A gathering that aims to outline sustainability goals and evaluate the standards, certifications, and initiatives that lead to the development of better projects.
10:30 – 11:20 h. “Small projects, BIG innovations” – Panel.
- Edith Medina, Biology Studio
- Pablo Kobayashi, Unidad de Protocolos
- Ricardo Muttio, Radial Bio
- Claudia Espinoza, ECOstudioXV – Moderator
11:30 – 12:00 h. “Architecture with Near-Zero Emissions: Structural Wood Components“. – Talk. Sponsored by Reed Wood.
- Dr. Andrés Dieste
12:10 – 12:50 h. “The Carbon Footprint of Materials“– Technical session.
- Dra. Leonor Patricia Güereca, Life Cycle Analysis
- María Laura Rojas, CRDC México
- Humberto Vital, Millet Glass Industry
- Xavier Valladares, ECOstudioXV – Moderator
Biological artist, researcher, and teacher, pioneer in the field of bioart and biodesign in Mexico and Latin America. She specializes in biological and biomaterials applied to design, art, fashion, and science.
For over twenty years, her work has developed from biological processes, weaving together ancestral knowledge and material research where culture, local science, and material development converge, focusing on the relationship between tradition, biology, learning, and creative practice.
She has collaborated with universities, research institutes, museums, and material experimentation spaces in Mexico, Spain, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Canada, Germany, and England. She has twice won the Production and Research in Arts and Media Support Program in the research category from the Multimedia Center of the National Center for the Arts, and in 2015, the Transborder Contemporary Art Space Program of the Euroregion Pyrenees Mediterranean of Catalonia, with her project on biological methodologies “Microgeografías.” She is currently the founder and academic director of Biology Studio, the first Mexican studio linking art, design, and biology, which has trained a large number of today’s biomaterial experimentation studios in Latin America.
Master of Arts specialized in Emerging Technologies and Design (EmTech) from the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, and Architect from Universidad Intercontinental in Mexico City.
Researcher and manipulator of material behaviors, their morphological expressions, and their spatial consequences. His practice has developed around the concept of emergence, where the whole is not the direct sum of its parts and where the interaction of simple elements following low-level rules results in complex phenomena. He studies the role of digital tools in design processes in conjunction with analog methods and traditional construction techniques, seeking a dialectical integration between form, matter, and tool, integrating the body as a code processor. He is interested in the implementation of systemic thinking structures that stem from the digital but dispense with the computer.
His most recent lines of research focus on two material expression branches: pneumatic structures and the use of textile formworks for shaping special concrete pieces. He has maintained a constant academic practice, implementing non-linear pedagogical methodologies in various exercises of theoretical speculation and practical development both at undergraduate and master’s levels.
Architect from ITESO University, focused on the development of biomaterials through biological processes.
He is co-founder of Radial Biomateriales, a Mexican startup based in Jalisco that bio-manufactures low-impact materials from agro-industrial waste such as straw, sawdust, and bagasse, using fungal growth to transform them into products and raw materials for packaging, design, and architecture.
Radial’s work has been recognized by national and international organizations such as What Design Can Do, FedEx, Grupo Bolívar Davivienda, Heineken, and History Channel. In collaboration with the latter, they sent samples of their biomaterials for durability testing on the International Space Station.
Currently, they are developing modular applications that allow for the simple integration of next-generation biomaterials into traditional construction systems, with the primary goal of creating a real offer of low-energy-consumption materials for the design, architecture, and construction industries.
TRUE Zero Waste Manager & Assessor. Architect & Certificate in Lighting Design.
Claudia graduated with honors in Architecture from Universidad Iberoamericana. She received a certificate in Lighting Design in London and is a certified consultant in True Zero Waste.
She has worked as a lighting designer and sustainability consultant, specifically in the zero-waste area, in more than 200 projects worldwide, including the UK, Spain, UAE, Tunisia, the US, and Mexico. With over seven years of work experience in London and ten in Mexico City, she has worked on projects with hotel groups such as One&Only, Radisson, Sheraton, Rosewood, boutique hotels, family homes, offices, and urban design projects like plazas and parks.
Some projects focused on lighting design, others on waste management to achieve Zero Waste or LEED certification. Being part of ECOstudio XV has broadened her sustainability expertise through participation in LEED, BREEAM, and NET Zero projects.
Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1973. PhD in Sciences from the University of Göttingen (Germany), Master in Chemical and Process Engineering from the University of Canterbury (New Zealand), and Agronomist from Universidad de la República (Uruguay).
He currently works as an international consultant in wood technology.
Previously, Dieste was Associate Professor at the Institute of Chemical Engineering, Universidad de la República, Uruguay (2012–2021); private consultant advising public and private institutions in Uruguay (2012–2019); researcher at CESEFOR in Castilla y León, Spain (2019–2021); researcher at CETEMAS in Asturias, Spain (2009–2011); and Production Manager at FYMNSA, a Uruguayan forestry company (2002–2004).
His professional and academic activity focuses on the use of wood as raw material for construction and carpentry, as well as a source of fiber, chemicals, and energy. He specializes in wood durability enhancement technologies and has researched lignin valorization applications. Dieste has published scientific articles and reports in his areas of expertise.
She is a Senior Researcher B at the Institute of Engineering of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, where she leads the research line on Life Cycle, Climate Change, and Sustainability. She has been a researcher at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center in Barcelona, Spain, where she developed the high-resolution emissions inventory for the Iberian Peninsula.
She holds a PhD in Environmental Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia. She completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, has a Master’s degree in Conservation, Ecology, and Natural Resource Management, and is a Biochemical Engineer from Tecnológico de Monterrey.
She has carried out more than 40 projects on Environmental Footprints using Life Cycle Assessment, including several for the construction industry, banknote and coin manufacturing, meat production, the water cycle in Mexico City, renewable energies, waste management, and wastewater treatment. She has also calculated the Carbon Footprint for major organizations and developed sustainability indicators.
Dr. Güereca is a member of the National System of Researchers, Level 2. She is the founding president of the Mexican Network of Life Cycle Assessment, has served as president of the Climate Change Division of the Inter-American Association of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering and of the Mexican Association of Environmental Engineering, Science and Management. She has published over 60 articles, 4 books, 18 book chapters, and has presented 172 papers at national and international conferences.
Costa Rican entrepreneur who nearly two decades ago chose Mexico as the place to develop her life and career. From her earliest projects, she pursued a business vision tied to social impact, creating opportunities for traditionally excluded groups and exploring purpose-driven development models.
After more than a decade of business experience, she took leadership of CRDC Materials Mexico, a subsidiary of a global company that transforms non-recyclable plastics into RESIN8®, a patented additive that improves concrete and asphalt performance while reducing carbon footprint. Under her direction, the company has become a benchmark in circular economy applied to construction, consolidating strategic alliances with industry, academia, government, and social organizations.
One milestone project under her leadership is Lekil Na, a model proving that housing can be both sustainable and affordable, now a reference of innovation in Mexico. She is also Country Chair of the Circular Economy Wing of the G100 in Mexico, an international network of women leaders driving gender equality and sustainable development. Her leadership reflects how major environmental and social challenges can become opportunities to transform industries and build a more inclusive, sustainable future.
With over 30 years of professional experience in multinational companies, he has built a solid career in commercial and marketing areas, combining specialized training in senior management, sales, training, and emotional intelligence with a strategic market vision
His expertise has focused particularly on the glass sector, with deep technical and commercial knowledge in corporate, hotel, condominium, hospital, and commercial industry applications.
He worked as an advisor at Vitro (Flat Glass of Mexico) for three years, and for over two decades he has been part of Millet Industria de Vidrio, where he is currently National and Latin America Commercial and Project Manager. His leadership has been key to positioning the company in international markets, driving innovative solutions tailored to the construction industry.
Throughout his career, he has actively participated in specialized forums and trade missions, as well as workshops and consultancy for professionals, addressing topics such as structural safety, thermal efficiency, architectural design, and aesthetics. Recently, he was invited by the College of Architects of Acapulco after Hurricane Otis (Category 5) to present proposals for hurricane-resistant integrated facades with innovations focused on protection and resilience.
Managing Partner of ECOstudio XV, an integrated environmental consulting firm with offices in Mexico and England. He studied Architecture and Urbanism at IBERO.
After four years at Legorreta Arquitectos, he pursued a Master’s in Environmental Design and Engineering at the Bartlett School of Graduate Studies – UCL, London.
Xavier has worked as an architect and sustainability consultant, participating in over 700 national and international projects. With more than 20 years of experience, before founding ECOstudio® in London and Mexico, he worked at Richard Rogers Partnership, Cullinan Studio, and ECD Research & Environment.
He is a registered EDGE Expert, EDGE Auditor, SAP, SBEM, BREEAM EcoHomes, EPC, Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH), and LEED® AP BD+C. His projects and environmental consultancy work stand out for combining strong technical knowledge of environmental and bioclimatic issues with aesthetic expression and celebration.
He has certified more than 75 projects, advised on more than 100 fully passive buildings, and half a dozen Zero Emission projects. He is currently a professor at IBERO within the Cátedra Blanca Cemex.
