We’re incredibly pleased with the level of interest in the LafargeHolcim Awards competition and anticipate a large volume of submissions by the close of entries on February 25, 2020. To enable your entry to stand out during the jury evaluation, make the most effective use of the spaces allocated in the online entry form – it’s important to make each element count. Keep your eye on the details and make sure you include specifics, avoid assumptions, and back up your claims.

Be specific where it counts. Make sure that you use the most distinct terms possible to add clarity to your submission. Follow this through with the images selected to represent your project and captions. Remember we’re looking for exemplary sustainable construction projects (Main Category) and visionary design concepts and bold ideas (Next Generation Category) – and specific details can make a big difference in substantiating your claims. Avoid greenwash terms and focus on where your approach is exemplary/visionary.

Don’t assume the jury will be familiar with factors influencing the design of your intervention. Our independent regional juries are experts from a range of nations and professions, but they may not be familiar with an important aspect to which your design responds. Are there key points about the physical, social, environmental, planning/legal or technical context of your project that have influenced design choices, and therefore the efficacy of your approach?

Back up claims with data. A raw number, percentage or ratio might substantiate the claims you make about your project. It may be useful to compare your project measurements (eg: construction cost per m2, material savings, spatial daylight autonomy, etc) with conventional approaches. On the other hand, don’t be tempted to make the application so dense with facts and figures that the key points get lost in the detail.

Be specific where it counts to add depth and authority. If you have any questions about details or any other aspect of your submission, check out the Step-by-step guide, Q&A Platform, or contact the Helpdesk.

14 tips in 14 days

This is the twelfth instalment in our series of 14 short articles providing tips on entering the LafargeHolcim Awards competition. The 6th cycle of the international competition is open for entries until February 25, 2020 (14:00 UTC).

The Awards offer a total of USD 2 million in prize money and foreground projects and concepts from architecture, engineering, urban planning, materials and construction technology, and related fields. Don’t forget to focus on the details of how your project or vision is exemplary in the #LafargeHolcimAwards – the world’s most significant competition for sustainable design.

www.lafargeholcim-awards.org