Among the finalists are an entry from the Philippines in which concrete substrates are used to speed up the restoration of coral reefs and an urban renewal project in China that fits housing for extended families into a neighbourhood without requiring wholesale demolition or resettlement.

An entry from Japan, referred to as an "air suit", upgrades buildings to increase energy efficiency by wrapping them in a "new skin".

An urban planning project from Italy - "waterpower renewal" - combines historic preservation with contemporary architecture and uses water to power "self-sustaining buildings".

One of the two entries from Canada is an industrial product in which concrete moulds are made from fabric, which allows greater flexibility. Designs for roof gardens in Argentina and an underground railway station in Germany are also in the race.

Thailand's Suvarnabhumi international airport will be showcased as an example of sustainable construction.

"About 600 architects from around the world will visit the site of the new airport, which was designed by world-renowned architect Hermut Yan. Its energy-saving features make the new airport a sustainable development," said Chantana Kukumanond, executive vice president of Siam City Cement, an organiser of the event.

The awards, sponsored by one of the world's largest cement groups, Holcim, was initiated at the Earth Summit in 1992 to promote green designs and raise awareness about sustainable development among architects.

The first round of the awards started in 2004. The 15 candidates competing for global awards won regional competitions. A total of US$2 million (Bt76 million) will be handed out in the regional and global awards.

"This event is the first of its kind as judges will pick three finalists for the gold, silver and bronze prizes. Altogether, we received more than 3,000 nominations from 118 countries," Chantana said.

"The top three entries from five continents will be competing for the final Bt36 million awards here. We hope the event will raise more awareness of sustainable development among architects and people in the cement and construction industries," Chantana said.

The theme is to combine sustainable construction solutions with architectural excellence to enhance the quality of life.

In 2004, nominations were submitted for the first round of five regional awards. The final 15 candidates were selected for the top prizes.

The panel of judges includes members of five leading academic institutions from five regions: the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tongi University of China, University of Sao Paulo and University of the Witwatersrand of South Africa.

Chantana said the awards had yet to gain recognition among Thai architects.

"Maybe, our public relations campaign was poor. In China, there were many applications and nominations after applications.

"Here we obtained only seven nominations and some failed to meet the organisers' conditions due to language and technical problems," she said.

However, the next round of Holcim awards, which begins next year, should attract more Thai entries as the construction industry will step up its campaign to encourage Thais to participate.

"Besides financial incentives, we think participation can boost competitiveness as all designs must be practical in terms of construction. They also need to be environmentally friendly, conserve energy and display a wise choice of materials that match climate and surroundings," Chantana said.

As host of this year's event, Thailand should benefit from the visitors the event will draw.

For a cement industry to co-host a green event may seem somewhat ironic, but it shows that the industry can play a role to improve the planet by promoting innovative architecture designs, Chantana said.

Kamol Sukin

The Nation