Prizes awarded to sustainable construction projects in Asia Pacific

Zurich/Beijing, September 23, 2005. USD 220,000 in prize money was presented to the best submissions from Asia Pacific in the Holcim Awards competition for sustainable construction projects. The competition run by the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction in collaboration with five of the world’s leading technical universities aims to promote sustainable approaches to the built environment.

At the awards ceremony held in Beijing, China’s Vice Chairman of the Environment and Resources Protection Committee and member of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, Feng Zhijun, said that sustainability had become a critical issue globally. Using the example of China, he showed how maintaining the momentum of economic development in balance with environmental performance and social responsibility demanded sustainable construction as one part of the solution. "In a rapidly developing economy such as China’s, reaching a balance between the needs of humanity and the environment was a critical need now - and also in the future," he said.

Contribution to sustainable development
The awards ceremony for the region of Asia Pacific was held at the historic Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. More than 300 politicians, diplomats, architects, and business people from 12 countries in the region attended the event. In his welcome address Holcim Ltd Chairman and Holcim Foundation Advisory Board Chairman, Dr. Rolf Soiron (Switzerland), stressed that progress and sustainable development are closely linked to the name
Holcim: "Through the Holcim Foundation we are significantly promoting public understanding of sustainable construction."