
The Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti Building Resilience and Community in Central America with Federico Steinvorth
Nov 26, 2025
31:25
π The Green Impact Report Quick take: In this episode, Federico Steinvorth, a newly inducted LEED Fellow from Costa Rica, shares how he's championing sustainable building practices across Central America through early project integration, renewable energy, and a strong focus on community engagement. π Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Federico Steinvorth is an engineer, marathon runner, and co-founder of a regional sustainability consulting firm based in Costa Rica. With a background in mechanical and electrical engineering and a master's in construction management from Michigan State University, Federico has been leading sustainability initiatives across Latin America for over 15 years. π± Breaking Ground on Better Building In this episode, Federico revolutionizes traditional construction approaches: π― Key Insight #1: Early integration of sustainability consultants leads to better design outcomes The Challenge: Consultants often brought in late in the design process. The Solution: Engaging early to guide KPIs and sustainable design strategies. ROI: Avoided costly redesigns, better project alignment with corporate sustainability goals. π― Key Insight #2: Leveraging Costa Rica's 99% renewable energy grid for electrification The Challenge: High energy consumption in industrial and manufacturing projects. The Solution: Aligning electrification and decarbonization efforts with a clean national grid. ROI: Reduced carbon footprint, cost-effective clean energy adoption. π― Key Insight #3: Partnering with communities to define sustainable success The Challenge: Sustainability frameworks don't always capture local community needs. The Solution: Engaging community teams to integrate social priorities into projects. ROI: Higher impact, long-term community alignment, enhanced project acceptance. π§ Sustainable Soundbite "Being named a LEED Fellow isn't just an honorβit's a responsibility to push our limits, lead by example, and elevate the sustainability movement across our region." β Federico Steinvorth β
Your Green Building Action Plan Transform your next project with these steps: This Week: Reach out to community stakeholders to understand project impact beyond the site. This Quarter: Evaluate your region's energy grid for decarbonization opportunities. This Year: Commit to early-phase sustainability integration on every project. π² Connect & Learn More πΏ Access full episode resources here π Read the transcript here π Connect with Federico Steinvorth: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/federico-steinvorth Website: http://www.spherasostenible.com/ π Join the Green Building Movement: https://www.greenbuilding.news/subscribe π Want More Green Building Insights? Get sustainability tips 2x a week. π Subscribe to our FREE newsletter here: https://www.greenbuilding.news/subscribe Green Building Matters, Inc Β© 2025 | Good Green Fun.
