Development of Sustainable Timber Construction in Ibero-America: State of the Art in the Region and Identification of Current International Gaps in the Construction Industry

Raúl Araya, Alfredo Guillaumet, Ângela do Valle, María del Pilar Duque, Guillermo Gonzalez, José Manuel Cabrero, Enrique De León, Francisco Castro, Carmen Gutierrez, João Negrão, Laura Moya and Pablo Guindos
Additional contact information
Raúl Araya: National Excellence Center for the Timber Industry (CENAMAD), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile
Alfredo Guillaumet: Department of Civil Engineering, Universidad Tecnológica Nacional, Facultad Regional de Venado Tuerto, Venado Tuerto S2600, Argentina
Ângela do Valle: Department of Civil Engineering, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88037-000, Brazil
María del Pilar Duque: Department of Civil Engineering, Universidad EIA, Envigado 055428, Colombia
Guillermo Gonzalez: School of Engineering, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro 11501, Costa Rica
José Manuel Cabrero: Department of Building Construction, School of Architecture, Universidad de Navarra, 31009 Pamplona, Spain
Enrique De León: Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad Rafael Landívar, Centroamérica 01016, Guatemala
Francisco Castro: Faculty of Engineering in Wood Technology, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia 58000, Mexico
Carmen Gutierrez: Professional Academic School of Architecture, Continental University, Huancayo 12000, Peru
João Negrão: Department of Civil Engineering, Universidade de Coimbra, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal
Laura Moya: Faculty of Architecture, Universidad ORT Uruguay, Montevideo 11300, Uruguay
Pablo Guindos: National Excellence Center for the Timber Industry (CENAMAD), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 3, 1-31

Abstract: This article presents the latest developments of the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries of Europe and Latin America towards the development of sustainable timber construction. As most regions related to these countries have not traditionally employed timber as primary construction material, bringing the development of sustainable timber construction into fruition requires a wide range of actions, such as the elaboration of new educational programs, construction of demonstrative buildings, dissemination activities, settlement of public policies, elaboration of new construction codes, and the creation of new certification bodies. This article presents an overview of the state of the development of the different countries of Ibero-America, showing a very uneven development in the region. In addition to national analyses, a perception survey of 233 professionals from different countries was conducted, allowing for the identification of good practices, present gaps, and opportunities, as well as barriers for developing sustainable timber construction. It is concluded that in order to promote the development of the timber construction industry in the region, it is necessary to progress on regulatory, cultural, and material availability issues, where international experience, demonstrative buildings, and the implementation of public policies are crucial.

Keywords: Ibero-America; sustainable construction; timber construction; industrialization; educational program; public policy; user perception (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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