Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Sustainability requires that the present generation meets its needs without limiting the opportunities of future generations. For an approach to enable long-term viability, it must integrate economic, environmental and social impacts – the three elements of the triple bottom line.

The construction industry can contribute greatly to global sustainability because everything that is built shapes the way people live today and in the future. The OECD, for instance, estimates that buildings in developed countries account for more than forty percent of energy consumption over their lifetime (incorporating raw material production, construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning). Sustainably handling building design and management, material selection, as well as energy and resource consumption would be a significant step toward ecologically, economically and socially responsible development.

Read more on understanding sustainable construction » 

Downloadable project posters (PDF), jury appraisals and high-resolution images of all winning projects are available in the Awards section of this website, covering the winners of the first (2005/06), second (2008/09), third (2011/12), and fourth (2014/15) cycles of the competition. Additional project updates are also listed on the “timeline” of each project.

View Awards section »

Alternatively, you can use the “Best Practice” section of the website to search for projects according to region, country or keyword – or simply browse the latest updates.

View best practice section »

The LafargeHolcim Foundation publishes additional information in media releases and books about the winning projects and authors.

View publications »

The next (6th) cycle of the LafargeHolcim Awards will open for entries in mid-2019.

The current (5th) cycle of the LafargeHolcim Awards for Sustainable Construction was open for entries from July 4, 2016 until March 28, 2017. Submissions will be evaluated by independent regional juries in June/July 2017 before prizes are presented at regional Awards ceremonies in September/November 2017.

In cooperation with its partner universities, the LafargeHolcim Foundation organizes symposiums on sustainable construction, known as the LafargeHolcim Forum. These technical conferences offer academics, architects, engineers, building professionals and experts from all generations and geographic locations an interdisciplinary academic platform for exchanging ideas and information.

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The 5th LafargeHolcim Forum was held April 7-9 2016 in Detroit, MI, USA. “Infrastructure Space” was the topic of the three-day symposium and examined how to deliver long-term infrastructure that is aligned with sustaining human habitat. The LafargeHolcim Foundation website now features video/audio recordings of all keynote addresses in addition to a rich gallery of images from the Forum.

Read more on the 5th Holcim Forum

An academic book (proceedings) from the 5th LafargeHolcim Forum will be published in late-2016.

Detailed information about each previous Forum is available at: 

5th LafargeHolcim Forum “Infrastructure Space”, Detroit, USA (April 7-9, 2016)

4th Holcim Forum “Economy of Sustainable Construction”, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Mumbai), India (April 11-13, 2013)

3rd Holcim Forum “Re-inventing Construction”, Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City, Mexico (April 14-17, 2010)

2nd Holcim Forum “Urban_Trans_Formation”, Tongji University, Shanghai, China (April 18-21, 2007)

1st Holcim Forum “Basic Needs”, ETH Zurich, Switzerland (September 15-18, 2004)

Publications (conference proceedings and pictorial summaries) are available at:

Symposium publications 

The next (5th) LafargeHolcim Forum will take place on April 7-9 2016 in Detroit, MI, USA. To stay updated about the Forum and other initiatives, please consider subscribing to the Foundation’s email newsletter to stay updated.

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The LafargeHolcim Foundation is supported by, but independent of the commercial interests of LafargeHolcim, the leading company in the building materials industry. Business propositions should be directed to either the corporate headquarters or to the relevant country in which LafargeHolcim operates.

A small staff of professionals manages the administration and communications aspects of the LafargeHolcim Foundation's activities, based in Zurich, Switzerland. There are currently no positions vacant. Any open positions will be advertised on this website and in relevant media.

The LafargeHolcim Foundation’s regulations state that it may only spend funds within the scope of its own initiatives to support the promotion of sustainable construction on a non-commercial basis.

As a consequence, there are no funds available for academic fellowships, project or research grants, or to sponsor conferences, seminars, etc., which are beyond the scope of the Foundation’s initiatives.

The LafargeHolcim Foundation sends out announcements and media releases via email to all subscribers of its email newsletter. Some announcements are made in multiple languages, so please indicate your preferred language (English, Chinese, French, German, Portuguese or Spanish) when subscribing using the form (link below).

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The Academic Committee (AC), based at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich/EPFL), provides academic and technical support by developing, supporting, and implementing the LafargeHolcim Foundation’s initiatives on the scientific and technical level. The LafargeHolcim Foundation is also supported by additional partner universities.

Read more about partner universities of the LafargeHolcim Foundation

Inquiries and questions of technical nature should be addressed to the Academic Committee (AC) of the LafargeHolcim Foundation at ac@lafargeholcim-foundation.org:

Read more about the Academic Committee (AC) of the LafargeHolcim Foundation

Please contact the LafargeHolcim Foundation via info@lafargeholcim-foundation.org or via the online contact form, providing as much detail about your enquiry as possible. We are happy to accept and reply to questions in English at:

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