The Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction announced the winners of the 2023 Holcim Awards, underscoring the breadth and diversity of innovative approaches to transforming the built environment. From the bustling streets of Madrid to heritage conservation undertakings in China, the five winning projects, each garnering a money prize of US$100,000, exemplify the growing global effort to offer design and construction solutions that address multiple aspects of sustainable development.
Of the 2,380 nominations received from 114 countries, five have won the Gold for their outstanding contribution to sustainable local development in their regions. The winners are:
● Europa: El 17. Composition of Knowledge House, Madrid (España), by Husos, Elii, and Ultrazul. Refurbishment of an industrial building into a community hub through a design process that emphasizes material circularity and increases urban biodiversity.
● Asia Pacific: Fujian Tulou, Zhangzhou, Fujian (China), by DnA_Design and Architecture. The project defines a conservation approach through adaptive reuse and proposes a prototypical framework for giving new value to traditional tulou structures.
● Latin America: Utopía Estrella Iztapalapa, Mexico City, by CANO | VERA Arquitectura. An urban remediation project that aims to transform a former landfill into facilities for sports, culture, social engagement, and ecological education serving the 230,000 inhabitants of Iztapalapa (Mexico).
● Middle East & África: Surf Ghana Collective, Busua (Ghana), by Juergen Strohmayer and Glenn DeRoché. A responsible tourism cooperative repurposes an existing building to create a dynamic community space that enhances business opportunities and empowers youth in Busua.
● North America: 1925 Victoria Park Ave., Toronto (Canada), by Well Grounded Real Estate, Serotiny Group, and CREE Buildings. A high-tech, low-cost modular housing solution that re-imagines sustainable apartment living through the design of the first twelve-floor, near-zero, mixed-use rental development in Ontario.
