Canadian entry reaches high stakes in Holcim Awards

The final results of the 2nd Holcim Awards were announced in Switzerland on May 8. The international program recognizes projects “that improve lives, reduce environmental footprints, and lead the way to a more sustainable future.” More than US $2 million is awarded in prize money to projects from all continents in the world. This year 5,000 entries were submitted.

The gold winner was a river remediation and urban development scheme from Fez, Morocco. Silver winner was a low-impact greenfield university campus in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnan, and the bronze prize went to sustainable planning for a rural community in Beijing, China.

An entry from Canada made the top 15 finalists. It is the Living with Lakes Centre for Freshwater Restoration and Research near Science North in Sudbury, Ontario. Consulting engineers J.L. Richards & Associates are helping John Gunn of Laurentian University and architects Peter Busby and Wills of Vancouver with the design.

A book presenting the award-winning projects has been published for US $35, but parts of the book can be read online at www.holcimawards.org/publications