Global Holcim Awards handover events 2012

A series of events in West Africa celebrating the Global Holcim Awards Gold project, Secondary school with passive ventilation system, by Diébédo Francis Kéré included an enthusiastic reception at the school site in Gando, Burkina Faso as well as a media conference in the capital Ouagadougou and a presentation in Accra, Ghana.

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.

“Escola de Música” in the community of Paraisópolis in São Paulo was selected to receive the Global Holcim Awards Silver 2012 out of more than 6,000 competition entries from all over the world. The speakers at the prize handover event at CEU included Gilberto Kassab, Mayor of São Paulo, Elisabete França, Deputy Secretary of Housing of the City of São Paulo, and Joildo Santos on behalf of the Paraisópolis community. The internationally-acclaimed project expands sustainability beyond the management of natural resources and into the realm of social sustainability.

An urban plan by Jan and Tim Edler of realities:united to transform an under-utilized stretch of the River Spree in Berlin into a 745m-long natural “swimming pool” was presented with the Global Holcim Awards Bronze 2012. The handover of the prize including USD 50,000 was held at the Internationale Bauakademie in Berlin. Amongst the speakers were renowned Swiss architect, Mario Botta; Senate Building Director of the City of Berlin, Regula Lüscher; and Chairman of Holcim Ltd, Rolf Soiron.

The inaugural Holcim Innovation 1st prize was presented to Fabio Gramazio and Matthias Kohler, Professors of Architecture and Digital Fabrication at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) for their High-efficiency concrete formwork technology. In a team with Silvan Oesterle, Amar Mirjan and Axel Vansteenkiste, they have developed a technique for the production of unique free-form concrete components. The research focuses on new strategies for the production of contemporary architectural components and also the interplay between architectural design and new digital fabrication techniques.

The significant potential for the innovative use of concrete as a building material is currently showcased at the International Building Exhibition (Internationale Bauausstellung) IBA in Hamburg. A team from Barkow Leibinger Architects developed a “Smart Material House” for the IBA Hamburg which was presented with a Global Holcim Innovation prize. The winning project in the newly-created “Innovation” category was selected from more than 6,000 entries in 126 countries that took part in the 3rd International Holcim Awards competition.

A research project, from students at the AA School of Architecture, to fabricate complex concrete elements without conventional molds was presented with an inaugural 2012 Global Holcim Innovation prize at an event held at Kent House Knightsbridge in London. The prize-winning project considers simultaneously the design of free and ambitious shapes, as well as the material efficiency and economic performance of the construction process.

ELEMENTAL SA led by prominent Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena was presented with a Global Holcim Awards Finalist 2012 certificate for the Sustainable post-tsunami reconstruction master plan, of Constitución. Their master plan for the reconstruction of the Chilean port of Constitución after it was destroyed by a tsunami produces not only a new, but also an enhanced urban space.

A visionary team of Italian architects from ARCò Architettura e Cooperazione developed a concept for the sustainable refurbishment of an existing school building for a Bedouin community in Palestine. The project team was presented with a Global Holcim Awards 2012 finalist certificate in the framework of a workshop on sustainable construction held at the Politecnico di Milano.

The Thai Urban Farm Urban Barn project was praised for its creative response to the detrimental consequences of urbanization at the international Design Research Society conference hosted by Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. A reception in recognition of the Global Holcim Awards Finalist was a feature of the DRS+Holcim = Sustainable Development workshop, organized in cooperation with Siam City Cement and the Holcim Foundation.

The Global Holcim Awards 2012 finalist certificate was presented to architects Nathan Swift and Gloria Lee fromSwift Lee Office (SLO) at the offices of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Guests included Krisztina Tokes, Director of Asset Management, LAUSD; Brianna Garcia, Charter School/Prop 39, LAUSD; Kevin Newman, American Institute of Architects (AIA), Senior Design Manager, LAUSD; Nicci Solomons, Hon. AIACC, Executive Director AIA/Los Angeles: a Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and Paul O’Connor, Manager, Marketing Communications, Holcim (US).

Some 250 guests representing 140 companies in 20 countries attended a full-day event organized by Holcim including presentations and workshops dedicated to the topic of “Building Asia together” at the iconic Marina Bay Sands convention center in Singapore.

Spanish architect Carlos Arroyo was presented with a Global Holcim Awards Finalist 2012 certificate for the City hall and civic center recycled from former factory in Oostkamp, Belgium. The project developed by Carlos Arroyo Arquitectos, Spain + ELD Partnership, Belgium up-cycles the main construction and materials and also re-uses the space itself including the technical infrastructure.