The Holcim Foundation has supported over 200 emerging design professionals through a series of education initiatives that combined hands-on learning with global knowledge exchange. From applied research grants and community-driven building projects to intensive fellowships, these programs helped shape a generation of emerging practitioners committed to sustainable construction.

As the Foundation enters a new chapter focused on responsible urban development, its education mission will continue through new initiatives that aim to connect emerging talent directly to city leadership and real urban sites worldwide, such as the C40 Students Reinventing Cities competition.

The Holcim Foundation Fellowships were a cornerstone education initiative supporting emerging built environment practitioners as future changemakers. Designed for exceptional master’s and post-master’s students focused on sustainability in construction, the in-person programmes bridged academia, practice, and society through direct engagement with projects in design, construction, and use. By combining site-based learning, end-user insight, mentorship, and international exchange, the Fellowships helped equip participants with the knowledge, networks, and confidence to contribute to more sustainable practice.

The Holcim Foundation’s Next Generation Ambassadors programme supported emerging practitioners working across design, care, and community resilience. Through Foundation grants under the shared umbrella Clinic of Care, the Ambassadors advanced two projects: a maternity ward expansion in Nkweshoo, Tanzania, and the adaptation of abandoned vernacular housing in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, into a rehearsal space and cultural venue. These projects reflected the Foundation’s commitment to low-carbon design, local partnership, and practical social impact.

Selected from the cohort of Next Generation prize winners in the Holcim Foundation Awards, the Research in Practice Grants programme extended the Foundation’s support for emerging professionals beyond recognition alone. Running from 2018 to 2023, it provided funding and feedback for pioneering research in sustainable design and construction, with a particular focus on addressing practical needs in architecture, urban planning, and building construction. The programme reflected the Foundation’s commitment to helping promising ideas develop through applied research with real-world relevance.

From 2008 to 2020, the Next Generation category of the Holcim Foundation Awards celebrated innovative concepts from students and young practitioners prepared to explore new paths towards a sustainable future. Created as a platform for conceptual visions, bold ideas, and more experimental thinking, it expanded the conversation around sustainable construction beyond realised projects alone. 

The category recognised that emerging professionals often bring fresh perspectives to the built environment, and opened space for proposals that could challenge convention and imagine new possibilities for sustainable development. Over its 12-year run, the category recognised 92 winners across five regions: Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Middle East & Africa, and North America.

This selection of Next Generation category winners offers a glimpse into the emerging voices and ideas recognised through the Holcim Foundation Awards, with a link below to view all winners.

Explore all winning projects of the Holcim Foundation Awards Next Generation category for visions and concepts from university graduates and young professionals.

The Holcim Foundation is entering a new phase, building on its long-standing commitment to education, exchange, and professional development in sustainable construction. With a sharper focus on responsible urban development, the Foundation is helping connect design excellence to the partnerships and implementation needed to create real impact in cities.

This commitment to the next generation continues through a strategic partnership with C40 Cities and the Reinventing Cities initiative. Students Reinventing Cities invites university students and young professionals to reimagine underutilised urban sites and neighbourhoods in cities around the world, developing holistic design proposals that address key climate challenges. The programme includes local webinars with city leaders and sector experts, global online workshops, and guidance on green, thriving neighbourhood principles.