In times of water crisis in Chile:
PURI ANTOFAGASTA
We reuse greywater to increase Urban Green Spaces (UGS)
Antofagasta is one of the two cities in Chile with the lowest UGS index. It has 1.6 m2 per inhabitant, which is 6 times less than the minimum recommended by the WHO for a healthy city. These scarce green spaces are not evenly distributed, contributing to the imbalance and social well-being deterioration.
The main factor to improve the UGS index in the Atacama Desert is access to water. Puri Antofagasta employs Scandinavian knowledge to achieve the minimum standard requested by the WHO for Green Spaces of 9 m2 per inhabitant. Our mission is to distribute these spaces equitably throughout the city, starting in the most vulnerable and in-need areas.
Chile, 2020-2024 Winner of the international SUMATE BHP 2020 competition
Antofagasta:
CAPULLITO KINDERGARTEN
The first kindergarten in Chile with recycled greywater to create a green environment and inspire children's learning
The Capullito Kindergarten of JUNJI has existed since the 1980s, with 64% of children coming from vulnerable Chilean and foreign families. We intervened in this building as a pilot project to recycle 2m3 of water per day, allowing us to transform a concrete and iron kindergarten into educational gardens. JUNJI considers incorporating grey and black water separation in every new preschool in Chile to enhance the cognitive development of children through contact with nature and biodiversity, an experience that is often lacking in their homes.
Piloto 2 del concurso internacional Sumate BHP ganado por PURi-GLOBAL 2020
Antofagasta
LA CHIMBA
Green Urbanism in the Desert: A social housing association that will benefit thousands of residents
Puri Global, in partnership with Echeverría & Izquierdo, is constructing a pilot project in La Chimba consisting of 1,000 new apartments. The objective is to bring greenery to desert cities, enhancing the quality of life through the reuse of water from social housing.
We separate grey and black water to reuse the grey water, irrigating an internal green environment, as well as a public external park that will benefit more than 10,000 people. Water is generated within the housing complexes where a stimulating, healthy, and green outdoor environment is needed. This serves as a model to be replicated throughout the city, redefining the use of the environment through recycled water.
Pilot 1 of the international Sumate BHP competition won by PURi-GLOBAL 2020
Atacama Desert:
PURI SIERRA GORDA
An Oasis in the Atacama Desert with Recycled Water
Sierra Gorda is a mining town with 1,500 inhabitants, surrounded by three large copper mining operations. Its residents daily contend with extreme environmental conditions, including solar radiation, wide temperature variations, and particulate matter in the air, among others.
Puri Sierra Gorda proposes recycling the wastewater from the entire town and recovering 100% of organic waste to create a Green Belt around the locality. A circular model that contributes to mitigating desert wind and dust, reducing CO2 by 10%, realising the dream of a greener and healthier city.
An innovative technological process::
PURI BRINE MINING
An innovative technological process designed in collaboration with IVL - Swedish Environmental Research Institute
By combining technologies, we can recover additional water from brine and convert the salt into valuable chemicals for various industrial applications: NaOH, HCl, and NaCl. In partnership with the Technical University TUM-CBM in Munich, we're studying the development of an environmentally friendly building material based on salt. Seawater is an abundant resource, making our brine extraction project from desalination plants a more sustainable, long-term solution to meet the growing global demand for water and valuable minerals. This technology reduces waste, enhances resource efficiency, and mitigates potential environmental impact, such as the discharge of concentrated brine into the sea.
International BHP Global Water Challenge, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Munich, Antofagasta, 2023
