Holcim Foundation calls for entries in $2 million sustainable construction competition
The search is on for the best ideas on how the construction industry can contribute to sustainability, with the launch of the 4th International Holcim Awards on Sustainable Construction, one of the most significant competitions on its field with $2 million in prize money at stake.
The Main Category is open to projects in architecture, building and civil engineering, landscape and urban design that show how incorporating sustainability principles construction can address environmental, socioeconomic and cultural issues. Projects must have reached an advanced stage of design, have a high probability of execution, and may not have started construction before July 1, 2013.
The competition also seeks visionary projects and bold ideas for the Next Generation category, which is open to young professionals and students between 18 and 30 years old. Only projects that have not started construction before July 1, 2013 may be entered.
Entries must be submitted online at www.holcimawards.org by March 24, 2014. The entries will be screened by an independent panel of experts from renowned technical universities around the world.
The Holcim Awards will be locally launched on Aug. 30 at the SMX Convention Center during the 10th Green Forum by the Green Architecture Advocates of the Philippines.
Since its launch 10 years ago, the contest has generated a number winning entries that showed the construction industry can help contribute to sustainability through innovative designs and structures address a host of challenges.
Among those is an entry from the Philippines in 2005, which won the silver prize for the Asia Pacific region in the first Holcim Award. That entry proposed to accelerate coral reef restoration in Misamis Oriental using concrete structures to reenergize the marine life and improve the livelihood of locals. The project was praised by the Asia Pacific regional jury “for addressing not only ecological issues but also considering economic feasibility, social benefits and transferability to other sites.”
Taking part in the competition has been streamlined by an interactive online entry form. Entries must be in English using the web-based form to provide information on authors, a project summary and response to the “target issues” for sustainable construction, technical details, as well as project images or illustrations. A comprehensive “Step-by-step” guide explains how to an entry at: www.holcimawards.org/guide
Organized by the Swiss-based Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction the competition is conducted in parallel in five regions of the world in 2013/14 followed by a global phase in 2015. Regional winners will be announced at Holcim Awards ceremonies in late 2014 in Moscow(for Europe), Toronto (North America), Medellín (Latin America), Beirut (Africa Middle East) and Jakarta (Asia Pacific).
