Registration in the 4th International Holcim Awards competition to promote sustainable construction will close on March 24, 2014 (14:00 GMT). The countdown is running to submit entries online at www.holcimawards.org in the world’s most significant competition promoting sustainability of the built environment.
The Holcim Awards (main category) is open to architects, planners, engineers, project owners, builders and construction firms with current projects that showcase sustainable responses to technological, environmental, socioeconomic and cultural issues of contemporary building and construction. Projects are eligible for the competition if they have reached an advanced stage of design: construction or production must not have started before July 1, 2013.
In addition, the competition seeks visions and ideas for the “Next Generation” (young professionals and students category), open to project visions and bold ideas created by individuals and teams where all authors are not more than 30 years of age.
A “Step-by-step” guide to entering the USD 2 million competition is available for download in four languages. The guide covers the conditions of entry, adjudication process and tips on completing the streamlined entry form. Further details are available at: www.holcimawards.org/overview
Measuring up to target issues for sustainable construction
Submissions in the Awards competition are evaluated by independent juries in five regions of the world using a set of “target issues” for sustainable construction. The “target issues” serve to assess each submission against environmental, social, and economic performance; in addition recognizing the need for innovation and transferable approaches, and considering contextual and aesthetic impact.
International experts form jury panels
The juries are composed of internationally-renowned architects, engineers, industry professionals and academics, and are headed by: Jean-Philippe Vassal, Principal, Lacaton & Vassal Architectes, Paris, France (for region Europe); Toshiko Mori, Principal, Toshiko Mori Architect, New York, USA (North America); Bruno Stagno, Principal, Bruno Stagno Arquitecto y Asociados, San José, Costa Rica (Latin America); Howayda Al-Harithy, Professor of Architecture, American University of Beirut, Lebanon (Africa Middle East); and Rahul Mehrotra, Principal, Rahul Mehrotra Associates, Mumbai, India (Asia Pacific).
The results of the competition will be announced at regional ceremonies in late 2014 in in Moscow, Russia (for region Europe), Toronto, Canada (North America), Medellín, Colombia (Latin America), Beirut, Lebanon (Africa Middle East) and Jakarta, Indonesia (Asia Pacific). Winners of the gold, silver and bronze awards from each of the five geographic regions automatically qualify for the Global Holcim Awards in 2015.
Supported by world-renowned technical universities
The competition is conducted by the Swiss-based Holcim Foundation. To carry out the competition, the Foundation works with leading technical universities: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich / EPFL Lausanne), Switzerland; Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA, USA; Tongji University in Shanghai, China; Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil; University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa; Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, Mexico; Ecole Supérieure d’Architecture de Casablanca, Morocco; Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Bombay) in Mumbai, India; American University of Beirut, Lebanon; Tsinghua University in Beijing, China; and the University of Melbourne, Australia.
The Holcim Foundation promotes sustainable responses to the technological, environmental, socioeconomic and cultural issues affecting building and construction at the national, regional and global levels. The Foundation’s activities include regional and global Holcim Awards competitions for sustainable construction projects and visions, offering prize money of USD 2 million every three years. The 4th Holcim Awards competition is open for registrations until March 24, 2014 at www.holcimawards.org.
The Holcim Foundation is supported by Holcim Ltd, one of the world’s leading suppliers of cement and aggregates, and its Group companies in 70 countries, and managed by an independent and international Board of specialists.
