The Eco-venue is a bio-sustainable structure. The Cerro Obligado community took part in the design and construction of the building which restored a space that reconnected neighbors and which did not exist before.
It is located in the center of Coronel´s Cerro Obligado neighborhood, on the corner of "San Cristóbal" and "Las Mercedes" streets. With a total surface of 145 square meters the place holds a multipurpose room, a kitchen, a library that also functions as a workshop and specially adapted bathrooms.
The venue was a necessity that the community discussed with Enel in 2016 and that was established as a priority by the task force set up by the community and the Company. Its construction began in 2017.
The first step was made in February of that year, when four local women were invited by Enel to get some training in bioconstruction at the Eco-Technologies Exploration Center of the Sembra Association, in the municipality of Nogales, Valparaiso Region.
At the same time, Enel worked with the Sembra Asociación and the Nueva Cerro Obligado Neighbors´ association to establish an itinerary to complete the project. The project consisted of purchasing a piece of land, cleaning it and then designing a space according to the community´s inherent needs.
The concepts of circular economy and waste recovery permeated the construction process from the very outset.
That is why the thermal insulation of the walls is made of dry straw that comes from agricultural sectors of the Biobío Region. The infrastructure consists of a wall made of pallets that are supported on an impregnated wooden structure. 200 pallets that make up the partition walls, were obtained from the local industries and recycled to build this branch.
The exterior and interior coating of the walls are made of raw earth mixtures from the land itself and other surrounding areas, combined with native wood plating. In total, 75% of the eco-venue materials used in the construction are natural and recycled.
The use of materials such as wood, straw, and mud made it possible to achieve good energy efficiency, which was enhanced with a special design that aimed at a maximum thermal solar gain and good cross ventilation.
The same principles of circular economy and gender equity were followed to furnish the Eco-venue: a group of local furniture makers used pallets to make tables, chairs and desks for the building.
The training of the Cerro Obligado neighbors in the trade of bio-builders and eco-carpenters, as well as the participation of women in the construction and manufacture of furniture were key elements in the design and implementation of this project, guaranteeing access to new labor opportunities for women and applying gender equity criteria.
From the point of view of Value 500, the Eco-Park has all the necessary adaptations to receive people with physical disabilities which is in line with the universal accessibility law. This can be seen in the access ramp, distribution plans of the bathrooms and corridors, the width of the doorframes and the existence of railings, all built to the highest standards of universal accessibility.
This project is linked to the "Economic development with local identity and green jobs" line of work because it has contributed to the creation of jobs with a seal of sustainability and bioconstruction.
The venue was completed in 2020 and will be inaugurated in 2021. It will be used by 6,444 people who live in the Cerro Obligado neighborhood.
