Holcim Foundation

Introduction Holcim Foundation – It is the mission of the Holcim Foundation to select and support initiatives that combine sustainable construction solutions with architectural excellence and enhanced quality of life beyond technical solutions. The Holcim Foundation therefore encourages sustainable responses to the technological, environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural issues affecting building and construction.

The primary objective of the Holcim Foundation is the non-commercial promotion and development of sustainable construction at national, regional, and global levels. Utilizing the global reach of the Holcim Group, the Holcim Foundation accelerates progress towards sustainable construction, encouraging initiatives in support of sustainable approaches to the provision of housing and infrastructure in developing and industrialized nations alike. The Holcim Foundation seeks to unite diverse global expertise and increase awareness of the critical role of the built environment in sustainability. Promoting best practice, pioneering fresh solutions, and inspiring young architects, engineers, planners, developers and contractors to adopt sustainable parameters for all their building projects are just a few of its ambitious objectives.

The Holcim Foundation's objectives are being implemented by a series of initiatives, one of them being the Holcim Awards for Sustainable Construction. The Holcim Awards is an international competition that recognizes innovative projects and future-oriented concepts on regional and global levels. A total of USD 2 million in prize money is awarded in each three-year cycle. The competition seeks projects that demonstrate an ability to stretch conventional notions about sustainable building and also balance environmental, social and economic performance – while also exemplifying architectural excellence and a high degree of transferability. The next competition will open for submissions on July 1, 2013 at www.holcimawards.org.

Global Holcim Awards 2012 Jury
Global Holcim Innovation Prize 2012 Jury

The Holcim Foundation also conducts the Holcim Forums, a series of symposiums on the topic of sustainable construction. The three-day conference including workshops and site visits is an academic platform for architects, engineers, construction professionals and specialists of all generations to exchange information on creating a sustainable built environment and thus advancing sustainable development. The 4th International Holcim Forum for Sustainable Construction will take place from April 11 to 13, 2013 in Mumbai, India and focus on the topic of “Economy of Sustainable Construction”. The conference will examine the paradigm shift associated with growing awareness of the considerable economic potential of sustainable development.