
Two Canadian projects are among the winners of the international Holcim Awards for 2023 by the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction (HFSC), one in the gold category and the other as an acknowledgement.
The projects underscore the breadth of diverse and innovative real-world approaches to transforming the built environment. The competition had 2,380 registrations of interest from 114 countries and 500 submissions that met the entry criteria. Out of these, five projects were awarded a Holcim Awards Gold prize for their outstanding contribution to local sustainable development within their region. These projects, hailing from Canada, China, Ghana, Mexico, and Spain, are relevant design which thoughtfully balance the need for inclusive, human-centric spaces and environmental stewardship.
The winning projects champion advances in approaches ranging from adaptive reuse and material circularity to participatory design and co-operative business models. They also address critical challenges including energy management, community empowerment, and issues of land use and restoration.
The two Canadian winners are:
Gold category winner—(Prize: $100,000 [USD] each)
1925 Victoria Park Ave in Toronto, Ont.; by Well Grounded Real Estate, PARTISANS, Serotiny Group, and CREE Buildings.
A high-tech and low-cost modular housing solution that re-imagines sustainable apartment living through the design of the first 12-floor near-zero, mixed use rental development in Ontario.
Award of acknowledgement winner—(Prize: $100,000 [USD] each)
Muscowpetung Powwow Arbour, Muscowpetung Saulteaux Nation, Sask.; by Oxbow Architecture and Richard Kroeker.
A traditionally constructed cultural space for an indigenous community that supports economic objectives by engaging local sources of labour in the building process.
I would have liked to see at least a typical photo or illustrations of the winning projects. Now I have to do my own research. Intentional?