First Winners of Holcim Awards Announced

Words: Dan Kamys First Winners of Holcim Awards Announced

??

The Holcim Awards Gold 2011 for Africa Middle East award and $100,000 were awarded to Di??b??do Francis K??r??, of K??r?? Architecture in Berlin, for a school project in Burkina Faso that uses only solar and wind power to cool the classrooms. By routing air through underground tubes, planting vegetation, and using double-skin roofs and facades, a significant thermal reduction is achieved.

Holcim Awards Silver went to a school refurbishment project in Palestine that improves natural ventilation and thermal insulation to create a comfortable climate and energy savings. Holcim Awards Bronze was presented to a sustainable construction training center in Morocco, which concentrates on the use of local resources.

Four Acknowledgement prizes were shared for projects in Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. The “Next Generation” (student category) prize-winning projects are located in Ethiopia, Morocco and South Africa.

The Holcim Awards ceremony in Casablanca was the first of five events. Others will follow in Milan, Buenos Aires, Washington, D.C., and Singapore.

Designing Masonry Openings Without Compromising Aesthetics
July 2026

One of masonry's greatest strengths is its ability to create visually striking architecture. From arches and deep reveals to decorative brick detailing, masonry provides texture, depth, and character that continue to inspire architects today. As buildin

Erica Oliveraz
MAP Partner
Read More
Restoring the Breath of the Building: The Life-Saving Science Behind Historic Masonry Repairs
July 2026

When I first set out to become a historic preservation and restoration mason, I imagined that most of my trade would involve repairing the effects of old age. Instead, 99 percent of my work is attempting to stabilize and reverse damage caused by recent an

Technical Talks
Read More
Laying the Foundation for the Future: Workforce Development at the Arizona Masonry Council
July 2026

For generations, masonry has been built on a simple but powerful principle: knowledge passed from one set of hands to the next. In Arizona, the Arizona Masonry Council (AMC) is working to ensure that tradition continues by investing in one of the industr

Dawn Rogers
Industry News
Read More
Preserving Masonry Aesthetics with Concealed Lintel Systems
July 2026

Masonry has long been valued for its ability to create buildings with character, permanence, and visual appeal. Features such as arches, deep reveals, corbelling, and decorative brickwork continue to be popular design elements in modern architecture. Howe

Erica Oliveraz
MAP Partner
Read More