October 22, 2021

Sustainable Homes Challenge: Meet Laura Aldama

Hello! My name is Laura, I am originally from  Mexico where I completed my Bachelor's in Architecture. After working for a couple of years in the construction industry, I moved to Melbourne in 2020 to study the Master of Energy efficient and sustainable building at RMIT which I’m very excited to be finishing this semester.

My relationship with sustainability started during my first job when I had the opportunity to engage with the installation of photovoltaic systems.Then, I changed my career drastically and worked for one of the most polluting industries in the world, the oil and gas industry.

Both contrasting experiences made me realise that as a professional in the built environment, my projects would have a long-term impact. The decisions made during a couple of months on the design and construction phase would continue to impact the planet during its operations for more than 20 years and then even longer after the end of its life. As a consequence, I had the potential to decide whether if that would be a positive or negative effect. The continuity of working in the business as usual would imply avoidance of social responsibility which reassured my commitment to pursue a career in sustainability.

From my participation in the challenge, I hope that I would get valuable relationships with like-minded professionals that are passionate about making a positive impact through their profession and, that are excited to educate and inspire people to take action.

I carry empathy as one of my core values and, I consider that actively engaging with sustainable development implies caring and empathising with all living entities and future generations to not limit their ability to have a joyful life. I’m excited about stepping out of my comfort zone and collaborating with others to use our curiosity to spark change and create positive impacts.So far, the most remarkable learning has been the importance and consideration of the supply chain and the great impact that it can have on our projects.

The insights of Dr Tillmann provided a great opportunity to consider the benefits and challenges of manufactured materials related to quality, costs, and production. The use of prefabricated materials could be a great area to explore encouraging mass production which simultaneously supports our objective of delivering affordable homes.Furthermore, manufacturing processes provide an exciting opportunity to include innovative technologies that could introduce our new waste-derived materials and could facilitate them to be tested in the appropriate facilities to prove their safety and regulatory compliance.