The Global LafargeHolcim Awards jury praised the work of architects Wonjoon Han and Gahee Van of VHAN, and executive director Suki Yook of NGO Make Africa Better, South Korea. They considered the shea butter storage concept for the Nyingali community to be sophisticated and community focused. The prize was presented during the closing session of the 6th LafargeHolcim Forum by Brinda Somaya, Principal Architect and Managing Director, Somaya & Kalappa Consultants, India and member of the Board of the LafargeHolcim Foundation in April 2019.

Projects in Mexico, Niger, and the USA win the 5th Global Holcim Awards for Sustainable Construction. As diverse as the three top projects are in terms of geography, program and scale – they are all the result of true teamwork across generations, genders and ethnicities. Alejandro Aravena (Chile) headed the independent jury of renowned experts who evaluated the 15 finalist projects from all continents that had qualified for the global phase of the Awards. The USD 2 million competition is run by the Holcim Foundation, an initiative of Holcim, the leading global building materials and solutions company.

The clever cooling towers foster local production of a globally-prized commodity that could provide sustainable income for the community. The jury praises the link made with the construction between local industry and local craft, and hopes that the economic model remains as sophisticated and community-focused as the architecture.

Sustainability in building is rapidly gaining significance in the Middle East Africa region – particularly among female professionals and young graduates in architecture and engineering. This was clearly seen at the prize-handover ceremony for the regional Holcim Awards in Nairobi, Kenya. The majority of the 11 prize-winning projects dealt with education and the contemporary promotion of traditional manual skills.

The striking storage tower for the Nyingali community is designed to induce a chimney effect to keep shea nuts cool and fresh before processing. By storing the nuts and processing them incrementally, the community will be able to sell processed shea butter for skin moisturizing when it commands a higher price in the market cycle. The base of the tower is a storage space with a double layer masonry construction designed to keep the interior cool. Its ceiling is made of glass foam, which is designed to act as a heat exchanger when damp. The volume above is cross-ventilated and draws hot air upwards. This project, which also includes a range of training programs, is part of a long-term engagement by the NGO Make Africa Better (MA ) to improve the production of shea butter in the village. The facilities are built in cooperation with volunteers from the village and the resulting structures are owned locally.

The jury was particularly appreciative that the project is a site of production that links into an existing fair trade economy – specifically one that employs women. The pleasing form is a subtle and familiar reference to the Islamic architecture in the predominantly Muslim region of Northern Ghana. The proposal is further strengthened by its situation within a longterm engagement with the community. In short, the project is exemplary in its inventive approach to social, economic, and ecological sustainability; while foregrounding architecture as an art form.

Innovation and transferability – Progress

This project is mainly driven by local needs and will be carried out with the community members. Throughout their participation during the construction, community members will get an opportunity to learn how to manage and use it. Voluntary participation from the community members and their ownership is the best way to keep the building sustainable. MA has been implementing various projects in the Karaga district, particularly in Nyingali and its neighboring communities, since 2011. The local project manager is based near the project site and MA Korea and Ghana staffs are regularly visiting the site for their project four times per year. MA organized the self-help groups for the training programs. Local government, local leaders have been actively working with MA .