Holcim and Norman Foster Foundation build reusable emergency shelters
The building materials group Holcim cooperates with the Norman Foster Foundation. Together they want to transform emergency shelters into sustainable and resilient homes for displaced people. 1000 accommodations are to be built together with a medical facility in one day.
Holcim and the Norman Foster Foundation enter into a partnership. The aim is to develop a concept for the construction of 1000 emergency shelters and a medical facility in one day. According to a press release from Holcim, it is intended to offer the growing number of displaced persons dignified and resilient accommodation.
“More than 80 million people worldwide are currently being forced to flee their homes,” Holcim CEO Jan Jenisch is quoted as saying. “Emergency shelters can be more than just a roof over one’s head and should offer people the dignity and security of a home.”
A one-week workshop in Madrid, which will take place until June 10, will kick things off. Holcim will focus on innovations such as low-carbon concrete, lightweight prefabricated support structures and green cements for soil stabilization in the planned construction of 1,000 affordable, demountable and reusable shelters and medical facilities.
This collaboration follows Holcim’s goal of contributing a total of 500 million Swiss francs to creating positive social impact between 2021 and 2030. To this end, the company leads programs for affordable housing and infrastructure, as well as community initiatives for education, health and skills.