The construction industry is undergoing a significant transformation as sustainable material selection moves from optional to essential in project planning. The Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction, one of the most influential global programs recognizing ecological innovation, recently announced the winners of its North American awards in Toronto. These projects represent the cutting edge of what is possible when material science, ecological design, and engineering converge. For builders and specifiers, understanding these award-winning concepts offers a window into the future of sustainable construction and the materials that will define the next generation of building.
The Holcim Foundation and Its Five Pillars of Sustainable Construction
The Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction operates the Holcim Awards program, which is held every three years and honors innovative, future-oriented, and tangible construction projects that have not yet been built. What makes these awards particularly meaningful is that nearly half of all past winners have gone on to be built or are under construction, proving that the program identifies genuinely viable concepts rather than theoretical exercises.
The selection process uses a rigorous framework known as the five Ps: progress, people, planet, prosperity, and place. This methodology considers environmental, social, and economic performance while requiring architectural excellence and a high degree of transferability across different contexts.
The Five Ps Defined
- Progress – The degree of innovation and forward thinking in the design approach and construction methodology.
- People – Social sustainability, including community impact, equity, and quality of life improvements for building occupants and neighbors.
- Planet – Environmental performance, covering carbon footprint, resource efficiency, ecosystem protection, and material lifecycle impacts.
- Prosperity – Economic viability, cost effectiveness, and the potential to generate long-term value for stakeholders.
- Place – Contextual appropriateness, cultural relevance, and how well the project integrates with its physical surroundings.
The jury for the North American competition was led by architect Toshiko Mori and included international experts who evaluated entries against these criteria. The winning projects from this regional competition advanced to the global awards alongside entries from Europe, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific.
Gold Prize: Poreform and the Water Absorptive Urban Skin for Las Vegas
The Gold prize was awarded to Amy Mielke and Caitlin Taylor of the Water Pore Partnership for their project known as Poreform. This concept addresses one of the most pressing environmental challenges in arid urban environments: stormwater management in cities ill equipped to capture and reuse rainfall.
Las Vegas receives limited annual rainfall, but when precipitation does arrive, the city’s extensive paved surfaces create rapid runoff that overwhelms drainage systems and wastes a valuable water resource. The Poreform solution introduces a water absorptive urban skin made from permeable concrete that functions as both a surface material and a water harvesting system.
How Poreform Works
- Surface absorption – A specialized concrete surface capable of rapid water absorption draws rainfall through the pavement layer rather than allowing it to run off.
- Subterranean collection – Water passes through the permeable concrete into a network of underground basins designed to store captured rainfall.
- Water supply augmentation – The system can add more than 75,000 megaliters (20 billion gallons) to the city’s water supply capacity, providing a meaningful buffer against drought conditions.
- Urban flood prevention – By intercepting runoff at the surface, Poreform reduces the risk of flash flooding in urban areas where impervious surfaces dominate the landscape.
This approach represents a shift in thinking about concrete as a sustainable building material. Rather than viewing pavement as an environmental liability, the Poreform team reimagined it as an active component of urban water infrastructure.
Silver and Bronze Winners: Flood Protection and Biocomposite Materials
Silver: BIG and the Dryline Flood Protection System for Lower Manhattan
The Silver prize was awarded to Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) for an urban flood protection concept designed to protect Lower Manhattan from hurricane driven storm surge. The project proposes a 13 kilometer (8 mile) long infrastructural barrier that integrates raised berms and public space infrastructure to mitigate flood damage.
Rather than constructing a simple wall, the BIG team designed a multifunctional landscape that provides flood protection while creating new public amenities. The raised berms are strategically positioned to protect critical infrastructure and underground utilities while establishing an elevated upland landscape that remains accessible for recreation and community use during normal conditions. This dual purpose approach demonstrates how climate adaptation infrastructure can deliver value beyond its primary protective function.
Bronze: Hy-Fi Compostable Brick System by David Benjamin
The Bronze prize went to David Benjamin of The Living architecture lab for Hy-Fi, a zero-carbon compostable structure that was displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. This project introduces an entirely new category of building material: bricks made from agricultural waste and fungal organisms.
The Hy-Fi brick system uses biotechnology, computation, and engineering to create a material that is almost fully organically grown and compostable. Key characteristics include:
- Zero waste manufacturing – The production process generates no waste streams, as all materials are biologically integrated.
- Zero embodied energy – The bricks require essentially no energy to produce, unlike fired clay or cementitious materials.
- Zero carbon emissions – The growth process sequesters carbon rather than releasing it, making the material carbon negative over its lifecycle.
- Full compostability – At the end of its useful life, the structure can be composted, returning nutrients to the soil rather than filling a landfill.
This research into biocomposite materials aligns with broader industry interest in green building certification programs that reward products with low embodied carbon and renewable material content.
Acknowledgement Prize Highlights
Several other projects received Acknowledgement prizes, demonstrating the breadth of sustainable construction thinking in North America:
- ABF-lab architects (Paris) – A public forest park and interactive wall for Seattle that integrates biodiversity into urban infrastructure.
- Kennedy and Violich Architecture (Boston) – The Chrysanthemum Building, an affordable residential urban infill development that demonstrates how sustainability can be achieved in dense urban contexts.
- Woodbury University Arid Lands Institute (Los Angeles) – A digital tool for urban design and water use planning that helps architects and planners make data driven decisions about water resources.
- NADAAA (Boston) – Design for the new home of the University of Toronto’s John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design.
Lessons for Builders and Specifiers from the Holcim Awards
The Holcim Awards projects carry practical implications for builders, specifiers, and material suppliers who are navigating the transition toward more sustainable construction practices. The key themes that emerge from these winning projects translate directly to everyday building decisions.
Summary of Top Three Winning Projects
| Award | Project | Lead Firm | Key Innovation | Primary Material |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Poreform | Water Pore Partnership | Water absorptive concrete urban skin with subterranean storage | Permeable concrete |
| Silver | Dryline | Bjarke Ingels Group | Multifunctional flood barrier system with public space integration | Earthworks and landscape systems |
| Bronze | Hy-Fi | The Living (David Benjamin) | Compostable brick system from agricultural waste and fungal organisms | Biocomposite fungal bricks |
Key Takeaways for Building Professionals
Materials Matter More Than Ever
The Hy-Fi project demonstrates that traditional materials are being reimagined from the ground up. Builders should monitor developments in bio-based materials that offer lower embodied carbon and end-of-life compostability. While fungal bricks are not yet commercially available for mainstream residential construction, the research signals a trajectory toward materials that are grown rather than manufactured. This shift has direct implications for sustainable affordable housing projects seeking innovative material solutions.
Concrete Can Be Part of the Solution
The Poreform project challenges the assumption that concrete is inherently unsustainable. Permeable concrete technologies that manage stormwater, reduce the urban heat island effect, and recharge groundwater supplies represent a growing category of products that builders should evaluate for site development. Advances in concrete mix design, including reduced cement content and alternative binders, are making this ubiquitous material more environmentally compatible.
Climate Adaptation Drives Innovation
The BIG Dryline project highlights the growing demand for infrastructure that serves multiple functions. Builders working in coastal or flood prone regions should consider how site grading, landscape design, and foundation systems can contribute to resilience while adding value for homeowners. Flood resistant construction does not have to mean monolithic barriers; thoughtful design can integrate protective features with usable outdoor space.
Industry Support for Innovation
The Holcim Awards themselves illustrate how material producers can drive industry-wide progress. By funding and recognizing innovative projects, manufacturers play a role in advancing the state of the art in sustainable construction. Builders can leverage manufacturer partnerships to access new products, technical expertise, and educational resources that support their own sustainability goals.
The five winning projects that advanced to the global competition from North America represent a diverse range of approaches to sustainable construction, from material science breakthroughs to large-scale infrastructure interventions. For building professionals who specify materials and manage construction projects, these concepts offer both inspiration and practical direction for the years ahead.