Evaluation
After a technical pre-assessment, individual juries in each of the five regions will evaluate and rank the entries. The juries consist of independent, renowned experts from architecture, urban planning, engineering and related disciplines.
Entries are evaluated using the Foundation’s renewed goals for sustainable construction:
- Uplifting places: Beautiful and spatially relevant structures that work in unison with the local context and culture.
- Healthy planet: Structures that minimize resource use, avoid emissions, and embed solutions to repair ecosystems and restore biodiversity.
- Viable economics: Financial planning that combines short term project feasibility with long term circular value creation.
- Thriving communities: Inclusive and affordable living environments that cultivate equity, health, and well-being.
Participation
Entries in the Holcim Foundation Awards competition may be submitted by the project’s design and construction team, which consists of the author(s) and all other persons responsible for the project. Eligible for participation are private/public promoters or clients, investors, architects, planners, engineers, construction firms, contractors, and builders involved in the project, providing that they hold the right of authorship or are participating in agreement with the person(s) holding the right of authorship.
An authorized Contact Person must be nominated to act as the sole point of contact regarding the submission.
Entries must meet the Eligibility Criteria of the competition.
Winner's Obligations
The Project Contact and/including Project Authors of any project nominated for a Holcim Foundation Awards prize agree to supply the Holcim Foundation with any additional documentation required to substantiate their submission including evidence of client support as part of the due diligence process (Jun/Sept 2025) before prizes are confirmed (Oct 2025).
The Project Authors agree that at least one (1) representative of any project to receive a Holcim Foundation Awards prize will be physically present for the Awards Ceremony on November 20, 2025 in Venice, Italy. Project authors will be guests of the Holcim Foundation (including transport and accommodation). The authors agree to attend the Holcim Foundation Awards ceremony and participate in related events (such as a media briefing, panel discussion, etc).
The Project Authors agree to provide substantive updates to the Holcim Foundation on the progress of their project every six (6) months until one (1) year after the project is completed. The format of these updates may include a written report or web-meeting as well as imagery and/or interviews. To help put leading-edge thinking and best practice solutions in the hands of everyone, the focus of the updates will be on how the project achieved the sustainability goals stated by the authors in the Holcim Awards entry submission and/or the nature of challenges that arose during the construction stage that impacted the project’s sustainability goals and how those were addressed.
Impediments/Conflict of interest
Persons who, due to their collaboration in the preparation or running of the competition, might be in a favored position, able to influence the jury’s decision or have any other (matured or unmatured) conflict of interest are ineligible to enter the competition.
Consent
By virtue of participation in or by contribution to the competition, all parties including participants, jurors, examiners and guests declare their consent to the present conditions. By contributing to the competition, entrants agree to accept the decision of the respective jury as final. There is no right of appeal and no participant shall have recourse to any national or international court of law.
Ownership and copyright
Although the right of authorship, including protection against the copying of ideas, and the right to publication of the design remains with each author, the latter explicitly grants the Holcim Foundation and Holcim the right to use the data, documents, images and files submitted in its entirety or partly, in original or edited format, internally or externally, in every form and for any purpose whatsoever in relation to the Holcim Foundation Awards competition.
Documentation
All Holcim Foundation Awards prize-winning projects will be presented in various print and electronic communications by the Holcim Foundation and Holcim. Submitted projects may be compiled by the Holcim Foundation for public access in electronic and/or printed format, giving credit to the authors and their collaborators in compliance with the authorship declaration.
Project Location / Project Team member/s in Countries Under Trade Embargo
In alignment with the Holcim Foundation’s goals for sustainable construction, which include the principle of equity and inclusion, we do not restrict entry in the Awards competition.
If (i) the project location (country/territory) and/or the project contact/team is located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is subject to a comprehensive trade embargo, currently including Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, the Crimea region, the Kherson region, the Zaporizhzhya region, the Donetsk People’s Republic region, or the Luhansk People’s Republic region (collectively, Sanctioned Countries), or (ii) if a member of the project team is a sanctioned person or deemed as a sanctions person under any sanctions laws including but not limited those enforced by the United States, the European Union, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, United Nations (collectively, Sanctioned Laws), or (iii) if a member of the project team is part of or otherwise affiliated with any government of a Sanctioned Country or of Venezuela, or any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, or any political party, of any Sanctioned Country government or the government of Venezuela; or (iv) if a member of the project team is acting for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, it will not be possible to transfer prize money to the project contact.
In such cases, the Foundation will donate the prize money to a non-profit organization mutually agreed with the project contact that is based in a non-sanctioned country.
Website
The policies of the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction website and Holcim Foundation Awards 2025 entry microsite are listed below. Do not continue to use either website if you do not agree to the policies as stated.