Holcim Foundation Awards

A 20-Year Legacy of Innovation in Sustainable Design and Construction

From 2004-25, the Holcim Foundation Awards has been the world's most significant competition for sustainable design and construction. Open to projects in development across five global regions, entries were independently evaluated by expert juries of architects, engineers, and urbanists against four goals — Healthy Planet, Thriving Communities, Uplifting Places, and Viable Economics — and three guiding principles: Holistic, Transformational, and Transferable design. Eight cycles. More than 360 prizes. An unmatched archive of innovation spanning infrastructure, housing, civic buildings, landscapes, and urban masterplans.

As the Foundation enters a new chapter focused on responsible urban development, this archive remains a lasting resource of what design leadership can achieve.

20 Years of Sustainable Construction

Insights from the Holcim Foundation Awards Competition

This Awards Digest explores the Holcim Foundation Awards as a unique record of changing priorities in sustainable construction.

Drawing on jury deliberations, project data, and thematic analysis across all eight competition cycles, it traces how the competition reflected growing ambition, rigour, and innovation from 2004 to 2025. In doing so, it reveals the patterns, breakthroughs, and persistent challenges that continue to shape sustainable design today.

For practitioners looking for precedent, researchers tracking industry trajectories, and policymakers seeking evidence for action, the book offers a comprehensive view of where sustainable construction has been and where it is heading.

20 Years of Sustainable Construction Awards - Flipbook 20 Years of Sustainable Construction Awards - PDF

33,230

entries

81,413

participants

166

countries with entries

362 Award-Winning Projects

Explore 20 Years of Diversity, Ambition, and Real-World Impact of Sustainable Construction

USD 14 million

total prize money

362

winning projects

79

countries with winners

260 Renowned Jury Members

Independent Evaluation Through Holistic Sustainability Criteria

Across eight competition cycles, regional and global juries brought together leading voices in architecture, engineering, urban design, and sustainability to identify the most outstanding projects in the Holcim Foundation Awards.

  • Winning the Awards was a great encouragement to keep trying to fight the battles and find the solutions in this strange encounter between engineering and architecture, urbanism, environmental design, and social infrastructure.

    Bjarke Ingels | Bjarke Ingels Group - BIG | Denmark

  • Winning a Next Generation prize was one of the critical moments that shaped my career early on - and enabled my proposal for a hybrid sanitation system to be built and support a peripheral community.

    Julia King | LSE | United Kingdom

  • What I like about the Awards is that they recognise projects not yet finished. There is an expectation of what is to come, and a chance to follow through and see how that recognition is implemented in the real world.

    Kjetil Trædal Thorsen | Snøhetta | Norway

  • Prizes serve a double purpose: the first and most obvious one is to celebrate excellence - and the second one is to send a message about what excellence is: an example to follow.

    Alejandro Aravena | Elemental | Chile

  • The Award gave the project credibility and confirmed its benefits which helped convince government authorities that continuing it was the right decision.

    Loreta Castro | Taller Capital & UNAM | Mexico

  • It felt like the jury was recognizing the true essence of what we were trying to achieve - not just the physical building, but the deeper social and community impact.

    Mariam Issoufou | Atelier Masōmī | Niger

  • The Award provided critical early recognition for our affordable housing and infrastructure vision, which is now being implemented in rural communities in the Philippines.

    Prasoon Kumar | Billion Bricks | Singapore

A New Chapter for the Holcim Foundation

Supporting Citymakers to Advance Responsible Urban Development

The Holcim Foundation is entering a new phase, building on its long-standing role in advancing sustainable construction worldwide. With a sharper focus on responsible urban development, the Foundation is now helping connect design excellence to the partnerships and implementation needed to create real impact in cities. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated on new initiatives, collaborations, and opportunities to engage.

Latest Updates