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Foundations 22, the magazine of the LafargeHolcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction, reviews the Global LafargeHolcim Awards 2018 winning projects from Mexico, Niger and the USA. The latest winners in the world’s leading competition for sustainable design showcase how innovation in design, construction, and materials deliver infrastructure that excels in social, ecological, and economic performance.

As homage to Spanish-Mexican architect and engineer Félix Candela, Zaha Hadid Architects designed an experimental structure called “KnitCandela”. Constructed at the Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (MUAC) in Mexico City, it is part of Zaha Hadid Architects’ first exhibition in Latin America. The dazzling concrete form reimagines Candela’s thin concrete structures through the introduction of new computational design methods and innovative formwork technology which were developed in Zurich.

“The LafargeHolcim Awards was the most important recognition we received,” said Kai-Uwe Bergmann, Partner architect at BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group. He presented the Awards prize-winning project “BIG-U (Dryline)”, protecting lower Manhattan from flooding, at the 12th Holcim Bau-Forum in Hannover, Germany. Under the theme of “Direction: Future”, the event brought together builders, architects, planners, and authorities for an inspiring exchange on the future of building and construction. In the context of diverse challenges including climate change, resource conservation, labor and digitization – Kai-Uwe Bergmann presented a range of projects that look to an exciting future, and a challenging role for architecture.

The Lake Victoria Challenge (LVC) held in Mwanza, Tanzania is the first-ever international symposium on drones and their possibilities in Africa. The World Bank estimates the global demand for drone infrastructure to surpass USD 130 billion in the near future confirmed Bella Bird, World Bank Director for Eastern Africa. The LCV was held in Tanzania’s second largest city on the shore of Lake Victoria, where the opportunities for development that leapfrogs the need for physical infrastructure were abundant and compelling.

To pursue its goal of promoting sustainability in construction on a global basis, the LafargeHolcim Foundation has established a network of renowned technical universities on all continents. The latest university to join is the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT Chicago). “We are thrilled to be associated with a school on a campus that is mentioned in the curriculum of every student of architecture around the world,” said Marc Angélil, Head of the Academic Committee and member of the Board of the Foundation, as the Memorandum of Understanding was signed.

The architect designed a school for the village of Aït Benhaddou in Morocco that combines sustainable construction methods with tradition. Her design relies heavily on a local building material – earth.

“The international recognition of the LafargeHolcim Awards has motivated us keep on fighting to make our project become a reality,” said Sol Camacho and Jonathan Franklin as they received their Global Awards 2018 finalist certificate from Juliana Adrigueto and Bruna Mattos, representing LafargeHolcim in Brazil. The design for a mixed-use civic hub with durable, low-maintenance architecture and long-term financing in the neighborhood of Paraisópolis in São Paulo had received the Awards Silver for Latin America in 2017.

How does sustainable construction support the Indonesian government to improve the quality of education? This was the question addressed by two LafargeHolcim Awards winning teams at an event hosted by Holcim Indonesia at the Jakarta Design Center.

A series of “Microlibrary” learning centers that aim to raise literacy by offering attractive spaces for reading by SHAU; and a school hub built using local materials that empowers local craftsmen by SASO Architecture Studio were showcased. Both projects illustrate how sustainable design can improve education quality – a commitment made by the national government under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework of the United Nations.

Two of the four most recent LafargeHolcim Awards Next Generation prizes for Latin America were conferred to teams from the Universidad National de Córdoba (UNC). The team that won the regional Next Generation 1st prize with their “Tidal Energy Landscape” project were also recipients of an Global Ideas prize selected by the Global LafargeHolcim Awards jury 2018, chaired by Alejandro Aravena (Chile).

The mass-timber buildings “Platforms for life” allow residents to adapt their living space to their personal needs – time and time again. The deeply integrated ecosystem of design engineering, technology and precision manufacturing is also sustainable in every other way. This achievement was made possible by decades of research.

Princeton University student Georgian Baronian is examining how large-scale structures can benefit from using water on the roof as a thermal insulator and solar reflector. She was presented with her Global LafargeHolcim Awards Ideas prize by Roland Köhler, Chairman of the Board of the LafargeHolcim Foundation and Maria Atkinson, founding CEO of the Green Building Council of Australia, and member of the Board of the LafargeHolcim Foundation.

Monika Gschwind, President of the Canton of Basel-Landschaft Government, praised Karamuk Kuo Architects of Zurich for their project to create an excavation center in the village of Augst: “You are working on the future in a historic environment,” she said. The Chief architect of the Canton of Basel-Landschaft, Marco Frigerio, confirmed that construction of the flexible and functional low-tech building will start in early-2019.

Internationally renowned architect Enrique Norten was interviewed at the recent LafargeHolcim Awards Next Generation Lab held at IBERO (Universidad Iberoamericana) in Mexico City. He reflected on the “enthusiasm of youth” as well as the importance of tradition, networking and nurturing ideas. The Awards Lab is an initiative of the LafargeHolcim Foundation that supports young professionals to further their concepts in sustainable design, and encourage innovation in building and construction.

Regarding water, Mexico City is struggling with a paradoxical situation: On one hand, there is a shortage of drinking water – and on the other, torrential downpours flood the streets every year. Parque Hídrico Quebradora is designed to usher in a new era of water management.

To get its guests including more than 50 young professionals and students from 25 countries in mood for the Global LafargeHolcim Awards hand-over in Mexico City, the LafargeHolcim Foundation and colleagues from Holcim Mexico organized a visit to a construction site that seems to break all records. At a cost of USD 14 billion, the new international airport for Mexico City is expected to begin operations by 2020, almost doubling the current capacity to 75 million passengers annually through its main terminal, 96 gates and three concurrent runways.

More than 50 young architects and engineers participated in the international LafargeHolcim Next Generation Awards Lab hosted by Universidad Iberoamericana (IBERO) in Mexico City. Representing 25 countries, the young professionals exchanged experiences and ideas on the future of sustainability in building and construction. Introductory lectures by acclaimed Mexican architects Tatiana Bilbao and Michel Rojkind, and IBERO Director of Architecture, Urbanism & Civil Engineering, José Luis Gutiérrez, inspired the participants. Three project teams each received a two-year LafargeHolcim Research in Practice Grant of USD 75,000 based on the evaluation of their project at the Lab.

As part of the Global LafargeHolcim Awards handover program in Mexico City, guests were invited to visit the main winning project – a publicly accessible water retention and treatment complex “La Quebradora.” Among the participants was Lia Leutenegger, a student from Switzerland, who summarizes her experience as follows.

The members of the Board of the LafargeHolcim Foundation met in Mexico City so their meeting would coincide with the Awards Lab at IBERO (Universidad Iberoamericana) and the global Awards hand-over in the city. Enrique Norten hosted his fellow Board members and invited them to visit the Luis Barragán House and Studio (Casa Luis Barragán), a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2004.

The winning projects of the Global LafargeHolcim Awards 2018 from Mexico, Niger and the USA showcase how innovation in design, construction, and materials deliver sustainable infrastructure that excels in social, ecological, and economic performance. The competition’s top prizes were handed-over in Mexico City, where the Gold winning project is under construction and reiterates the importance of water as a resource in urban contexts.

More than 50 young architects and engineers participated in the international LafargeHolcim Next Generation Awards Lab hosted by Universidad Iberoamericana (IBERO) in Mexico City. Representing 25 countries, they exchanged experiences and ideas on the future of sustainability in building and construction. The students and professionals were inspired by introductory lectures by internationally renowned Mexican architects Tatiana Bilbao and Michel Rojkind, and IBERO Director of Architecture, Urbanism & Civil Engineering José Luis Gutiérrez Brezmes.