Sustainable Construction and Green Buildings
—— 01 - OVERVIEW
Summary
With nearly 80% of its population living in cities, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) faces a dual challenge: providing affordable housing and infrastructure while reducing environmental impacts. Buildings account for roughly 43% of global final energy consumption and 26% of energy-related emissions, and construction is a major driver of freshwater use and waste. This chapter assesses industrialized construction technologies—from prefabrication and modular building to automation and digital fabrication—alongside green building certifications to make the sector more sustainable.
What you will find in this chapter
- Prefabrication
- Modular construction
- Off-site manufacturing (OSM)
- Platform-based construction systems
- Automation and robotics
- Digital fabrication (CNC, 3D printing)
- Green building certifications
Key questions
- Which industrialized construction methods best reduce cost, waste, and emissions?
- How can prefabrication and modular construction scale affordable housing?
- What role do automation, robotics, and digital fabrication play?
- How can green building certifications drive sustainable construction?
- What policies and financing mechanisms support adoption in LAC?