Sustainable Housing in Disaster Contexts: Design with Environmental Benefits, Low Cost, and a Social Housing Production Approach

This article presents the results of a research study aimed at designing and evaluating sustainable housing (SH) in post-disaster contexts in Juchitán de Zaragoza, Oaxaca, Mexico, following the 2017 earthquakes. The proposed model integrates four fundamental dimensions: (i) housing design using traditional architecture; (ii) analysis of the environmental impact of materials using indicators of CO2 emissions, energy consumption, and thermal performance; (iii) comparative evaluation of construction costs relative to conventional housing (CH); and (iv) implementation of a Social Production of Habitat (SPH) approach. A mixed-methods design was adopted, involving literature review, data collection through an environmental and hygrothermal impact study, comparative cost estimates, and semi-structured interviews. The findings show that the use of local, low-impact materials, together with participatory processes, not only reduces costs and environmental externalities but also strengthens the social fabric and contributes to a more equitable reconstruction that is contextualized within traditional architecture. The housing model developed may serve as a reference for post-disaster reconstruction strategies in other contexts, provided it is adapted to local climatic, cultural, material, and regulatory conditions.