“Composition of Knowledge House” wins Golden Prize HOLCIM 2023. In a recognition of innovation and sustainability in construction, the Holcim Foundation has announced the winners of the prestigious Holcim Awards 2023. Among the standouts, this “Composition of Knowledge House” project in Madrid has secured the coveted award, standing out as a beacon of sustainable design and construction.
The competition attracted the attention of 2,380 applicants from 114 countries, with 500 projects meeting the rigorous entry criteria. Five projects, each representing a specific region of the world, were honored with the Gold award, giving them a total of US$100,000 each. Among these, “Composition of Knowledge House” stood out as a flagship project that embodies the values of sustainable construction.
Basics for a Golden Prize HOLCIM
The European-wide winning project led by the team of HUSOS, ELII, and Ultrazul, transforms a former industrial building into a vibrant community center. What distinguishes “Composition of Knowledge House” is its 360° co-design approach, which goes beyond mere architectural renovation. This project embraces the circularity of materials while driving urban biodiversity. It thus sets a remarkable standard for the sustainable transformation of the built environment.
The building’s facade solution was the result of Grupo GUBIA’s consultancy. It is a three-dimensional facade that we managed to modularize and optimize at the level of wood section. We chose chestnut laminated timber as the first option, using wood-wood joints in their meetings and stainless steel anchors to the existing structure. This facade becomes a prelude to a very interesting rehabilitation. We are very proud to have been part of its design in terms of wood facade construction solutions and thus have contributed to the sustainable objective advocated by the project in its entirety.
The “El 17” project and the other winners of the HOLCIM Awards 2023 Gold Prize not only represent exceptional architectural achievements, but also serve as inspiration for a future where sustainability and innovation are central to the construction of the built environment.
For more information about our work in this project, please click here.
