Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012 prize handover in Lausanne, Switzerland
The secondary school in the village of Gando in Burkina Faso was selected to receive the Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012 out of more than 6,000 competition entries from all over the world. Speakers at the prize handover held at the iconic Rolex Learning Center of the EPFL Lausanne, Switzerland included internationally-renowned architect Enrique Norten, EPFL president Patrick Aebischer, and Holcim Chairman Rolf Soiron. The project was praised for its approach to using traditional building materials and technologies that also places great emphasis on actively involving the local population in the construction process.
 Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012 prize handover in Lausanne, Switzerland Presentation of the Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012 (l-r): Enrique Norten, Principal and Founder of TEN Arquitectos, and head of the Global Holcim Awards jury congratulates main author of the winning project, Diébédo Francis Kéré, and members of his team, David Jun, Ines Bergdolt, and Hanna Kümmerle.  Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012 prize handover in Lausanne, Switzerland The Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012 winning team for Secondary school with passive ventilation system, Gando, Burkina Faso (l-r): David Jun, Dessi Slava, Hanna Kümmerle, Claudia Buhmann, Diébédo Francis Kéré, Ines Bergdolt, Dominique Mayer, Emmanuel Dosaz, and Pedro Montero.  Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012 prize handover in Lausanne, Switzerland Presentation of the Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012 certificate (l-r): Rolf Soiron, Chairman of the Board of the Holcim Foundation and Chairman of Holcim congratulates main author Diébédo Francis Kéré, Kéré Architecture, Germany.  Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012 prize handover in Lausanne, Switzerland (l-r): Bernard Fontana, CEO, Holcim; Enrique Norten, Principal/Founder, TEN Arquitectos & Head, Global Holcim Awards jury; Rolf Soiron, Chairman, Holcim; Javier de Benito, Area Manager Africa Middle East, Holcim; Dessi Slava, Kéré Architecture; Dieudonné Souguouri, 1st Counselor, Embassy of Burkina Faso in Switzerland; and team from Kéré Architecture including Diébédo Francis Kéré (with certificate).  Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012 prize handover in Lausanne, Switzerland Winner of the Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012, Diébédo Francis Kéré, Kéré Architecture, Germany for Secondary school with passive ventilation system, Gando, Burkina Faso.  Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012 prize handover in Lausanne, Switzerland Enrique Norten, Principal and Founder of TEN Arquitectos, and head of the Global Holcim Awards jury (Mexico/USA), explained the exemplary nature of the project in terms of its successful approach to the adaptive use of building materials, community development, climatic mitigation and aesthetics.  Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012 prize handover in Lausanne, Switzerland Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Holcim Foundation and CEO of Holcim, Bernard Fontana, congratulated the prize winner and his team for applying professional knowhow and passionate dedication to developing an approach that is both socially-engaged and intelligently leverages the local human and physical resources.  Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012 prize handover in Lausanne, Switzerland Patrick Aebischer, President of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, welcomed guests, including around 300 students of the EPFL, to the prize handover held at the iconic Rolex Learning Center.  Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012 prize handover in Lausanne, Switzerland Rolf Soiron, Chairman of Holcim, praised the project for its approach to using traditional building materials and technologies that also places great emphasis on actively involving the local population in the construction process.  Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012 prize handover in Lausanne, Switzerland Dieudonné Souguouri, First Counselor of the Embassy of Burkina Faso in Switzerland, was enthusiastic about the project and the achievements of Diébédo Francis Kéré.  Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012 prize handover in Lausanne, Switzerland The Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012 prize handover held at the iconic Rolex Learning Center of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland.  Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012 prize handover in Lausanne, Switzerland Edward Schwarz, General Manager of the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction was moderator of the Holcim Awards handover event which attracted some 400 guests from more than 30 countries.  Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012 prize handover in Lausanne, Switzerland The buildings are cooled by a specially developed natural cooling system through the walls, ceilings and roof structures.  Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012 prize handover in Lausanne, Switzerland The project has been adapted to use larger cast-in-place clay elements and structural performance is improved by adding a small proportion of cement.  Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012 prize handover in Lausanne, Switzerland The newly shaded landscape creates a platform for meeting, learning and teaching.  Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012 prize handover in Lausanne, Switzerland The 3,000 or so inhabitants of Gando live in scattered settlements: the new secondary school provides a new center for them. Almost half of Burkina Faso’s population is under 16 years of age – which makes it all the more important to provide good educational opportunities.
School project in Burkina Faso using a hybrid building technique wins top prize
The Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012 was presented to Berlin-based architect Diébédo Francis Kéré, himself a son of the village headman of Gando where his latest school complex for more than 1,000 children is being constructed. The architect needed to convince the locals of the durability and strength of clay which is poured and cast similar to concrete, improving its structural performance by adding a small proportion of cement. The approach uses clay and stones that are collected from land adjacent to the village, and introduces new and more sustainable construction techniques. Diverse design aspects of the project address the challenging weather conditions with temperatures peaking above 40°C. For the interior climate, the natural ventilation cooling effect is enhanced by routing air through underground tubes, planting vegetation, and the use of double-skin roofs and façades to achieve a remarkable temperature reduction.
Enrique Norten, Principal and Founder of TEN Arquitectos, and head of the Global Holcim Awards jury (Mexico/USA), explained the exemplary nature of the project in terms of its successful approach to the adaptive use of building materials, community development, climatic mitigation and aesthetics. “This beautiful school is not only an elegant design solution, but it also delivers training and employment, uses local building materials, and – with simple means – creates an outstanding environment from a social perspective and also in constructive terms,” he said.
Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Holcim Foundation and CEO of Holcim, Bernard Fontana, congratulated the prize winner and his team for applying professional know-how and passionate dedication to developing an approach that is both socially-engaged and intelligently leverages the local human and physical resources. “The Secondary School Gando is constructed by the local community and builds not only a series of structures, but also a sense of identity and enhanced social cohesion,” he said.
Diébédo Francis Kéré presented his winning project to an audience including students of architecture and engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). The engaging talk clearly conveyed his personal commitment to his work in different cultures and its potential benefits to the community. With regard to the winning project he said: “The enhanced indoor comfort and conditions are far more conducive to education for the students – while at the same time people learn building skills using clay and other readily available local materials, which strengthens the idea of a mutually-beneficial process since the skills learnt can be applied beyond the confines of the site.”
In the regional phase of the Holcim Awards 2011, this project won gold for Africa Middle East and thereby qualified for the Global Holcim Awards competition in 2012.
Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012 presentation (l-r): Bernard Fontana, Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Holcim Foundation and CEO of Holcim; Enrique Norten, Principal and Founder of TEN Arquitectos, and head of the Global Holcim Awards jury; Rolf Soiron, Chairman of the Board of the Holcim Foundation and Chairman of Holcim; Javier de Benito, Area Manager of Holcim for Africa Middle East; Dessi Slava, Kéré Architecture; Dieudonné Souguouri, First Counselor of the Embassy of Burkina Faso in Switzerland; and members of the team from Kéré Architecture: Claudia Buhmann, Rüdiger Tomm, Diébédo Francis Kéré, David Jun, Ines Bergdolt, Hanna Kümmerle, Emmanuel Dosaz, Pedro Montero, Dominique Mayer, Mathias Hevert and Marcus Hevert.
The Holcim Awards competition is run by the Swiss-based Holcim Foundation and offers USD 2 million in prize money per three-year cycle. It is sponsored by Holcim Ltd, one of the world’s leading suppliers of cement and aggregates, and its Group companies in 70 countries. The next Holcim Awards competition will open on July 1, 2013. Further details at:
Lausanne, Switzerland – October 12, 2012
Media contact
Copyright of the images above is held by either the project author or the Holcim Foundation. Images may be used for media or academic purposes and must include a photo credit: “Photos courtesy Holcim Foundation”. Please inform us of media use of the images, or for further enquiries:
Edward Schwarz
Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction
Hagenholzstrasse 85, CH-8050 Zurich, Switzerland
Phone +41 58 858 8292 or +41 79 433 99 33
 info@holcimfoundation.org
 |
 |
|