Design in Focus

At the Awards Talks Zurich, hosted by the Holcim Foundation last month, a panel of experts shared insights on timber-concrete construction. The discussion on how hybrid materials can improve construction culture globally was fittingly held at the ETH Zurich’s Arch_Tec_Lab which itself demonstrates how digitization can contribute to resource-efficient, compact and emissions-free construction.

Representing architectural design, materials research, and the investor/client perspective, the panel explored the Holcim Foundation Awards-winning High-Rise H1 Zwhatt residential tower. This innovative hybrid concrete-timber structure, nearing completion on Zurich’s urban fringe, exemplifies a new standard for climate-conscious development worldwide.

We’ve been thrilled that so many people have tuned in to our webinars! The next Awards Webinar will showcase hyper-localized approaches with Aya Helmy (Ezbet Eshaq’s Eco-Classroom, Egypt) and Richard Kroeker (Muscowpetung Powwow Arbour, Canada). They will highlight how architectural interventions can create local growth opportunities and transform communities.

A hyper-local building taps into knowledge, skills and materials that are indigenous to a place. When the act of building also engages the people it serves, it becomes truly transformative, restoring pride and strengthening the identity of marginalized communities.

In Egypt, a community learning space was built using a participatory approach that employed traditional construction techniques and reused plastic bottles filled with sand in a rural setting. In Canada, a cultural space for an indigenous community was designed to capitalize on native skills and knowhow, to create a center to host community events and generate income for the community.

Join the Q&A session to learn from leading practitioners why hyper-local design matters and how success in these projects is defined and assessed.

The Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction will conduct a Holcim Foundation Fellowship for Latin America hosted by the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) from January 13 to 24, 2025 in Mexico City.

This in-person intensive two-week course at UNAM, facilitated by Gabriela Carrillo and José Gabriel Amozurrutia Cortés, seeks to foster a curiosity and solutions-driven mindset through a series of actions – open dialogue, consultation, exploration, and reflection – and to create a dynamic feedback loop that leads to transferable and scalable outcomes.

Don’t miss the final Holcim Awards Webinar on November 12, 2024, where we’ll explore low carbon building innovations, including cutting-edge projects delivering urban infill in Germany and a hybrid high-rise tower in Switzerland.

The live webinar will uncover innovative approaches to reducing carbon footprints in construction, with Matthias Peterseim from Boltshauser Architekten and Benjamin Scheerbath from Office ParkScheerbarth.