Ten years on, the Concrete Substrates for Accelerated Coral Restoration project in the southern Philippines has grown considerably. Precast concrete structures act as a substrate onto which juvenile corals are planted. The calcium bicarbonate in concrete is biologically friendly to coral growth, and the design of the structure allows optimal sunlight penetration. Corals grow as their calcareous (calcium carbonate) skeletons are deposited and bound to the coral colony. 

Funding challenges slow implementation – but field tests produce promising results, and the project was also featured at the Nobel Laureates exhibition and conference in Germany. Winner of the Holcim Awards Silver 2005 for Asia Pacific, a project centered on concrete substrates for accelerated coral restoration was designed by Lemuel Alfeche and Ronald Rodriguez to address the problem of degraded coral reefs. Destructive fishing practices, pollution and other damage together with climate change are severely impacting the coral reefs. 

Discoveries 2009 – Water is an engaging exhibition on the economic, environmental and social importance of water and is open to the public until the end of August 2009. The exhibition in honor of Nobel laureates conference at Lake Constance shows how asking questions leads to groundbreaking developments and exciting progress, framed by the theme of water. The Swiss-based Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction pavilion showcases a project to accelerate the cultivation of corals on starfish shaped concrete structures. 

Following five regional competitions, 15 Award-winning projects will now compete in the first global Holcim Awards competition for sustainable construction projects. The global phase of the competition showcases the best entries from more than 1500 submissions from 118 countries, and encourages innovative, future-oriented and tangible approaches within the building and construction industry.

USD 220,000 in prize money was presented to the best submissions from Asia Pacific in the Holcim Awards competition for sustainable construction projects. The competition run by the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction in collaboration with five of the world’s leading technical universities aims to promote sustainable approaches to the built environment.

The success of this project lies in its innovative focus on the marine ecosystem. Of particular merit is the effort to regenerate an endangered environment, an environment upon which many small coastal communities depend for their livelihood and future development. Such effort yields not only a positive impact on the natural surroundings by providing an ecologically effective catalyst for coral growth, but also an ethically affirmative social impact by increasing the quantity and diversity of fish species for nearby fishing communities.