The Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction has revealed the winning projects for the Holcim Awards 2023 competition, as well as the silver, bronze, and acknowledgement prizes, at a ceremony on November 18 in Venice, Italy. Evaluated by a jury comprising five independent expert panels from around the world, these projects were chosen to highlight contextual and practical approaches to sustainable construction, showcasing diversity across scales, budgets, geographies, and forms. On another hand, Francis Kéré winner of the Global Holcim Gold in 2012 and Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2022 took the stage at the event to talk about the influence of the Holcim Award on his career.
DnA_Design and Architecture Studio took home the golden prize for Asia-Pacific for an adaptive reuse project of a heritage building, while Husos, Elii, and Ultrazul won for Europe with a 360° co-design process for the rehabilitation of an industrial building. For the Latin American territory, Cano Vera Arquitectura was selected for an urban forest and social infrastructure precinct, and for the MEA region, Juergen Strohmayer and Glenn DeRoché were praised for a youth empowerment and responsible tourism cooperative. Finally, Partisans Architects and Well-Grounded Real Estate won the first prize for North America with a high-tech and low-cost modular housing solution for urban living.
Read on to discover the list of Holcim Awards 2023 Winners. You can also check the finalists here.
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Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction Announces Finalists for the 2023 International Holcim AwardsAsia-Pacific
1- Gold Winner - China
FUJIAN TULOU | ADAPTIVE REUSE by DnA_DESIGN and ARCHITECTURE
A tulou is a typical traditional building typology in the mountain valleys of China’s Fujian Province. The multi-level fortresses built between the 15th and 20th centuries provided both defense and housing for a clan of up to 800 people. The project defines a conservation approach through adaptive reuse and proposes a prototypical framework for giving new value to tulou structures that are not part of a World Heritage covenant.
The approach aims to improve living conditions in buildings that are still inhabited by the indigenous community and transform vacant buildings for other uses that restore identity and create new social and economic potential. Fresh cultural and educational programs are introduced that are beneficial for the village and heritage.
The jury considered this design project as an exemplary model for building conservation initiatives that advocates for a re-evaluation of the significance of existing vernacular structures, favoring repurposing over demolition. The approach to adaptive reuse is transformative and transferrable to other regions across the world.
2- Silver Winner - Mongolia
- GER PLUG-IN 3.0 by District Development Unit, Energy Efficient Design Build, and Ger Hub
3- Bronze Winner - Singapore
- NUS YUSOF ISHAK HOUSE by the National University of Singapore (NUS)
4- Acknowledgment Prize - Vietnam
- POST-COVID FACTORY IN Đồng Nai by Le Quang-Architect(s)
Europe
1- Gold Winner - Spain
EL 17. COMPOSITION OF KNOWLEDGE HOUSE by Husos, Elii, and Ultrazul
This project for the Carasso Foundation headquarters uses a comprehensive 360° co-design process employed throughout the development to promote inclusivity and community involvement. The project’s business and management models are aligned with impact investing and open governance that incorporates grants for community art, and sustainable food production. The gardens and orchards promote urban biodiversity, contribute to the circular food production-consumption cycles, and use collected rainwater.
The rehabilitation of the former industrial building uses 95% of the existing structure. More than one-third of the total floor area is dedicated to multi-purpose spaces that encourage community interaction and permeability. Material circularity and the almost exclusive adoption of biomaterials and recycled elements complement programmatic circularity.
The jury admired the project’s exemplary nature, combining the revitalization of an existing building with a new fabric for socially relevant activities, while at the same time prioritizing components that minimize ecological impact. The comprehensive and complete presentation of data was particularly acknowledged.
2- Silver Winner - UK
- Urban Nature Project, National History Museum by Natural History Museum, Feilden Fowles, and J&L Gibbons
3- Bronze Winner - Germany
4- Acknowledgment Prize - Switzerland
- High-Rise H1 Zwhatt Site by Boltshauser Architekten
Latin America
1- Gold Winner - Mexico
Utopia Estrella Iztapalapa by Cano Vera Arquitectura
The Utopía Estrella project is an urban remediation project that aims to create a social utopia for the 230,000 inhabitants of Iztapalapa municipality in Mexico City. Adjacent to a water treatment facility, the 34,000 square meter site previously used as an informal landfill with a forest of 570 trees will be transformed to create facilities for sport, culture, social engagement, and ecological education.
Mexico City has water challenges that are exacerbated by a lack of infrastructure, rapid population growth, and water and soil pollution. The project will become the most important social infrastructure of the area: a small, but crucial element for the urban transformation.
The jury was profoundly impressed by this design project, which undertakes a remarkable regeneration intervention in a challenging neighborhood in Mexico City. The project stood out to the jury for its genuine commitment to achieving a positive impact on the community and approach that could be adopted across diverse contexts.
2- Silver Winner - Colombia
- San José De Nueva Venecia School by FP Arquitectura
3- Bronze Winner - Ecuador
- Saving Portete - Sustainable Island by Rama Estudio
4- Acknowledgment Prize - Colombia
- Memories of Water by TAP Arquitectura, Rojas Arquitectos, Geográfica Taller, Sur-Estudio de paisaje y Arquitectura, Cosme Landscape Architecture, and EMS Arquitectos.
Middle East and Africa
1- Gold Winner - Ghana
Surf Ghana Collective by Juergen Strohmayer and Glenn DeRoché
Surf Ghana Collective creates a dynamic community space to empower youth in Busua, a small town and surfing hotspot on Ghana’s western coast. The community-run enterprise enhances economic opportunities for local youth by plugging into a network of surf schools and oceanfront lodges, providing a venue and accommodation for visiting surfers, and is rented out to cover running costs in the off-season.
All building components of the existing fabric were repaired and reused, except for the roof which was uninstalled. The new roof solution improves passive cooling to create more comfortable indoor thermal conditions. The cooperative encourages community collaboration, independence, and entrepreneurship.
The jury was profoundly impressed by the way the project’s scale succeeds in achieving deep local impact, especially in the lives of local youth. The project’s resourceful approach, such as repurposing parts of an existing building and recycling debris into construction materials, was also lauded for its efficiency and environmental consideration.
2- Silver Winner - Turkey
- Stream Co-Habitat by Openact Architecture
3- Bronze Winner - Lebanon
- Kfar Houneh Ecolodge by Akl Architects
4- Acknowledgment Prize - Egypt
- Ezbet Eshaq’s Eco Classroom by BENAA Foundation for Sustainable Development
North America
1- Gold Winner - Canada
1925 Victoria Park Ave by CREE Buildings, Partisans Architects, and Well-Grounded Real Estate
The project re-imagines apartment living through the design of the first 12-floor near-net-zero, mixed-use rental development in Ontario. It provides an affordable rental accommodation model for Toronto’s housing crisis where ongoing repair, maintenance, and financing projects were thoroughly considered during design.
The project uses decentralized manufacturing of modularized components that minimize construction waste. The building is nearly net-zero thanks to high thermal insulation properties, ground-source heat pumps with in-ceiling radiant slabs, and low-energy electric systems.
The jury acknowledged the project’s extensive research and holistic approach, which accounted for the entire life cycle and optimized operational performance through passive systems. The project’s excellence and scalability positioned it as a promising solution for sustainable housing production, within the Canadian context and beyond.
2- Silver Winner - USA
- Maritime Innovation Center by Miller Hull Partnership
3- Bronze Winner - USA
- Kaiser Borsari Hall by Perkins and Will
4- Acknowledgment Prize - Canada
- Muscowpetung Powwow Arbour by Oxbow Architecture and School of Architecture, Dalhousie University.
