USD 220,000 in prize money was awarded to the best entries in the Holcim Awards competition for sustainable construction projects from Latin America. The top prizes went to projects from Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela in a competition that aims to promote sustainable approaches to the built environment. The competition was created by the Swiss-based Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction in collaboration with five of the world’s leading technical universities including the University of São Paulo, Brazil.

The work is notable for its outstanding approach to articulating sustainable construction technology. The work is unique in its use of non-conventional materials like cooper and aluminum for roofing as well as proposing the implementation of sophisticated water retention slabs.

This proposal for an office facility is notable for its novel approach to employing sustainable construction technology. The work is unique in its use of unconventional materials for roofing as well as the use of sophisticated water retention slabs. Envisioned as part of a “living organism”, the adaptable roof is a commendable innovation in its own right, altering its geometry in order to effectively collect solar radiation in winter and provide shade in the summer.