Awards Jury for Europe meets | Five Essential Tips for a Sustainable Campus

The regional jury for the Holcim Foundation Awards 2025 convened in Lyon, France, to select the winning projects from Europe. The jury evaluated submissions using the Foundation’s core goals — uplifting places, a healthy planet, thriving communities, and viable economics. Winners will be celebrated at the Awards Ceremony in Venice this November.

“It proves that even with a very diverse group, we can agree on what defines quality in architecture,” said jury chair Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, reflecting on the collaborative process. He noted that evaluating projects not yet completed adds a unique dimension, offering the opportunity to track their impact over time.

As part of the jury program, members visited Holcim’s Innovation Hub — home to Phoenix Bridge, a circular and digitally fabricated structure that builds on the legacy of the Striatus Bridge first presented at the Venice Biennale — and explored the Confluence district, a long-term urban transformation project reconnecting Lyon with nature and its rivers.

The Europe jury panel includes Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, Thomas Auer, Sandra Boivin, Caroline Bos, Johanna Gibbons, Stuart Smith, and Pierluigi Turco.

How can university buildings teach sustainability, not just claim it? From Singapore to Seattle, recent Holcim Foundation Awards-winning projects show how architecture can become a living curriculum.

Whether it’s Yusof Ishak House’s net-zero energy retrofit or Kaiser Borsari Hall’s mass timber innovation, these campuses model climate-responsive design, local material use, biodiversity restoration, and cultural sensitivity. More than just infrastructure, they embody institutional values and prepare students to lead with insight and empathy. Explore the five design principles shaping tomorrow's sustainable campuses — and why education begins with the buildings themselves.

In the village of Mutihan near Yogyakarta, a team led by Holcim Foundation Next Generation Ambassadors transformed a 19th-century Javanese joglo house into a vibrant community space. This adaptive reuse project, part of the "Clinic of Care" program, blends traditional craftsmanship with sustainable design, creating a venue for cultural performances and community gatherings.

The project recently celebrated its official opening. Ambassadors Namjoo Kim (South Korea), Stefan Novakovic (Canada) and Andi Subagio (Indonesia) talk about their experiences on how vernacular architecture can be revitalized to serve contemporary needs, fostering community engagement and preserving cultural heritage.