December 7, 2004

Worldwide contest promotes sustainable construction

Holcim Awards offer $2M in prizes

By Kerry Doole

DCN Correspondent

Given the large sums involved, the upcoming inaugural Holcim Awards for Sustainable Construction should generate significant international attention. A total of two million dollars (all funds U.S.) will be awarded to the winners of five regional competitions and one global contest.

The Holcim Awards were launched by the Swiss-based Holcim Foundation. Established in December 2003, the foundation aims to promote sustainable construction worldwide.

Its mission is “to select and support initiatives that combine sustainable construction solutions with architectural quality and enhanced quality of life beyond technical solutions. The Holcim Foundation intends to encourage sustainable responses to the technological, environmental, socio-economic and cultural issues affecting building and construction.”

The independent body is supported by Holcim Ltd., one of the world’s leading suppliers of cement, aggregates and construction-related services. It employs more than 45,000 people in over 70 countries. Holcim is represented in Canada and the northeastern U.S. by Quebec-based St. Lawrence Cement Group.

‘Through sharing innovative concepts between regions and cultures, the Holcim Awards will not only bring notoriety to outstanding achievements, but also potential benefits from groundbreaking methods adapted to our own local climatic, economic and cultural contexts.’

Philippe Arto

The Holcim Awards recognize any contributions to sustainable construction—irrespective of scale—in architecture, landscape and urban design, civil and mechanical engineering, and other related disciplines.

“The objective is to award prizes for innovative and effective sustainable development projects,” Nicole Jarry, director of corporate communications for St. Lawrence Cement Group, said in an interview.

“The project submitted must not yet be built, but be on the drawing board.”

In a press release, Holcim states that “it is important for us to pursue the goal of sustainable development. We must manage environmental resources responsibly, and we want to grow our business while encouraging economic growth for growing populations. There are three pillars of sustainable development to which Holcim commits itself: economic, environmental and social.”

The regional Holcim Awards are divided into five geographic areas: Africa Middle East, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America. Each region will be presented six prizes, for a total sum per region of $220,000.

First prize is $100,000, second is $50,000, third is $25,000, and three acknowledgements are worth $10,000 each. Juries will also award encouragement prizes from a total budget of $15,000 per region to at least three other entries.

The North American awards ceremony will take place in Boston.

In 2006, all winners will automatically qualify for the global competition, in which an independent jury will honour works they deem genuine milestones in the advancement of sustainable construction. Juries in each region will be led by noted technical universities, including the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The awards are being viewed as a vehicle to promote innovative ideas in the area of sustainable construction.

Philippe Arto, president and CEO of St. Lawrence Cement Group, says that “through sharing innovative concepts between regions and cultures, the Holcim Awards will not only bring notoriety to outstanding achievements, but also potential benefits from groundbreaking methods adapted to our own local climatic, economic and cultural contexts.”

The submission deadline is March 31, 2005 for the first regional Holcim Awards competition. Submission of entries is only possible via the Internet. Online entry forms and full information on the competition and its target criteria are now available at www.holcimawards.org

The awards are open to architects, engineers, planners, project owners and students.

“This is a very important initiative for Holcim,” says Jarry.

“We expect a lot of interest in the awards.”

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