LafargeHolcim Awards 2017 – Latin America

Every three years the LafargeHolcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction gives out USD 2 million in awards in what they consider "the world's most significant competition in sustainable design." The fifth iteration of the international competition drew 5,085 entries by authors in 121 countries. With so many entries, the competition is carried out in five regions, as in previous years. The first regional awards were given out for Middle East Africa followed by Europe and now Latin America. Subsequent awards will be made for North America and Asia Pacific. Winners qualify for the Global Holcim Award 2018 to be decided in March 2018.

Below we highlight the Gold, Silver and Bronze winners selected by the nine-member jury in May. They were asked to select winners based on five "target issues" that "aim to clarify principles for sustaining the human habitat for future generations."

Gold: Publicly accessible water retention and treatment complex in Mexico City
​Authors: Manuel Perló Cohen and Loreta Castro Reguera, Mexico City

Jury report: "Working with the topography of the site, this project reintroduces soft surfaces for water retention into a city that has all but eliminated them. The jury was impressed by the equal attention given to technical considerations of water management, social provision of public space, and the economics of construction as well as long-term maintenance. Moreover, the design is spatially compelling – by articulating the logic of the water, it creates an attractive, dignified public realm in an area lacking basic infrastructure."

Silver: Neighborhood center in Paraisópolis, São Paulo, Brazil
Authors: Sol Camacho Davalos and Jonathan Franklin, São Paulo

Jury report: "In an exciting inversion, the social space of the project precedes the physical space. The jury was greatly impressed by this logic and the corresponding long-term investment strategy that makes compelling sustainable development financially feasible. The intelligence of the economic architecture is matched by robust building forms that house activities determined by the community. Construction is strategically based as much as possible on existing local methods that have been adapted to improve durability and decrease maintenance. As the site is made and remade, it is continuously strengthening its role as a center for community empowerment."

Bronze: Sanitation system in informal communities of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Authors: Eva Pfannes and Sylvain Hartenberg, Rotterdam

Jury report: "The jury was impressed with the detailed analysis of water flows as an urban 'circulatory system' running through the favela. Taking on the pressing challenge of water sanitation in informal areas in Rio de Janeiro with intelligence and playfulness, the proposal challenges the notion that sewage needs to be hidden away underground and introduces innovation into a stigmatized but crucial part of urban infrastructure. By making water treatment local and visible, the proposed scheme creates an active relationship between water management and the community."

Visit the Holcim Awards website for more information on the winning projects and to see the four winners of the Acknowledgement Prizes and the four recipients of the "Next Generation" prizes for young architects and students.