LafargeHolcim Awards 2017 – Asia Pacific

Every three years the LafargeHolcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction gives out USD 2 million in awards in what they consider "the world's most significant competition in sustainable design." The fifth iteration of the international competition drew 5,085 entries by authors in 121 countries. With so many entries, the competition is carried out in five regions, as in previous years. The first regional awards were given out for Middle East Africa followed by Europe, Latin America, North America, and now Asia Pacific. Winners in the five regional awards qualify for the Global Holcim Award 2018 to be decided in March 2018.

Below we highlight the Gold, Silver and Bronze winners selected by the nine-member jury. They were asked to select winners based on five "target issues" that "aim to clarify principles for sustaining the human habitat for future generations."

Gold: Home for marginalized children in Thane, India
Main ​Authors: Avneesh Tiwari - atArchitecture, Mumbai, India; Neha Rane - atArchitecture, Mumbai, India

Jury report: "The jury was taken with the project’s Alice in Wonderland-like approach which re-envisions a small urban building through the eyes of children. In doing so, it also provides them with a dignified and comforting environment. The compact, quirky building form nevertheless achieves a feeling of spatial generosity through the inclusion of a central vertical void for circulation, light, and ventilation. The proposal goes beyond social sustainability to include passive building technology, innovating design measures, and a viable economic model. The next step towards implementation will need to be a further development of the project from compelling schematic design to a convincing translation into construction detailing."

Silver: Micro Library in Bandung, Indonesia
Main Authors: Florian Heinzelmann - SHAU, Bandung, Indonesia; Daliana Suryawinata - SHAU, Bandung, Indonesia

Jury report: "The jury was impressed by the project’s vision of a network of libraries across Indonesia. Especially compelling is the specificity of each individual project. Every building responds to the needs of the local community and the urban context. Here, the project opens on all sides to the park around it, inviting the community to enter and explore. This is a fresh approach to the library – typically, a rarefied, closed environment. Unconventional materials – in this case, a moss ceiling and artificial grass floor – also make the project an exploration in unorthodox textures and construction techniques. By multiplying small, inviting reading spaces without replicating a single design gesture, the project constructs a territorial project reinforcing literacy and defining community."

Bronze: Floating University in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Main Author: Mun Summ Wong - WOHA, Singapore

Jury report: "When this project is built, the jury believes that it will set a new benchmark for sustainability in Asia. Rapid urbanization has deteriorated Dhaka’s water bodies and natural habitats. The design remediates a natural area and opens it back up to the city. It situates the building in a way that allows both the university and the public to inhabit the site. Sustainability is deeply integrated into the building design, from thermal zoning to serious reductions in the use of energy and water. Particularly commendable is the way a single building is conceived as a larger rejuvenation project for the city."

Visit the Holcim Awards website for more information on the winning projects and to see the four winners of the Acknowledgement Prizes, the four recipients of the "Next Generation" prizes for young architects and students, and the special Building Better Recognition prize.