Over the past two decades, the Holcim Foundation Awards has committed USD 20M to spotlight transformative projects by architects, designers, and engineers who pioneer sustainable design and construction practices. To capture these stories, the Foundation launched a short film series titled Words with Winners.
Words with Winners
This series provides an in-depth look at award-winning sustainable design projects through exclusive interviews with their creators. The latest episode in the series features Edmund Fowles, founding director of London-based Feilden Fowles, who spoke to the Foundation about the Urban Nature Project, which aims to improve scientific research and best-practice outdoor nature learning while responding to the urgent need to re-engage people with the natural world and urban wildlife in London and beyond.
Bringing Nature Back To The City
Alongside architects J&L Gibbons, and the Natural History Museum, Feilden Fowles won a Holcim Foundation Award in 2023 for a landscape architect project transforming the world famous site's gardens to increase biodiversity and accessibility. Fowles, says part of his mission to engage the public with nature through his team's work on the project's Nature Activity Centre, which was constructed sustainably using timber and stone. "We've been promoting a philosophy of low-tech architecture over the last few years, and I think this project perfectly embodies those values," he says, of the two main buildings his firm was responsible for – the Activity Centre and a soon-to-be-opened cafe on the site.
The Nature Activity Centre's, supported by AWS, architecture features extended eaves that collect rainwater for reuse in the surrounding landscape, serving as a practical water conservation demonstration. Fowles says the building's unique design, was created to educate and inspire those visiting the gardens. "We wanted to use the buildings as learning tools in themselves. So both using a palette of natural materials and explaining the story of water recycling and water reuse," he explains.
From a landscape design perspective, the Urban Nature Project reimagines the Natural History Museum's two-hectare Gardens of London to create immersive, educational experiences through geology, planting, and interpretive exhibits.
A Future Thinking Project
"It's just a fantastic urban landscape," says Keith Jennings, Director of Estates, Projects, and Master Planning at the Natural History Museum. He adds that the project tells the story of "Deep Time" with a garden timeline where every footstep represents 5 million years, allowing visitors to grasp the vastness of Earth's geological history.
Jennings also notes how the Urban Nature Project transforms underutilized spaces into thriving ecosystems, highlighting the importance of preserving urban habitats. "We set out a vision of a hopeful future where, if we do the right thing now, we will adapt, survive, and the planet will thrive."
For Neil Davidson, founder and partner at London-based landscape architecture firm J&L Gibbons, receiving a Holcim Foundation Award during the project's construction provided all parties with a much-needed boost. He notes that the Award validated their unconventional approach and instilled confidence in their vision for the project. "It was a perfect moment for the project, giving everyone a lift because construction projects can be long and quite tiring," he explains. "It gave us all confidence that what we're doing goes beyond our little bubble, starting to excite people about its potential."
Alongside the Urban Nature Project, Words with Winners features many other Holcim Foundation Award-winning projects, such as the BIG U in New York, La Quebradora Waterpark in Mexico City, addressing critical water management needs, and the Hikma Complex in Dandaji, Niger, preserving cultural heritage through innovative design.
THE HOLCIM FOUNDATION AWARDS 2025
The Holcim Foundation invites architects, designers, and engineers to submit their innovative projects for the Holcim Foundation Awards 2025. With a prize pool of USD 1M, the competition seeks late-stage design projects that embody sustainable solutions on a global scale. Entries are open from October 1, 2024, to February 11, 2025, culminating in an Awards Ceremony at the Venice Forum on November 20, 2025.
Key Dates
Competition Entries Close: February 11, 2025
20 Global Winners | USD 1M Prize Pool
5 Special Recognition Prizes
Free to Enter
For more information on Words with Winners, the BIG U, and other award-winning projects, visit the Holcim Foundation's website and join the conversation on sustainable urban futures.
