Holcim and Norman Foster Foundation build sustainable refugee accommodation
The building materials group Holcim and the Norman Foster Foundation are collaborating on a research project for sustainable housing for displaced people. The Essential Homes project will be unveiled during the opening of the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale on 17 May.
Zug-based building materials manufacturer Holcim and the Madrid-based Norman Foster Foundation are teaming up on an architectural project called Essential Homes. A prototype of the houses will be on display in original size at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale from 17 May, according to a media release. This is already the second cooperation for both partners.
The Norman Foster Foundation designed the Essential Homes using building materials from Holcim. The low-carbon ECOPact concrete and the water-permeable Hydromedia concrete were used. Thermal and acoustic insulation is provided by Elevate panels and Airium foam from the building materials manufacturer.
Overall, Essential Homes distributed communities are expected to provide up to 20 years of safety, comfort and weather resistance. “At Holcim, we want sustainable buildings to be accessible to all, improving living standards while creating a net-zero future,” Jan Jenisch, CEO at Holcim, is quoted as saying in the media release. It was therefore natural to agree to the cooperation when the founder of the foundation and British architect, Baron Norman Foster, and his team approached Holcim.
This is already the second joint project for the Norman Foster Foundation and Holcim at the Venice Architecture Biennale. In the first collaboration, they jointly developed a hangar for drones that distribute medical supplies in Africa.
The prototype of the Essential Homes will be installed in the Marinaressa Gardens in Venice. A complementary exhibition will be on display at Palazzo Mora.