In addition, all prize-winning projects at the regional level (including 38 Acknowledgement and “Next Generation” winners) will automatically compete for up to three Global Holcim Innovation prizes – which focus upon contributions to innovative building materials and construction technologies in the context of sustainable construction.

Each of the finalist teams is invited to prepare a more extensive submission that will be evaluated by the Global Holcim Awards jury headed by Enrique Norten, Principal and Founder of TEN Arquitectos (Mexico/USA), and the Holcim Innovation prize jury headed by Harry Gugger, Professor of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland. 

Winners of the global prizes will share in USD 500,000 in prize money. Results will be announced in April 2012. In the regional phase of the 3rd International Holcim Awards competition, a total of 53 leading-edge projects from 29 countries shared USD 1.5 million in prize money in 2011. Following an evaluation process by independent juries in five regions of the world, the winning projects and their design teams were celebrated by receiving Awards, Acknowledgement and “Next Generation” prizes at ceremonies in Milan, Washington, Buenos Aires, Casablanca, and Singapore.

The Holcim Awards is an initiative of the Swiss-based Holcim Foundation which is supported by Holcim Ltd and its Group companies in more than 70 countries and is independent of commercial interests. Holcim is one of the world’s leading suppliers of cement and aggregates (crushed stone, gravel and sand) as well as further activities such as ready-mix concrete and asphalt, including services.

The activities of the Holcim Foundation are run in cooperation with renowned partner universities: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), Switzerland; Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; Universidad Iberoamericana (UIA) in Mexico City, Mexico; École Supérieure d’Architecture de Casablanca (EAC), Morocco; Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Bombay) in Mumbai, India; Tongji University (TJU) in Shanghai, China; Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Brazil; and the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Global Holcim Awards 2012 finalists

(listed alphabetically by project country)

Belgium: City hall and civic center recycled from former factory, Oostkamp - Main author: Carlos Arroyo, Carlos Arroyo Arquitectos, Spain

Brazil: Urban remediation and civic infrastructure hub, São Paulo - Main author: Alfredo Brillembourg, Urban Think Tank, Brazil

Burkina Faso: Secondary school with passive ventilation system, Gando - Author: Diébédo Francis Kéré, Kéré Architecture, Germany

Canada: Regional food-gathering nodes and logistics network, Iqaluit, Nunavut - Main author: Mason White& Lola Sheppard, Lateral Office, Toronto

Chile: Sustainable post-tsunami reconstruction master plan, Constitución - Main author: Alejandro Aravena, ELEMENTAL S.A., Chile

Germany: Urban renewal and swimming-pool precinct, Berlin - Main author: Tim Edler, realities united, Germany

Italy: Lifestyle apartments and infrastructure recycled from former freeway viaducts, near Scilla - Main author: Philippe Rizzotti, Philippe Rizzotti Architects, France

Malaysia: Ecologically-designed retail and commercial building, Putrajaya - Main author: Kenneth Yeang, T. R. Hamzah & Yeang International Sdn. Bhd., Malaysia

Mexico: Urban regeneration master plan, Ciudad Juárez - Main author: Jose Castillo, arquitectura 911sc, Mexico

Morocco: Training center for sustainable construction, Marrakesh - Main author: Anna Heringer, Architecture, Germany/USA

Pakistan: Locally-manufactured cob and bamboo school building, Jar Maulwi - Author: Eike Roswag, Ziegert Roswag Seiler Architekten Ingenieure, Germany

Palestine: Sustainable refurbishment of a primary school, near Al Azarije - Main author: Claudia Romano, ARCò - Architettura e Cooperazione, Italy

Thailand: Urban agriculture and factory conversion, Bangkok - Main author: Isavaret Tamonut, TTH Trading Co., Ltd, Thailand

USA: Energy and water efficient border control station, Van Buren, Maine - Main author: Julie Snow, Julie Snow Architects, Minneapolis

USA: Zero net energy school building, Los Angeles - Main author: Gloria Lee, Swift Lee Office, Los Angeles

Exemplary buildings for sustainable construction

The Holcim Foundation launched two new books in 2011 that explain sustainable construction in practice as part of an ongoing monographic series. University building in France – Nantes School of Architecture details the holistic approach of Lacaton & Vassal Architects (Paris) to the social, economic, and environmental performance of their design, culminating in the production of extra space at no additional cost. The translation of a minimum budget into a maximum space constitutes a radical break that challenges the standards on which architecture and sustainability are founded.

Producing cement in the desert – Holcim Apasco plant in Hermosillo, Mexico features a brief technical description of all production stages and an explanation of the green buildings, giving an inspiring view of the latest milestone on the journey of a multinational corporation toward sustainable development. It is a valuable book for learning about and promoting sustainable construction and advocating sustainable cement production; and is convincing proof of the technical competence and social and environmental responsibility of a company.

University building in France – Nantes School of Architecture details the holistic approach of Lacaton & Vassal Architects (Paris) to the social, economic, and environmental performance of their design, culminating in the production of extra space at no additional cost. The translation of a minimum budget into a maximum space constitutes a radical break that challenges the standards on which architecture and sustainability are founded.