Videos

Explaining how LafargeHolcim is leading the way in low carbon and circular construction and is already recovering a hundred times more waste than it produces – Magali Anderson, Chief Sustainability Officer of LafargeHolcim and member of the Board of the LafargeHolcim Foundation.

“We must focus on more inclusive development – and look at the quality of urban spaces, health centers and the way we design these facilities for our society,” says Fasil Giorghis, Chair of Conservation of Urban & Architectural Heritage at the Ethiopian Institute of Architecture Building Construction & City Development, and Ambassador of the LafargeHolcim Awards.

“This crisis will force architecture to focus on resilience and adaptability. We need to re-examine how public space is created, and also ensure residential space can accommodate different uses such as working from home,” says Fernando González Piris, Madrid-based architect, at Ensamble Studio & LafargeHolcim Forum 2019 attendee.

“I look forward to a ‘new normal’ where financialization and tourism are no longer the strongest drivers of urban development” – Kaarin Taipale, Finish urban researcher and politician, and a member of the LafargeHolcim Foundation network from the beginning.

“Our profession will go through a revolution in terms of designing antimicrobial building materials,” says Nada Nafeh, from Egypt. The young architect and urban designer is recipient of a Research in Practice Grant of the LafargeHolcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction.

“Suddenly food, shelter, health and safety are the most important things,” says Nand Kumar, LafargeHolcim Awards Ambassador from India: “Travel is not important, luxury is not important, and brands are not important.”

“Architects and designers have unique skills in critical thinking and the ability to imagine new futures,” say the recipients of the first LafargeHolcim Research in Practice Grant for Sustainable Construction – Stefano Romagnoli, Juan Cruz, and Tomás Pont. The three winners from Argentina add: “We strongly believe that we are moving towards a change in paradigm after this pandemic.”

“Architects and urban designers will need to carefully rethink the structures of our cities – how we understand proximity and space between people and the built environment.” Mitchell Joachim, architect and urban designer at Terreform ONE, and LafargeHolcim Awards winner, shares his thoughts about the role of architecture in the Covid-19 Crisis.

“Washing hands, staying at home and social distancing will not work in communities with poor access to water, sanitation and other infrastructure. Our cities are built by and rely on this informal workforce – so we need investment and innovation in affordable housing to better meet a future crisis,” says Avneesh Tiwari, Mumbai-based architect, founder of atArchitecture and LafargeHolcim Awards winner.

“It might reframe the act of designing for the 21st century,” says Brazilian architect Eduardo Pizarro. “How do we rebuild the sense of common in cities which are already unequal, fragmented, segregated?”

The LafargeHolcim Foundation has decided to postpone the regional prize hand-over events until next year, in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. This 5-minute video by Edward Schwarz, General Manager of the LafargeHolcim Foundation explains how the Awards competition schedule has been adapted.

“The #LafargeHolcimAwards is a very positive Catalyst for Change – and sheds light on what #SustainableConstruction means in different cities around the world” says Noor Marji, who studied architecture at the German Jordanian University. She won a Next Generation prize in 2017 for a hybrid structure that takes on both architectural and infrastructural traits, while restoring a piece of the Amman’s undulating terrain.

“The LafargeHolcim Awards is a great opportunity to elevate your project – and be part of a global conversation on design excellence and sustainability in architecture” says Sharon Johnston.

Johnston Marklee won an Acknowledgement prize in 2017 for the renovation and extension of the Graduate Art Studios at UCLA in Culver City, California. Sharon Johnston will be a member of the jury for North America in 2020. The LafargeHolcim Awards is the world’s most significant competition for sustainable design.

“Winning a prize not only gives you a boost professionally – it also helps to build momentum with all stakeholders in the project to move towards construction” says Joaquín Pérez-Goicoechea. AGi architects won an Acknowledgement prize for Bio-Palimpsest that addresses archaeological sites in Pontevedra, Spain as whole environments far beyond the excavated artifact.

Entering the LafargeHolcim Awards competition is a great way to push your ideas further” – says Eva Pfannes, Ooze Architects and LafargeHolcim Awards Bronze winner for a sanitation system for informal community in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

More than 80 of the project’s enthusiastic workforce met in the backyard of Atelier masōmī in Niamey, the capital of Niger to recognize the dedicated labor force of local masons, electrical- and metal-workers and technicians.

“You’ll be part of a network of contacts in different industries and countries – which is something we cherish a lot” – says Jeanette Kuo on winning a  LafargeHolcim Awards prize. Karamuk Kuo Architects project for an excavation center at Augusta Raurica provides a flexible structure system for safeguarding the largest Roman archaeological site in Switzerland.

“Follow a material’s life-cycle to get a better view of the industry,” concludes Kai-Uwe Bergmann at the LafargeHolcim Forum on “Re-materializing construction”. Bergmann is partner architect at Bjarke Ingels Group and was a workshop respondent at the LafargeHolcim Forum for Sustainable Construction. 

“We need to challenge the limits of materials,” demands Jens Diebold following the LafargeHolcim Forum on “Re-materializing construction”. Diebold is Head of Sustainable Development of LafargeHolcim and member of the Board of the LafargeHolcim Foundation. 

“It’s important to talk about how to deal with materials in the future,” says Francis Kéré following the LafargeHolcim Forum on “Re-materializing construction”. Kéré is principal of Kéré Architecture in Berlin and was a keynote speaker at the LafargeHolcim Forum for Sustainable Construction.