Puerto Madero, Urban Development on the Outskirts of Cartagena, Colombia

Puerto Madero is a 17 hectares (42 acre) urban development on the outskirts of Cartagena, Colombia. The site is located just 7.2 km (4.5 miles) from the heart of Cartagena’s colonial walled city, a UNESCO world heritage site. Planned as an integrated community with a zoning density of up to 1700 housing units, the project is starting with a 1st phase of 27 single family duplexes and a 2nd phase of three six-story buildings, each with 48 apartments. The units’ design is based on Passive House principles and has been assigned by Phius as a feasibility study. The hot and humid climate of tropical regions requires intense use of cooling and dehumidification that can be effectively be mitigated with the Passive House design.

Enrique Bueno, the projects’ CPHC of E+ Buildings and Andrew Straus of Consinfra, join the Accelerator with an in-depth overview of the project’s site, design, opportunities and challenges. Their presentation covers Passive House strategies relating to ventilation/cooling/dehumidification, envelope design, following local construction practices, shading strategies and air tightness.