation of green space with minimal contemporary elements that allow entry of natural light by doubling and tripling the height of walls, which also offer depictions of Mexican history.
3° Habitat and primate sleep area at the León Reyes de la Jungla Zoo in León, Guanajuato. Here, architecture has come to the service of the resident animals and provides a space respecting their dignity and life experience. Reforestation and the creation of green spaces stand out here, as well as the construction of a bioclimatic space for dampening external urban noise.
2° Fundidora Park, Monterrey, N.L. An industrial space in a state of abandonment was transformed into a park with cultural spaces, walkways, fountains, and wooded areas. The park seeks to restore what was previously a producer of polluting gasses and smoke. The entire complex seeks to offer a space for coexistence, as well as for the rethinking of culture, the arts, and human actions interacting on the planet.
1° Peacock sanctuary in Tetecalita, Morelos. The restoration of the native flora and fauna and regeneration of the ecosystem has created a refuge and conservatory for the nearly extinct fauna of the region. The architecture consists of earth, bamboo, and grass. The full project shows the integration of flora and fauna, as well as respect for culture and biodiversity, making it one of the most exquisite and educational sanctuaries in Mexico.
