Holcim Awards 2014 – Latin America

Since 2004 the Holcim Foundation has given awards for sustainable construction to "innovative, future-oriented and tangible construction projects to promote sustainable responses to the technological, environmental, socioeconomic and cultural issues affecting building and construction on a local, regional and global level." In the third of five regional competitions this year, Holcim has awarded twelve Latin American projects that share more than USD 300,000 in prize money. Previous awards were presented for Europe and North America, and subsequent awards will be presented for Africa and the Middle East, and Asia Pacific, with winners qualifying for the Global Holcim Awards 2015.

Below we highlight the Gold, Silver and Bronze winners selected by the 9-strong jury* in July. They were asked to select winners based on "'target issues' for sustainable construction that consider environmental, social and economic performance – while also highlighting the need for architectural excellence and a high degree of transferability."

Holcim Awards Gold 2014 – USD 100,000
Articulated Site: Water reservoirs as public park, Medellín, Colombia
Authors: Mario Camargo and Luis Tombé, Colectivo 720, Cali, Colombia

Jury report: "Exploring uncharted terrain, the project is situated at the intersection of a range of disciplines pertaining to the definition of the built environment, ranging from landscape and urban design to architecture and infrastructure planning. The jury values the important steps undertaken by the design team to explore the interrelationship of fields of expertise that are normally treated as isolated domains. The submitted design, in this sense, embraces – in a refined and poetic manner – the multiple criteria set forth by the Holcim Foundation’s target issues. Aesthetic, social, economic and environmental concerns are combined to form a sophisticated ensemble of public spaces, merging social imperatives with technical requirements to create a 'socio-technical' landscape of magnificent beauty."

Holcim Awards Silver 2014 – USD 50,000
Arboreal Platform: Low-impact timber rainforest center, Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica
Authors: Román Cordero, PLUG architecture, Mérida, Mexico
Further author: Izbeth Mendoza, PLUG architecture, Mérida, Mexico

Jury report: "The design for the headquarters of the Fundación para el Desarrollo de la Cordillera Volcánica Central (Fundecor) in Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica is appropriately located in the midst of a forest. The nonprofit organization aims to 'contribute to sustainable management of natural resources and improve quality of life' in rainforest regions. Accordingly, the knowledge center will inform its users about the management of woodlands and the benefits to develop an economy dependent on forestry services, while promoting environmental conservation."

Holcim Awards Bronze 2014 – USD 30,000
Children’s House: Pedagogically-aligned school, San Andrés Payuca, Mexico
Main authors: Julio Amezcua and Francisco Pardo, AT103, Mexico City, Mexico
Further authors: Ariel Rojo Design Studio, Esrawe Studio, Entorno Taller de Raisaje, all Mexico City, Mexico and ROW Studio, Cadena + Associates Concept Design ®, Monterrey, Mexico

Jury report: "Whereas the beauty and precision of the submitted drawings initially captured the attention of the jury, a closer look at the project revealed a deep sensibility for social, technical and environmental concerns – all combined and transformed into a stunning building for children, a building embedded in the landscape and appropriately playful in its formal expression. The jury was furthermore impressed by the scheme’s minimal deployment of architectural elements, such as the use of one continuous wall encasing the entire school, to achieve maximum effects – an 'economy of means' contributing of an elegant and discrete structure dedicated to the next generation, while changing the paradigm of education in rural Mexico."

Visit the Holcim Awards website for more information on the above winning projects and to see the five winners of the Acknowledgement Prizes and the six recipients of the "Next Generation" prizes for young architects and students.

*The Holcim Awards jury for Latin America met at the Instituto de Arquitectura Tropical in San José, Costa Rica in July 2014. L-R: Vanderley John (Brazil), Angelo Bucci (Brazil), Alfredo Brillembourg (Venezuela), Harry Gugger (Switzerland), Tatiana Bilbao (Mexico), Marc Angélil (Switzerland), Fernando Diez (Argentina), and Bruno Stagno (Head of jury, Costa Rica). Not pictured: Andreas Leu (Switzerland). edit here...