Banco Ciudad's new headquarters will be a sustainable, distinctive addition to the Parque Patricios barrio.

The future just got a little brighter and greener for Banco de la Ciudad, but the green has more to do with architecture than quarterly profits. The Buenos Aires-based bank has been planning a corporate headquarters relocation to the resurgent Parque Patricios neighborhood for some time. After careful evaluation of the 15 proposals by a prestigious panel of local architects, the Bank finally announced the winner of the design contest: London-based Foster + Partners. David Summerfield, one of the firm’s design directors, described the importance of the project and the victory: “The project is Foster + Partners first office development in Argentina and we are looking forward to further developing our designs for Banco Ciudad de Buenos Aires. The plans will create a sustainable, distinctive headquarters for the bank, while drawing on the site’s industrial past to reinforce the unique character of the neighborhood.” The new building will incorporate a variety of sustainable features and should achieve LEED Silver accreditation upon completion. Banco Ciudad president Federico Sturzenegger says the new building will allow his company to streamline operations and reduce both risks and costs associated with operations currently spread out across eight facilities. The announcement is another positive step for the redevelopment of Parque Patricios where the City of Buenos Aires is investing in a Tech District as well as extending the H Line of the Subte. Neighborhood residents should also benefit culturally considering Banco Ciudad’s commitment to the arts and support for annual events like arteBA.

Pure Design celebrates ten years of design excellence this weekend in Buenos Aires.

The Bicentennial celebration is only days away, but there is still one major Buenos Aires event between now and 25 de mayo…PuroDiseño! With over 3,000 exhibitors and 700,000 attendees, the annual design Expo at the Rural in Palermo always delivers an eclectic mix of design, innovation, fashion and accessories. The 2010 edition will offer four unique spaces for specialized design: Puro Inedito (Limited Edition designs made especially for the Expo), Puro Verde (a space dedicated to sustainable design), La Selección (a showcase of young designers selected for the Expo), and Paseo de las Artes (works of art from some of Argentina’s most celebrated designers. The Casa Sustentable (Sustainable House) from 2009′s fair takes on new dimensions with this year’s Mundo Sustentable (Sustainable World) built entirely of bamboo and hosted by architect Mónica Cohen. The space will also showcase the first ecological hotel to be built soon in San Telmo. And for those feeling up to the design challenge, there is Work In Patchwork, the first PuroDiseño contest where entrants will design objects using patchwork techniques that blend disciplines, techniques and new materials. Judges at this year’s event include Benito Fernandez and Maria Zunino among others. (Official Website)

This 5-star boutique hotel will be the first in Argentina built to LEED certification standards.

While yesterday’s post focused on a stalled Puerto Madero transaction, today we look at one that is already beyond the drawing board and poised to raise the bar of corporate sustainability in the Buenos Aires lodging arena. Scheduled to open in 2011, the Hotel Own Puerto Madero promises to be the first hotel in Argentina built to the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED standards, the benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. According to USGBC, 40 U.S. hotels are currently certified “green” with another 900 currently working toward certification. Swiss Finance & Property endeavors to build the Hotel Own to LEED standards which mandate varying degrees of water conservation, energy conservation, local material use, recycled material use, natural lighting and other green features. SF&P describes the Own as “a boutique hotel with 5-star service, (featuring) 26 rooms, 4 of which are suites, full guest amenities such as pool, gym, roof top terrace and a restaurant and bar.” And the developer’s long term goal: “Make this new hotel the destination of choice for environmentally conscious tourists and businessmen alike.” Only time will tell if other boutique and major chains follow SF&P’s green lead in Argentina: an important first step in a market where sustainability doesn’t usually factor into the equation when new buildings are in the planning stage. The additional costs and effort on the front-end should be more than offset upon the hotel’s completion given the number of international tourists who travel to Buenos Aires from countries where companies have already embraced sustainability initiatives.

Heavy rains, biotechnology and greater efficiency will mean a record corn harvest in Buenos Aires.

After a dismal 2008 marred by drought and dramatically reduced output, corn farmers in Buenos Aires finally have something to celebrate. Bloomberg reports today that “Argentina, the world’s second-largest corn exporter, may increase output by more than 42 percent this year from previous estimates as spring rains boost yields to a record.” While officials were forecasting 12 million tons of corn production as recently as December, that estimate has grown to 17 million tons, of which 9 million tons (52%) would be available for export. Given Argentina’s location in the Southern Hemisphere and reverse growing season, corn farmers have a unique, wait-and-see advantage, according to the USDA’s Economic Research Service: “Farmers (in Argentina) plant their corn after the size of the U.S. crop is known, providing a quick, market-oriented supply response to short U.S. crops.” The local harvest begins next month, and ample rains combined with greater efficiency in planting and harvesting are both key factors in this year’s record production. When times got tough, many Argentine farmers (like the one in this Monsanto video) turned to biotechnology to improve crop yields. While Argentina remains the world’s second-largest exporter of corn (Chart), the USDA notes “Brazil, Ukraine, Romania, and South Africa have had significant corn exports when crops were large or international prices attractive. (Bloomberg Article)

An aerial view of Pinamar, one of the most popular destinations along the Tango Coast. (Julia Sapienza)

In January, when work slows and temperatures soar, the annual exodus of Buenos Aires families to the surrounding coastlines in Argentina and Uruguay kicks into high gear. And of the many seaside towns that make up Argentina’s portion of the Tango Coast, Pinamar is one of the more popular destinations. Pinamar has over 12,000 accommodations scattered among hotels, apartments and condominiums, while many private residences are available for rent during the peak summer months of January and February. Reservations are up over last year, according to Pinamar Director of Tourism Rosa Boero, thanks to competitive pricing: four-star hotels can be found for under $200/night while a good steak dinner for two with a bottle of malbec costs about $30. Looking ahead to next summer, low prices won’t be the only attraction in Pinamar. According to Borneo, Pinamar will embark on an ambitious coastal conservation program in April that will involve tearing down all existing City-owned public beach facilities and replacing them with environmentally-friendly structures. The Coastal Revnovation Plan is a first in a country where sustainability has lagged but is beginning to creep into public consciousness. One local envionrmental group, ProCostas, believes the Pinamar project can be a model for other towns along the Tango Coast. (Full PDF Report, Spanish)