The Executive President, Luciana Botafogo, participated in the inauguration of house number 34,000 in the town of Tranqueras, department of Rivera. Together with MEVIR and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), she presented the project “Implementation of tools and characterization of standards to promote wooden-house construction in Uruguay,” a technical cooperation promoted by the three organizations.

The initiative is part of the Roadmap for Social Architecture in Wood, promoted by the Ministry of Housing and Land Management, the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries, and the Honorary Timber Commission.

In 2022, FONPLATA financed a technical cooperation that generated the foundations to standardize the way in which wooden buildings are constructed. Later, supplementary funding was granted and IICA is currently using it to develop a tool that will make it possible to calculate, evaluate, and reduce the carbon footprint of this type of construction and incorporate methodologies and studies to improve its efficiency.

During the event, Botafogo underscored the strategic complementarity with IICA, which made it possible to strengthen coordination with the private sector and other important institutions in the country. She also highlighted the effort and commitment of the participants and stated that housing is not only a right, but also a tool for inclusion, work, and dignity.

Several authorities attended the activity, such as the President of MEVIR, Cristina Secco; its technical manager, Ariel Amen; the Mayor of Rivera, José María Mazzoni; the representative of IICA, Rodrigo Saldías; the Undersecretary of Housing, Tabaré Hackenbruch; and the Head of FONPLATA's Portfolio in Uruguay, Carolina Vera.

This ongoing experience allowed the validation of new technologies, such as lightweight framing and CLT (Cross Laminated Timber), which significantly reduced construction times compared to traditional methods and generated more benefits for the environment.

FONPLATA is considering sharing this case at COP 30, to be held in November in Belém do Pará (Brazil), seeking to elevate the discussion on sustainable manufacturing and help position it on the agenda of its countries.

Visit to Arboreal factory

After the inauguration ceremony, the delegation visited the facilities of the Arboreal company in the department of Tacuarembó. The factory, which operates from the sawmill to the design of buildings, is responsible for supplying solid wood for the construction of houses. Following the principles of the circular economy, it aims to minimize waste and maximize resource efficiency.

02/27/2025