The collaborative project Parco Solare Sud – Nests for European Snowbirds by Philippe Rizzotti Architects, Samuel Nageotte Architecture and Off Architecture, all based in France, developed plans for the conversion of one of the viaducts on a recently bypassed section of an expressway into vertical homes. The housing units near Scilla in Southern Italy are intended for European retirees attracted to the region by advantageous climatic and lifestyle factors.

The project was introduced at a roundtable discussion on sustainable construction organized by Holcim France together with Architecture d’Aujourd’hui magazine. Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012 winner for Secondary school with passive ventilation system in Burkina Faso, Francis Kéré, introduced the Holcim Awards competition to the audience and CEO of Holcim France, Gérard Letellier, presented the finalist certificate.

Inspired by the topic of the 4th International Holcim Forum, a conference held earlier in the year at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Bombay) in Mumbai, the roundtable discussion focused on the “Economy of Sustainable Construction”. The event attracted more than 80 guests to the Pavillon de l’Arsenal, the center for information, documentation and exhibition of urban planning and architecture for Paris. Professionals from diverse fields shared their experience and confirmed that despite the constraints of the current fiscal downturn and more stringent environmental standards – it is still possible to create quality architecture and achieve a built environment that enables environmental performance.

Roundtable panelists included Alain Philippe, responsible for development and planning for the city of Nice; Luc Gwiazdzinski, geographer; Carmen Santana, architect; Edouard Francis, architect; and Franck Boutté architect/engineer. Moderator of the panel was architecture journalist Philippe Trétiack, who attended the last Holcim Forum and extrapolated findings from the Forum into the local context.