From project, to model, to reality

The opening of “MACHEN!”- the first public exhibition of the Holcim Foundation - was attended by all five Berlin-based winning teams

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    Moderated discussion at the opening of the “MACHEN!” exhibition on the topic “Savoir Vivre: How to use the city for (re) building so that it allows for different lifestyles” (l-r): Andreas Ruby, exhibition curator, Ruby ; Ruby Press; Tim Edler, realities:united; Matthias Sauerbruch, Sauerbruch Hutton.

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    Over 300 guests attended the opening of the “MACHEN!” exhibition in Berlin.

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    An exhibition featuring stunningly precise models and descriptions of work by e2a is on display at Aedes Forum in parallel to “MACHEN!” of the Holcim Foundation until August 30, 2012.

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    Overflowing with enthusiasm: some 130 people attended “Heating with concrete, cooling with clay” at Aedes Architekturforum in Berlin, demonstrating a keen interest in the topic of sustainable construction and the Holcim Awards winning projects discussed.

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    The exhibition at the ANCB Metropolitan Laboratory will continue until August 30, 2012.

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    The sculptural forms of the elements provide a structurally self-supporting element, which “spatializes” internally and externally dynamically shaping rooms and exterior loggias in the “Low-cost apartments incorporating smart materials” of Sauerbruch Hutton.

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    The exhibition at the internationally-renowned Aedes Architekturforum in Berlin attracted a large gathering for the opening event, and much interest in the sustainable construction projects on display.

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    An isometric view detail of the Flussbad project complimented the three dimensional models.

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    The Flussbad project for realities:united right in the heart of Berlin’s historic city center on an unused river arm provides a public urban recreation space for both, residents and tourists adjacent to the Museuminsel.

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    “Training center for sustainable construction, Marrakesh, Morocco” (Heringer Rauch Nägele Waibel Naji), balances indoor and outdoor areas to create a diversity of public realms. A massive earthen wall leads into a spacious garden.

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    Strong interest in the Holcim Awards winners (here, showing the Gando school project) was clearly evident.

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    Diébédo Francis Kéré, Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012 winner from Kéré Architecture (right) explains his Gando school project in detail. On the table, a bag of clay from Burkina Faso used to create structural elements with 10 per cent cement is displayed.

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    As air is heated in the cavity between the inner skin and corrugated iron roof the warmer air creates a convection current that draws cool air into the building to achieve a 5 °C thermal reduction.

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    Model on display of the “Secondary school with passive ventilation system, Gando, Burkina Faso” project by Kéré Architecture.

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    Matthias Sauerbruch (Sauerbruch Hutton) during the moderated discussion. The firm’s project won a Holcim Awards Acknowledgement and aims to achieve carbon negative buildings through the inclusion of complimentary initiatives, materials and infrastructure to reduce carbon footprints.

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    Standing in front of a six-ton light concrete form (l-r): Diébédo Francis Kéré, Global Holcim Awards Gold 2012 winner (Kéré Architecture); architects Wim and Piet Eckert (E2A Eckert Eckert Architects) whose exhibition “Bodies and Layers” also opened at Aedes Forum.

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    Global Holcim Awards Bronze 2012 winner Tim Edler (“Flussbad Berlin” by realities:united) discussed how to build the momentum necessary to get visionary ideas off the ground.

The exhibition shows the winning projects not only on posters, but documents the progress made in planning and building, as well as featuring models and material samples. The exhibition at the internationally-renowned Aedes Architekturforum in Berlin shows the Global Holcim Awards Gold (Kéré Architecture), Bronze (realities:united) and Innovation prize (Barkow Leibinger) as well as the Gold winning project from Asia Pacific (Ziegert | Roswag | Seiler), Bronze winning project from Africa Middle East (Heringer Rauch Nägele Weibel) and the European Acknowledgement prize winning entry (Sauerbruch Hutton).

Last updated: July 16, 2012 Berlin, Germany

Neatly presented project descriptions in oversized binders are complimented by impressive architecture models and also tangible results of materials research and testing. A bag of clay from Burkina Faso illustrates how the material is being mixed with ten per cent of cement and made flowable and poured into forms as if it were ready-mixed concrete. Nearby, the full-scale prototype of a bamboo and earth structure which enabled a two-storey schoolhouse to be built in Pakistan using entirely local materials brings the project to life. A six-ton prototype of a light-weight concrete element to be used in combination with wood for a low-budget multi-storey housing project in Hamburg is only one third of the weight that the massive curved concrete element would be using traditional aggregates!

Over 300 guests attended the opening of the “MACHEN!” exhibition by the Founder of Aedes, Kristin Freireiss, and curators Ilka and Andrea Ruby. The evening commenced with around 120 guests filling the discussion theatre to capacity where an introduction by Edward Schwarz, General Manager of the Holcim Foundation, and presentations by two of the authors of the Holcim Awards prize winning projects in the exhibition, Tim Edler (“Flussbad Berlin” by realities:united) and Matthias Sauerbruch (Achieving carbon negative buildings through the inclusion of complimentary initiatives, materials and infrastructure to reduce carbon footprints by Sauerbruch Hutton), were followed by a moderated discussion between them.


The question in common was how to build the momentum necessary to get visionary ideas off the ground: such as enabling swimming in the river Spree in Berlin or creating a carbon neutral neighborhood for mixed use in Helsinki. Francis Kéré, whose school house project in Burkina Faso is already going into the third phase of construction, encouraged Edler and Sauerbruch not to give up and to fight for their ideas even if this takes time and courage. Piet Eckert (e2a Architects in Zurich) recommended a typical Swiss bottom-up approach to first convince the population at large and, hence beneficiaries of the projects to create a level of public engagement that would in turn be taken up by politicians and authorities.

An exhibition featuring stunningly precise models and descriptions of work by e2a is on display at Aedes Forum in parallel to “MACHEN!” of the Holcim Foundation until August 30, 2012.