Jairis Alvarez Trujillo

Jairis Alvarez Trujillo in woodland

Diversity of thinking and working together  

I am Vice President of the Solar Decathlon Society, and Marketing and Social Media Team Leader of Team ESTEEM and my vision for the future is a world where we can work together to share our knowledge on topics from different industries, in particular engineering, architecture, sustainability and health and wellbeing through tools like social media.

I am currently studying architectural engineering, but I believe that studying one subject is not enough; every student should think beyond and learn a little bit of everything. It is like preparing a meal, you need a range of different ingredients to make something work. And no matter what you do and study, always think about sustainability and how we can improve this wonderful world. I have managed to have amazing adventures; from hiking in the mountains to breathing the air up the clouds and I can say that this world has everything we need so we must take it of it. 

A sustainable world is not only a job for engineers, architects, the construction industry or governments; it is a job for everyone. Every single one of us can reduce energy and CO2 omissions by changing our habits in the house, reading more, and sharing our knowledge online.

Jairis Alvarez Trujillo

Building a sustainable future

Studying at Heriot-Watt University has provided me with the unique experience of using my two passions for both the Solar Decathlon Society and Team ESTEEM. Having a sustainable construction industry means there is a job for everyone, no matter what their skillset or background, from the one who builds it to the one who shares it.  

My main goal for 2021 is to continuing sharing the work we are doing at Team ESTEEM. We are one of 28 universities in the world, and the only one in Scotland and the UK, selected to take part in the Solar Decathlon Middle East 2020 competition to design, build and operate a solar-powered house; also finding new ways to transport it in a sustainable way to Dubai. It is exceptional how a group of students from different courses are all working together to build a solar powered house, but more than anything to try to win the competition. Every single member in our team works hard to make our house the best it can be, and during this pandemic we have managed to do events, meet online, create panels, finish our goals but more than anything to support each other.  

As I say, a sustainable world is not only a job for engineers, architects, the construction industry or governments; it is a job for everyone. Every single one of us can reduce energy and CO2 omissions by changing our habits in the house, reading more, and sharing our knowledge online. The world will move online and having this way of sharing and learning at our finger-tips is wonderful, so let's use it to create a better world together. Let's help the world become more sustainable so we can enjoy the wonderful adventures that nature has to offer us, every single day.   

Team ESTEEM on social media

Destination Dubai: Join Team ESTEEM on STRAVA to walk, cycle and run their way to Dubai.

Fnd out about the Team ESTEEM Dubai challenge on YouTube

Follow Team ESTEEM and the Solar Decathlon Society on X (formerly known as Twitter)