Profile

Francisca Tapia

Member of gaia-liNc e.V. 

Budapest, Hungary

ftapia@gaialinc.org

Areas of knowledge: 

  • Nature-based Solutions & Service Design
  • Inclusive Sustainable Functionings
  • Energy & Environmental performance

Education: 

Architecture and Urbanism Diploma at
Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador (PUCE); M.Sc. Building and
Architectural Engineering at Politecnico di Milano (PoliMi) ; Research and
Training in Social Design Architecture at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA).

Areas of interest:

My area of expertise is sustainability and urban development in distinct environments from grey infrastructures to mixed districts.  Urban development follows historical and natural imprints until today, that guide to seeking solutions from single benefits, towards multiple opportunities and social, environmental, economic resilience. Therefore, I am very interested in nature-based solutions within their planning and implementation, not only as practice and theory but also as innovative concepts entering the urban policy and planning sector, as the way to increase biodiversity and generate healthier, greener living environments.

Background

I started my professional career with governmental and private collaborations in Ecuador and  Argentina to optimize urban and natural resources at macro and micro-scale projects.  During my master studies, I worked at EURAC Research, on R&I projects in Italy developing NbS and GI in industrial urban areas in the H2020 and EU Green Deal framework. I am working now as a Sustainability Consultant with focus on nature-based solutions, energy performance, digitalization, and retrofitting buildings in Hungary and several countries in Europe. Currently, I am developing a green roof strategy and platform for better management and co-planning in Budapest.

What drew you to gaia-liNc’s mission?

I believe in the power of networks between people and their skills. In this sense, every natural and urban initiative comprise methods and concepts to acknowledge different approaches, to understand and align them for reaching sustainable solutions. Such competencies are indispensable to enhance sustainability criteria as economic, ecological and cultural aspects in Latin America and the rest of the world. Thus, the reason that brings me to gaia-liNc is the motivation to build up ideas within a multidisciplinary team that consider sustainable solutions as our responsibility to change the social and natural environment.

 

An interesting fact about you:

I lived and travel through Latin America during my architectural studies, where I had the opportunity to experience different neighbourhood dynamics in the “villas” of  Buenos Aires, by a dedicated work in seeking architectural solutions to improve public spaces and social relations in communities. During 2016, I was a volunteer for the development of an emerging and resilience pilot project for the design of a post-seismic building, after Abril 2016, earthquake in Esmeraldas, Ecuador. Due to my desire for learning and improving my skills, I have been continued reaching for new experiences in my career that always bring me to meet places and people with different cultures, which I think is part of the daily motivation of what I am doing now.