Awards in Marrakesh | Fellowship in London | Why Retrofit is the Future

The regional jury for the Holcim Foundation Awards 2025 convened in Marrakesh, Morocco to select the winning projects from the Middle East & Africa. With a panel chaired by Lina Ghotmeh, the jurors explored themes of local relevance, material pragmatism, and human-centred design. They also reflected on the urgent climate and social challenges facing the region — including water scarcity and urbanisation — while evaluating entries against the Foundation’s four goals: place, planet, people, and prosperity.

Winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony in Venice this November. The Middle East & Africa jury panel includes Lina Ghotmeh, May al-Ibrashy, Christian Benimana, Driss Kettani, Christophe Levy, Tosin Oshinowo and Albert Williamson-Taylor.

17 emerging professionals have been selected for the Holcim Foundation Fellowship in Europe, hosted in London. This dynamic group brings together architects, engineers, urbanists, and researchers from across the region to explore resilient design approaches.

In collaboration with University College London (UCL) on the theme of Innovating Tomorrow’s Resilience, the Fellowship provides a collaborative space for rethinking the built environment through sustainability, equity, and innovation. Fellows will visit case study projects in London, meet practicing professionals, take part in presentations and learn about the innovative work of our partner firms – AL__A, BDP, Buro Happold, Eckersley O’Callaghan, and Expedition.

While new buildings grab headlines, the real climate opportunity may lie in the ones we already have. Retrofitting and adaptive reuse can reduce embodied carbon emissions by up to 75%, while preserving cultural heritage and revitalising local economies. From the Maritime Innovation Center in Seattle to the Fujian Tulou revitalisation in China, exemplary approaches including some previous Holcim Foundation Award-winning projects show how retrofit strategies support resilient, inclusive design — without starting from scratch.

Discover:

• Why renovation often bypasses zoning red tape
• How heritage elements add irreplaceable value
• The unexpected financial advantages of phased upgrades
• And how communities gain from continuity over demolition

Retrofit is no longer a compromise — it's a catalyst for climate action and urban transformation.