The mixed use residential building: A solution for Mediterranean Chilean cities declared saturated in terms of airborne Pollution.

In Chile the architectural design of all types of residential developments, and their related services, occurs with no significant consideration of sustainability, energy efficiency or environmental comfort. This lack of consideration not only results in low standards of habitability, connectivity, social integration and health problems but also in the associated ever increasing operational costs, where the greatest impact is felt by the lowest strata. These problems are compounded in Chile's central valley, a climatic region with cold winters and hot summers, where many cities have been declared saturated in terms of airborne pollution. This contamination is a direct result of the thermally inadequate housing stock, intensive use of poor quality wood for heating and the use of inefficient stoves. The study of the mixed use residential building typology presented in this paper incorporates the assessment of sustainable design at every scale from urban placement to construction details and building management. Although there exists sufficient international theoretical knowledge, and national political will, architects are faced by timeframes too tight to apply and validate these theories. Further research is therefore required to provide a prototype applicable to the Chilean reality upon which Chilean architects and society can build.