Teams from Mexico and Colombia have received top honors in the 2014 regional Holcim Awards for Latin America, an award which recognizes the most innovative and advanced sustainable construction designs. Among the top three winners is a Colombian water reservoir turned public park and low-impact timber rainforest center in Costa Rica.
The 12 recognized projects will share over $300,000 in prize money, with the top three projects overall going on to be considered for the global Holcim Awards, to be selected in 2015.
The full list of Latin American winners, after the break…
GOLD: Articulated Site: Water reservoirs as public park (Medellin, Colombia)
Authors: Mario Fernando Camargo Gómez - Colectivo720, Cali, Colombia; Luis Orlando Tombé Hurtado - Colectivo720, Cali, Colombia
This project for a public park centers on creating spaces around and above a series of water reservoirs. Architectural form takes inspiration from the site’s history, surrounding topography, and structure of the existing tanks and pools, resulting in an intervention with minimal environmental impact.
Special attention is given to water management, using recycling technologies involving rainwater and grey water harvesting through simple systems for irrigation of the park.
SILVER: Arboreal Platform: Low-impact timber rainforest center (Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica)
Authors: Román Jesús Cordero Tovar - PLUG architecture, Mérida, Mexico; Izbeth Katia Mendoza Fragoso - PLUG architecture, Mérida, Mexico
The design for Fundecor’s headquarters is appropriately located in the midst of a forest. The nonprofit organization aims to “contribute to sustainable management of natural resources and improve quality of life” in rainforest regions.
Accordingly, the knowledge center will inform its users about the management of woodlands and the benefits to develop an economy dependent on forestry services, while promoting environmental conservation.
BRONZE: Children’s House: Pedagogically-aligned school (San Andrés Payuca, México)
Authors: Francisco Pardo - AT103, Mexico City, Mexico; Julio Amezcua - AT103, Mexico City, Mexico
Children’s House is founded on an alternative educational model, offering activities that find solutions to the real problems of the population in a rural community. The curriculum includes instruction in agriculture, farming and building construction, in addition to normal course work.
The school’s design – arranged by Fundación la Concepción and self-built by the community – proposes the use of cement-reinforced compacted blocks using local earth.
Acknowledgement Prize: Breathing Envelope: Vertically-stacked convention center and public spaces
Authors: Daniel Bermúdez Samper - Daniel Bermúdez Arquitecto, Bogota, Colombia; Juan Herreros - Estudio Herreros, Madrid, Spain
Acknowledgement Prize: Harvesting Agriculture: Community center for water harvesting and agriculture
Authors: Joaquin Trillo - Red Comunidades Rurales, Tilcara, Argentina; Damian Ariel Fernandez - Red Comunidades Rurales, Tilcara, Argentina; Vicky Gonzalez - Manos de Hermanos, Formosa, Argentina
Acknowledgement Prize: Indoor – Outdoor: Site-responsive school
Authors: Maciej Siuda - Maciej Siuda architect, Warsaw, Poland; Łukasz Piasta - Freelancer, Wroclaw, Poland; Marta Niedbalec - Freelancer, Wroclaw, Poland; Katarzyna Dąbkowska - Freelancer, Wroclaw, Poland; Kamil Rusinek - Freelancer, Warsaw, Poland; Jerzy Mazurkiewicz - Freelancer, Wroclaw, Poland
Acknowledgement Prize: Rural Campus: University campus for community regeneration
Authors: Oscar Hagerman - Universidad del Medio Ambiente, Mexico City, Mexico; Arturo Farías - Universidad del Medio Ambiente, Mexico City, Mexico; Juan Carlos Cano - Cano Vera Arquitectura, Mexico City, Mexico; Paloma Vera - Cano Vera Arquitectura, Mexico City, Mexico; Federico Llamas - Universidad del Medio Ambiente, Valle de Bravo, Mexico; Miguel Campero - Centro Viva, Valle de Bravo, Mexico; Francisco Bonilla - Universidad del Medio Ambiente, Mexico City, Mexico
Acknowledgement Prize: Under Construction: Restoring an urban historical center
Authors: David Barragán - Al Borde Arquitectos, Quito, Ecuador; Pascual Gangotena - Al Borde Arquitectos, Quito, Ecuador; Esteban Benavides - Al Borde Arquitectos, Quito, Ecuador
“Next Generation” FIRST Prize: Fruit Salad: Riverside urban infrastructure redeployment
Authors: Christian Barrera - Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina; Alaniz Gerardo Alejandro - Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina; Ivan Gabriel Baez - Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina; Patricio Francisco Cuello - Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
“Next Generation” SECOND Prize: Laguna Chapel: Recycled timber church and community center
Authors: Andres Soliz Paz - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico; Lazbent Pavel Escobedo Amaral - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
“Next Generation” THIRD Prize: Den-City: Urban regeneration through densification
Authors: Lucía Zunino - Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina; Maya Karenina Wilberger - Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
“Next Generation” FOURTH Prize: Plaza Mediateca: Library and media center
Authors: Fabricio Andrés Mora Cruz - Universidad Latina (Heredia), San Jose, Costa Rica; María Emilia Sánchez Cerdas - Universidad Latina (Heredia), San Jose, Costa Rica; Adrián Guillermo Castro Rivera - Universidad Hispanoamericana, San José, Costa Rica
Project description and news via the Holcim Foundation.
