The first prize of $100,000 (£56,000) in the Asia Pacific Holcim awards
competition for sustainable construction has gone to a design project
for the regeneration of a clan settlement at Hangzhou, China.
Ashok B. Lalla, a member of the Holcim jury, said the scheme was an
innovative response to China’s ageing cities and showed how new urban
spaces can be integrated into traditional neighbourhoods.
The project, by the Shanghai architect Professor Chang Qing, was also
praised for its ethical sensitive involvement of local residents and
its ecological approach.
The competition is run by the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable
Construction, set up by the international Holcim building materials
company. Five of the world’s leading technical universities are
involved, and the aim is to promote sustainable approaches to the built
environment. The total prize money in the Asia Pacific section of the
awards is $220,000.
Feng Zhijun, vice-chairman of the Chinese government’s environment and
resources protection committee, said at the Beijing ceremony: ‘In a
rapidly developing Businesses in Hong Kong now have their own CSR
charter. The Community Business Leadership Team, a Hong Kong charity
comprising senior executives from 23 companies, drew up the charter to
encourage CSR attitudes throughout the area.
The aim is to give organizations a CSR framework and a declaration to
show stakeholders they are committed, and to encourage companies to
understand the importance of CSR to their business and to become
committed. The charter will help signatories to implement CSR policies
and compare their performance with that of other participants.
economy such as China’s, reaching a balance between the needs of
humanity and the environment is a critical need now – and also in the
future.’
The second prize of £50,000 was awarded to a project by Ronald Roland
Cesar Rodriguez to provide a habitat for marine life by assisting the
regeneration of coral reefs in the Philippines.
The third prize of $25,000 was taken by a housing renovation project to
create a building envelope ‘air suit’ in Hiroshima, Japan, by architect
Kazuhide Doi. Lall said this was a solution to extending building life
that is beneficial on economic and ecological levels.
The competition’s Asia Pacific section attracted nearly 300 entries
from 17 countries. There were 1500 projects from 118 countries in the
whole competition. The three best projects in every region will
participate in the global awards competition in Bangkok next April.
