The LafargeHolcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction was created in 2003 (as the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction) to raise awareness of the important role that architecture, engineering, urban planning and construction have in achieving a more sustainable future – and to globally encourage critical interdisciplinary and long-range perspectives.
Following the completion of the merger that gave birth to LafargeHolcim in 2015, the Foundation also changed its name. Eric Olsen, CEO, and members of the Executive Committee of LafargeHolcim Roland Köhler (responsible for Europe) and Gérard Kuperfarb (responsible for Growth and Innovation), represent LafargeHolcim on the Board of the Foundation.
The primary objective of the Foundation is to select and support a range of initiatives that extend beyond technical solutions to promoting sustainable construction approaches and solutions that embrace architectural excellence and enhanced quality of life.
USD 2 million Awards competition for sustainable construction
The LafargeHolcim Awards is the most significant global competition in sustainable design. It seeks leading projects of professionals as well as bold ideas from the Next Generation that combine sustainable construction solutions with architectural excellence. Organized by the LafargeHolcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction, the competition identifies the ideas with the highest potential to tackle today’s challenges to increasing urbanization and to improve quality of life.
Projects and concepts from the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, planning, technology, and civil and materials engineering are eligible to be entered online in the USD 2 million Awards competition; it closes for submissions on March 21, 2017.
LafargeHolcim Forum symposiums
The LafargeHolcim Forum is a series of symposiums conducted by the Foundation, together with its partner universities, to advance the academic discussion of sustainable construction. Every three years, around 300 experts from around the world meet to discuss challenges of today’s urbanization processes and built environment.
The conferences are complemented by the release of technical publications, and offer architects, engineers, building professionals and experts from all generations and geographic locations an interdisciplinary academic platform for exchanging ideas and information.
Leading thinkers from architecture, civil engineering, urban planning, social science, business, and industry from 40 countries met in Detroit at the 5th International LafargeHolcim Forum on April 7-9, 2016. “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.
Publications on exemplary buildings
Through its activities, the Foundation has developed a close-knit global network of stakeholder groups, and it has grown to assume the role of information hub. The Foundation publishes booklets on exemplary sustainable construction projects, as well as maintaining a comprehensive Internet presence and Social Media engagement.
A new book published by the LafargeHolcim Foundation examines two progressive and influential projects by Montreal-based architect Daniel Pearl and his team from l’OUEF.
The approach to changing the way communities are designed and built tracks progress on the redevelopment of Benny Farm, the first ever Global Holcim Awards Bronze 2006 winner, a follow-up project at Rosemont, and plans for the forthcoming Bois Ellen Cooperative Residence. The projects include major innovations with respect to building envelope, energy efficiency, thermal comfort, and interior air quality that are rarely seen in this depth at this scale for affordable housing.
Banner image: Turning a water reservoir into public space, winner of the Global Holcim Awards 2015: Articulated Site – Water reservoirs as public park, is a landscape and urban design project for a public park in Medellín, Colombia.