Holcim Foundation promoting innovative and sustainable approaches from the building industry
Zurich / Switzerland – January 7, 2009 – In 2008, the Swiss-based Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction conducted the USD 1.35 million regional phase of the 2nd Holcim Awards competition and launched three publications and an online events calendar – thereby encouraging best practice and inspiring architects, engineers and developers to adopt sustainable parameters for their building projects. The global phase of the Holcim Awards competition takes place in 2009.
The Holcim Foundation conducts the Holcim Awards competition for projects and visions in sustainable construction in parallel across five regions of the world. Almost 5,000 projects from authors in 90 countries were submitted in the competition which aims to promote sustainable responses from the building and construction industry to technological, environmental, socioeconomic and cultural issues. The 15 winners of the gold, silver and bronze prize in each of the five regions automatically qualify for the global phase of the competition where a total of USD 650,000 in additional prize money is on offer.
The global Holcim Awards finalists include projects from Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Hungary, India, Morocco, Slovenia, Switzerland, UAE, Uganda, USA, and Vietnam, and involve additional project teams from Japan and Spain. The finalist projects are listed at the end of this release.
An overview of each project is available at:
 http://www.holcimfoundation.org/T880/awards.htm
Each of the teams will now prepare a more extensive submission that will be evaluated by an independent jury headed by acclaimed Indian architect and planner Charles Correa and include renowned representatives from architecture, science, and business. The jury is supported by the Technical Competence Center of the Holcim Foundation (ETH Zurich, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Tongji University) and will evaluate the projects according to the “target issues” for sustainable construction developed by the Holcim Foundation in collaboration with its partner universities.
Profiles of jury members:
http://www.holcimfoundation.org/T553/jury.htm
Results of the global phase of the Holcim Awards competition will be announced on May 8, 2009.
Exemplary buildings for sustainable construction
The Holcim Foundation launched two new books that explain sustainable construction in practice as part of an ongoing monographic series. Tsoga Environmental Center – Community center in South Africa illustrates how the triple bottom line can be achieved whilst at the same time defining a new vernacular architectural language. The building, which won the Holcim Awards Bronze 2005 for Africa Middle East, is a model for sustainable construction in low-income communities as architect Alastair Rendall points out – by employing local people, teaching trade skills, establishing local sources of affordable building materials and stimulating the local economy.
Development Alternatives world headquarters–Office building in India shows in detail how an office building in New Delhi provides a functional and aesthetic response to its unique setting, and proposes a low-cost model of sustainable urban building for emerging economies. Designer of the building Ashok B Lall, who has been a member of three Holcim Awards juries, explains how the building combines forms, materials, and elements of traditional Indian architecture with modern technology to exemplify the way regional design and simple means can adequately and durably meet the needs of most buildings in contemporary cities.
Both books are available for PDF download or can be ordered in hardcopy at:
http://www.holcimfoundation.org/T701/ConstructionExamples.htm
Discourse on urban transformation from eminent thinkers
The Holcim Foundation supported the launch of a collection of essays from eminent thinkers on the topic of sustainability and urban transformation inspired by the international Holcim Forum 2007 held in Shanghai. The 400 page publication considers urban transformation from many perspectives: seen through the eyes of more than 50 international architects, urban planners, politicians, and artists including Saskia Sassen, Robert Somol, Jean-Philippe Vassal, Eyal Weizman, Teddy Cruz, Rahul Mehrotra, and Enrique Peñalosa.
Further information and ordering details:
http://www.holcimfoundation.org/T752/forumbook.htm
Online events calendar for sustainable construction
The Holcim Foundation launched a web-based events calendar to act as a networking tool, listing events related to sustainable construction hosted by associations, universities, NGOs, IGOs, corporations etc. worldwide. The database which boosts the interchange of diverse global expertise in the field of sustainable construction now features some 600 entries from more than 30 countries.
To access the database or submit an event:
http://www.holcimfoundation.org/events
The activities of the Holcim Foundation are run in cooperation with renowned partner universities: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), Switzerland; Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA; Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico; Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil; the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa; and Tongji University, China.
The Foundation is supported by Holcim Ltd and its Group companies in more than 70 countries, but is independent of its commercial interests. Holcim is one of the world’s leading producers of cement and aggregates, and was recently named “Leader of the Industry” in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the fourth year in succession.
Global Holcim Awards 2009 finalists
(listed alphabetically by project country) | | Brazil: Low-energy university mediatheque, Rio de Janeiro
Main author: Angelo Bucci, architect, SPBR architects, São Paulo, Brazil
| | Brazil: Solar water heating and rainwater tower, Florianópolis
Authors: Maria Andrea Triana, architect, Roberto Lamberts, engineer, and Marcio Antonio Andrade, engineer, LabEEE-UFSC, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | Canada: Living with Lakes Center for freshwater research, Sudbury
Main author: John Gunn, scientist, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Canada
| | China: Sustainable planning for a rural community, Beijing
Main authors: Yue Zhang, academic, Tsinghua University, School of Architecture, and Feng Ni, government officer, Beijing Municipal Commission of Urban Planning, Beijing, China
| | Colombia: Urban integration of an informal area, Medellín
Main author: Gustavo Adolfo Restrepo, architect, Empresa de Desarrollo Urbano, Medellín, Colombia
| | Hungary: Contextual government quarter development, Budapest
Main author: Peter Janesch, architect, Team0708 Kft, Budapest, Hungary
| | India: Energy-efficient office complex, Hyderabad
Authors: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, New York, USA and Maytas Properties Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad, India
| | Morocco: River remediation and urban development scheme, Fez
Main authors: Aziza Chaouni, architect, Extramuro LLP, Fez, Morocco and Takako Tajima, urban planner, Los Angeles, USA
| | Slovenia: Temporary urban extension in a former landfill, Maribor
Main author: Belinda Tato, architect, ecosistema urbano, Madrid, Spain
| | Switzerland: Autonomous alpine shelter, Monte Rosa hut
Main author: Andrea Deplazes, architect, Studio Monte Rosa, DARCH, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), Zurich, Switzerland
| | UAE: Lighthouse tower with low-carbon footprint, Dubai
Author: Shaun Killa, architect, Atkins PLC, Dubai, UAE
| | Uganda: Low-cost school and home for HIV orphans, Rakai
Author: Koji Tsutsui, architect, Koji Tsutsui Architect & Associates, Tokyo, Japan
| | USA: Self-contained day labor station, San Francisco
Main author: Liz Ogbu, designer, Public Architecture, San Francisco, USA
| | USA: Solar 2 Green Energy, Arts and Education Center, New York
Main author: Christopher J Collins, Solar One Green Energy, Arts and Education Center, New York, USA
| | Vietnam: Low-impact greenfield university campus, Ho Chi Minh City
Main author: Kazuhiro Kojima, architect, Coelacanth and Associates Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
|
 |
 |
|