In a war-torn area still recovering from bitter conflict, the construction of an arts centre will help reconnect two divided ethnic communities. This Holcim Awards winner results from a collaboration between architect Vernes Causevic and the “Most Mira” (“Bridge of Peace”) charity founded by Kemal Pervanic.

Project description by jury

The project originates from a collaboration between the architects and the “Most Mira” (Bridge of Peace) charity, that has operated in Bosnia & Herzegovina for more than a decade to help divided communities reconnect while respecting cultural differences. The site of the intervention lies between two divided villages: Petrov Gaj (Bosnian Serbs) and Kevljani (Bosniaks) near the former Omarska concentration camp that operated in 1992. The proposal’s objective is to give Most Mira a permanent physical location by salvaging and transforming a war-ruined house into a vibrant public facility for cultural and reconciliation activities.

As a Main category prize winner in the regional Holcim Awards 2020, Restoring Common Ground in Bosnia and Herzegovina automatically qualified as a finalist in the Global Holcim Awards 2021.

View Global Holcim Awards Entry – Restoring Common Ground in Bosnia and Herzegovina

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 project from Switzerland won the Gold Award at both the regional and global levels. 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 Europe were recognized at the same event.

Building Democracy through Architecture; a holistic participatory architectural process
The architectural process is an end in itself, which enables Most Mira to respond to the needs of a sensitive community. Since 2015, the Building Democracy Through Architecture program has brought together students, youth and communities from all sides of the ethnic divide to participate in the project through a series of workshops and consultations, which inspired us to keep the colorful mural and external walls of the existing ruin as a 'canvas' for changeable stage sets, converting it into an outdoor performance space. In 2017. a 5-day on-site residency building 1:1 rammed earth prototypes with 12 students, was led with rammed earth experts Martin Rauch and Lehm Ton Erde. We aim to develop this into a sustainable summer school program during and after the building of the center.

• Promoting an honest and efficient way of using earth as both structure and facade, benefits of rammed earth include low carbon emissions, good thermal mass, low raw material cost.
• The project replaces carbon intensive materials for local, natural, and recycled materials. The entire amount of earth required is available from within 30 minutes of the site.
• The rammed earth mixture uses recycled waste materials loam and clay from local quarries and iron ore mine. The interior walls of the ruin are demolished and reused in the rammed earth mixture.
• Natural reed insulation internally, triple glazed timber joinery and an extensive green roof reduce heat transfer. A wood pellet boiler and heat pump are used for heating and cooling. An existing well is utilized for rainwater collection and secondary water supply.