Behind closed doors

The Global Holcim Awards held in Bangkok that was attended by 700 guests from 50 countries, focused on finding excellent quality projects based on issue of sustainability in construction. Skilful individuals and teams around the globe were invited to propose projects focusing on the maintenance of building and also the replacement of buildings. As most of the projects were of excellent quality, the jury was unable to single out the best presentation, so it was decided to confer the Holcim award to two equally deserving winners. The judgments were in the hands of an independent technical competence center, which work closely with five technical universities. Urban systems are competing internationally, and urban transformation raises many questions and open a wide field for debate and further discussions.