The winners of the global Holcim Awards for Sustainable Construction showcase the cutting edge of approaches to sustainable design, green architecture, and materials innovation. In the 6th cycle of the world’s most significant competition for sustainable design, offering prize money totaling USD 2 million, most of the global prizewinning projects came from the Asia Pacific and Middle East Africa regions; one top prize each also went to Colombia and Switzerland. The prizes were presented at a handover ceremony at the International Architecture Biennale in Venice, Italy.

Project description by regional jury

Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam, is among the most polluted cities in the world, with devastating effects on the environment and on the health of its citizens. Green Lungs Hanoi is a volunteer-initiated project that plans to restore subtropical forests on Banana Island, a 26-hectare parcel of land in the middle of Red River, in the attempt to bring more greenery into the urban area. Unlike public parks and botanical gardens, the project seeks to develop a self-sustained ecosystem through the reconstitution of the local flora and fauna and the promotion of biodiversity, in addition to addressing seasonal flooding and soil erosion.

As a Main category prize winner in the regional Holcim Awards 2020, Propagated Sanctuary in Vietnam automatically qualified as a finalist in the Global Holcim Awards 2021.

View Global Holcim Awards Entry – Propagated Sanctuary in Vietnam

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.

Community living

The skywalks which directly connect to the two bridges above the island, urge residents to extend their footprints further into the forest and to fully integrate the city with nature. They enable people to see, walk in and touch the forest.

Green lungs Hanoi is also an open-air laboratory for students and researchers where education on sustainable development and conservation is imparted.

The forest would also provide job possibilities for the local community on the island. Most of them are experienced farmers, so training about tree plantation and forest maintenance wouldn’t take much time. The local people will take care of young forest for the initial five years and after that they will turn out to be forest rangers and extra ride maintainers in the next length of the green lungs.

Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam, currently in the period of strong economic development, was ranked among the top polluted cities in the world. Cities account for more than 70 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and consume two-thirds of the world’s energy; they are ideally positioned, therefore, to drive local action.

Tropical and sub-tropical forests play an important role as carbon sinks in the global carbon cycle. On average, one hectare of forest can sequester 460 kg of carbon daily. Trees reach their most productive stage of carbon storage at about 10 years at which point the forest is estimated to absorb 12 tons of carbon daily. The green lungs with an area of about 26 hectares and thousands of trees, would act as an important carbon sink for Hanoi.