Innovation

Urvita has developed a breakthrough innovation project. They buy properties at a fair price and the vendors have the option to live in the lower part of the complex or relocate to another part of the city. During the construction process, Urvita uses 90% of the building and adapts it to make it a refreshing place for people who live locally. Moreover, they seek to reactivate the economy of the community, enabling the tenants to frequent local businesses. This model also creates local employment, trains neighborhood people to perform different trades, and then connects them with Urvita tenants. In addition, they look to encourage and create awareness to the entire community about the ecological footprint and sustainable way of living.

Inspiration

The founding partners and the building developer had the opportunity to work in the peripheral area of the cities to build social interest projects. This was during the climax of the housing production of cities. Due to this experience, they realized the main shortcomings of this development model in cities: overcrowding, lack of access to opportunities and information, poor quality of construction, high financial risk and the worst allocation of public resources.

As a result, they concluded that they were building new problems that would last for decades. After a profound reflection on how housing should not only satisfy the legitimate need for wealth but also should be a means to develop opportunities, they adopted the view that Mexican housing should also provide the services of belonging, access to opportunities, services, education, meetings and social connections under a framework where it respects and coexists with the environment.

Overall impact

The main impact of the innovation has to do with the formation of communities, linking the people that have lived their entire lives in a specific place with people new to the neighborhood. Their objective is to benefit everyone in the community by providing nice places to live but avoiding the displacement of the locals and creating opportunities.

Today, they have developed five buildings since their creation and are planning to build another three next year. In addition, all their employees who work in maintenance, security and cleaning are locals.

Finally, they are looking to decrease their ecological footprint by using 90% of the original construction of the building. They adapt it and restore it to create sustainable living areas. They try to rent the apartments to people who live or study nearby and do not need a car. In fact, 30% of the tenants use bicycles, public transportation or walk.

Business benefit

The main goal of the business is to create sustainable living places that help the environment and contribute to the development of the community.

Due to their different housing approach, they have been able to construct five Urvitas and plan to construct another three by next year. Currently, they have 99% occupancy.

No other company takes this approach melding housing and community.

Social and environmental benefit

The innovation has mainly a social benefit as they are bringing communities together. Their apartments are intended for middle class people who move into a community with low class people. Instead of building a wall between the new apartments and the existing neighbors, they are building bridges by promoting local consumption, providing work, enable networking and host workshops to help the neighbors acquiring new skills that later can be used to improve their condition.

But the innovation has also an environmental benefit. They recycle the existing construction which generates less trash. They also build the new structures with sustainable materials to reduce energy consumption and capture water to reduce water consumption. Also, their tenants do not have cars which reduces the pollution generated to the city.

Interview

Erika Espinoza Rodríguez, Team Leader