Beijing village design wins Holcim award

The award, announced in New Delhi last week, acknowledged that the project's comprehensive urban planning strategy adopted by Yue Zhang and Feng Ni improves logistics, public utilities and services while meeting stringent ecological and energy-saving targets for new buildings.

Hosted for the second year, the Holcim Awards for Sustainable Construction from across the Asia Pacific region were announced at a ceremony in New Delhi.

Total prize money of US$270,000 (Bt9.5 million) was presented to 10 projects that showed future-oriented and tangible approaches to urban renewal and development, energy efficiency and affordable housing.

The Holcim Awards Silver went to a project to build a new 40-hectare university campus in the suburbs of Ho Chi Minh City, designed by Japanese architect Kazuhiro Kojima. The campus design proposal blends with its natural environment and uses prevalent winds for natural ventilation of buildings and open circulation areas to reduce air-conditioning use. The striking design strategy creates a robust system that is adaptable to the changing needs of the university community.

The project submitted by American architect Mark Igou and Indian builder Sanjay Chawla was commended for optimising shading and day-lighting in a planned office building on the outskirts of Hyderabad, India. The building reduces energy consumption by 35-40 per cent compared to conventional designs by using courtyards and optimising building orientation towards the sun. Angled vertical walls on the southern facade create self-shading effects that minimise solar heat gain while maintaining views and high daylight levels.