Modern global trends in construction and architecture increasingly lead to the need to create solutions taking into account sustainable development. Sustainable projects address environmental, cultural, social, infrastructure and settlement challenges through design and construction. This approach allows the construction of objects of any scale, organically fitting into the natural and urban landscape without negative impact on the environment.
The most interesting and promising ideas are recognized at the international level, which is actively promoted by the construction industry. Thus, the international manufacturer of building materials and integrated solutions for this area - the LafargeHolcim group of companies - holds an award in the field of sustainable construction every three years. LafargeHolcim Awards are presented to the authors of the best projects and concepts in the field of architecture, landscape design, urban and civil construction, focused on solving urgent problems of urbanization and improving the quality of life. The prize fund of the award is two million dollars.
This year, the competition, recognized as the most significant competition in the field of sustainable construction, will be held for the fifth time. Anyone whose idea is really good can win it and get international recognition for their project, according to the participants of past years.
“The LafargeHolcim Awards are an award for everyone: everyone who has developed a good concept has a chance to win. This competition is independent and open to everyone,”says Francis Kere, Director of Kéré Architecture Germany, winner of the 2012 Global Stage Award and jury member of the LafargeHolcim Awards 2014. Each award cycle shows the direction of the world's architectural thought and key industry trends.
In 2015, the global jury of the LafargeHolcim Awards named three projects as the best, each of which was aimed at improving the quality of life of local communities.
UVA de La Imaginación - public park in Medellin
The gold award of the fourth LafargeHolcim Awards went to a project developed by Colombians Mario Camargo, Luis Tombe, Juan Calle and Horatio Valencia. A public park of striking beauty created during the project has significantly transformed the area around the city's water reservoirs, turning it into an open-air auditorium and a site for social events. One of the goals of the project is to highlight the value of water as an important resource for a city dweller.
The 2015 Global Holcim Awards jury chairman, Mohsen Mostafavi, praised the project as "a best practice example that other cities in Latin America and around the world can follow."
The project bearing the name
UVA de La Imaginación, launched in December 2015, has become part of a network of 20 parks, more than half of which are already open to the public.
Public library in Sri Lanka
After a civil war that lasted more than 25 years, the social adaptation of soldiers has become one of the main problems facing Sri Lanka. The 2015 LafargeHolcim Awards silver went to a project that helped solve this problem.
The authors of the concept of the Public Library for the rural town of Ambepussa were Milinda Pathiraja and Ganga Ratnayake, who created the project taking into account the climatic features of the island and severe resource constraints.
During the implementation of the project, young people from low-income families serving in the army acted as builders, having undergone practical training in construction technologies. The result of their work was an elongated building with an area of 1,400 m2, which easily and organically blended into the surrounding landscape. The use of recyclable materials in the construction, as well as the earthen walls of the Public Library, helped to significantly reduce project costs and minimize the environmental impact.
Mohsen Mostafavi, speaking about the project, noted that its special value lies in the transformation of a dormant army into a motivated workforce in the service of society.
Dryline - Integrated Flood Protection System, New York City
A large-scale integrated flood defense system that helps address New York City's vulnerability to coastal flooding, won the Bronze LafargeHolcim Awards 2015.
The authors of the Dryline project, created by the consortium of Bjarke Ingels Group (Copenhagen / New York) and One Architecture (Amsterdam), in collaboration with the New York administration, proposed creating a protective strip in South Manhattan using a series of towering coastline slopes and other measures. At the same time, this protective strip will become a public space, including parks, seating areas, bike sheds and skateboarding ramps, designed to stimulate the development of local commercial, recreational and cultural activities.
The dams installed during the implementation of the project will serve as additional green areas, and the spaces below the road overpasses will be equipped with pavilions for public use. In emergencies, the gates will close to form a flood barrier.
LafargeHolcim Awards 2017
Applications for the fifth cycle of the award are accepted until March 21, 2017 on the website of the LafargeHolcim Foundation for Sustainable Buildings:
The competition awaits both professionals with projects underway and students with bold ideas. More details about awards and rules of participation:
