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By Phyllis MUCHOKI
The Holcim Foundation Monday unveiled the seventh edition of the Holcim Awards competition for sustainable construction, with a rallying call for local participation.
Read: Bamburi cement unveils green construction project
The US$ 1 million (Sh 124.9 million) Holcim Awards which ends on March 30, is the world’s most significant competition for sustainable design and recognizes and promotes building initiatives that combine environmentally friendly designs and construction with architectural excellence.
It targets companies and professionals from the Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and North America for entries, which will be accepted from February 6 through March 30, 2023. Each region will receive a share of the US$ 200,000 or Sh24.9 million that will be shared among the Holcim Awards Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Acknowledgement prize recipients.
In his remarks on this year’s Awards, Bamburi Cement Managing Director Seddiq Hassani urged local firms in the construction industry to enter the competition in order to promote their brands internationally and showcase their commitment to green building.
“Participation in this award scheme is the construction sector’s assurance to innovative building with less to zero harm on the environment on the back of increasing pressure from the government and private sector to minimize our environmental impact,” Hassani said, adding that the annual Holcim Awards targets architects, planners, engineers and project owners embracing sustainable solutions with less environmental impact.
Also Read: Bamburi Cement pledges large cut in emissions
Sustainable construction focuses on reducing impact on the environment by using recyclable and renewable construction materials, minimizing energy consumption as well as waste production.
The competition entries targets architects, planners, engineers, project owners and other players adjudged to display sustainable responses towards technological, environmental, socioeconomic and cultural issues.
The construction projects eligible for the entries can be at any complete stage including; completed design, under construction, and completed construction.
The competition’s final winners will be revealed on November 18 during the Venice Biennale of Architecture in Italy. The majority of the worldwide prize-winning projects in the sixth edition of the Awards last year came from the Asia Pacific and Middle East Africa regions.
Holcim Awards has received 30,000 entries from 130 countries since its inception in 2003.