French architect Jean-Pierre Pranlas-Descours and his team lead this Holcim Awards winner, in association with the French Scientific & Technical Building Centre (CSTB). The proposal for sustainable urbanisation 50km south-east of Lanzhou in China will preserve both traditional villages and agrarian land. It also offers new water-management solutions in an increasingly arid area.

Project description by jury

The rural fringe of Lanzhou, the capital and largest city in Gansu Province in northwest China has undergone a great urban territorial transformation over recent years. Agricultural land has been progressively fragmented, and several scattered villages in the Nanhe River valley are at risk of being razed to the ground due to policies that encourage densification. The Yuzhong Eco(logical) City project 50km south-east of Lanzhou proposes the transformation of the Nanhe River valley with a two-fold objective: the preservation of traditional crop-growing lands, and their integration into a wider urban and agricultural system. These aims will allow for a more productive and sustainable development of the area. 

As a Main category prize winner in the regional Holcim Awards 2020, Agrarian Enrichment in China automatically qualified as a finalist in the Global Holcim Awards 2021.

View Global Holcim Awards Entry – Agrarian Enrichment in China

The built environment has a significant role to play in addressing climate change and enabling the transition to a net zero and more inclusive future. The Holcim Awards for Sustainable Construction global winners showcase the cutting edge of approaches to sustainable design, green architecture and materials innovation. In the 6th cycle, a Global Holcim Awards Bronze and two Global Commendations went to projects in the Asia Pacific region. The global prizes were presented at a handover ceremony at the International Architecture Biennale in Venice, Italy. The regional Holcim Awards Main category winners for Asia Pacific were recognized at the same event.

Maintaining the villages and the local population with six new metropolitan villages

For many years, Chinese urbanization has destroyed many old villages in a global densification process. In the Yuzhong project between the Nanghe River to the hills in the south, a large agricultural valley is occupied by a series of villages. This project proposes to conserve this traditional urban precinct and at the same to redevelop a more productive agriculture program.

The urbanization process began with a specific analysis of the human installation. The model is a finger plan which begins on the Nanghe River to the hills with large land segments of alternative agriculture in relation to housing and social program in continuity with the old villages. The foundation of our strategy is to create a new model of six metropolitan villages integrating all the ancient villages.

The objectives are to reduce the consumption of energy, using natural and renewable energy resources: solar, biomass. The project has the ambition to divide by 3 of total energy needs and by 8 of heating needs compared to conventional accommodation in the Yuzhong region.

Different options of energy mix proposal have been adopted:

• Gas and electricity production (biogas, methanization)
• Solar panels to balance the balance sheet
• Mixed concrete / brick constructions (heavy inertia concrete) to keep the heat in winter and the coolness of summer nights (thermal comfort)
• Double skin constructions
• Installation of solar panels on the roof of U-shaped buildings