Innovation plays an important role as the challenges of the built environment grow daily. But the industry cannot blaze a trail towards better solutions on its own. The LafargeHolcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction provides many platforms of exchange for engineers, architects, and related professions to exchange new ideas including its forums, publications and Awards competition. Building bridges between all stakeholder groups along the value chain helps to develop, multiply, and implement new ideas.

A prime example of such bridge-building is the Droneport project, a collaborative effort between the architect Lord Norman Foster, universities, and LafargeHolcim. The self-supporting vaulted structure is made of locally-produced Durabric compressed earth blocks: which use local materials, address deforestation since they do not required firing in a kiln, and are structurally superior.

In its efforts to encourage inventive new solutions, the LafargeHolcim Foundation places special focus on the next generation. Students from leading technical universities are part of the LafargeHolcim Forum, an international symposium that advances concepts of sustainable construction. In addition, the LafargeHolcim Awards place a special focus on 18-30 year old students and young professionals – because fresh ideas will shape tomorrow’s world.

The winner of the Forum’s student competition, Eduardo Pizarro (click to watch video, left) from the University of São presented his project for Paraisópolis, the second-largest favela of São Paulo. He develops and activates open spaces and interstitial spaces between buildings with small interventions adapted to the local conditions, including planted gardens and shaded places. The method behind the project is empirical and based on field investigations, analytical work, and design exercises – this approach was intended to lead to the most sustainable solutions possible.

Eduardo Pizarro sees the value of sharing research and innovative approaches. He encourages participation in the Awards competition: “The competition opens a big ‘room’ for exchanging lots of ideas in a space where we can let them grow – it is an enormous opportunity and I strongly urge young professionals to take part!” he says. 

Curator of the 15th International Architecture Biennale, Alejandro Aravena (pictured, left), also endorses the Awards competition. “The competition measures quality and makes it easy to evaluate whether you are close to achieving a goal, or identify the challenges ahead,” he says. The Member of the Board of the LafargeHolcim Foundation and Partner Architect & Executive Director of Elemental, Chile will also be a member of an expert panel at the Venice Biennale that will discuss how growing security concerns will add complexity to the challenges to which architecture must respond. “Reporting from the Front: Sustainability vs. Security” will take place on Friday, November 25, 17:00 at Teatro Piccolo Arsenale, Venice (adjacent to the main entrance of the Arsenale venue).

The LafargeHolcim Awards competition including the Next Generation category for visionary projects and ideas of students and young professionals is open for entries until March 21, 2017 at www.lafargeholcim-awards.org/enter