The Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction held a prize-handover event for winners of the Holcim Awards Next Generation prizes in The Americas including winner of the Next Generation 1st prize, Danielle Gregorio. Co-organized with the Faculty of Architecture, Urban & Industrial Design (FAUD) at the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), and supported by Holcim Argentina, the event brought together some of the brightest young minds in architecture, urbanism and design to create a network for future exchange.

Jury Appraisal

The work is a compelling alternative to the prevalent social housing provisions currently offered in Brazil, which too often ignore social and cultural specificities of local communities. The Holcim Awards jury Latin America applauded the quality of the project, sensitive to the climate and coherent with the Amazonian culture. The design emphasizes the importance of rescuing the vernacular riverside architecture while offering high quality spaces. The interplay of solids and voids that characterizes the complex was acknowledged as both very functional and of aesthetically merit. The modular structure assembly system, which allows for self-construction and replication, becomes an incentive for social inclusiveness.

Throughout the project execution, the local population will assume a protagonist role. Starting from the supply of building materials to the engineering and use of labor force, hence strengthening the local economy. Once completed, the complex will not only offer quality housing but also a space that fosters culture and leisure activities. As a result, a sense of community is created and empowered. The access to those activities is intended for not only the residents of the complex, but also the surrounding communities. In that way, the complex generates a micro local economy and cultural center for the region. All the public spaces within the project are accessible to physically impaired people.