TERRA Award for Earthen Architecture Unveils 40 Shortlisted Projects

Written by Vladimir Gintoff
Published on April 19, 2016

Terra Award, the first international prize for contemporary earthen architectures, has released a shortlist of 40 projects competing for awards in nine categories. The finalists selected span five continents and 67 countries. Each entry was evaluated on a range of topics including: architectural quality and landscape integration, environmental approach and energy performance, creativity and innovation, technical performance, local economy and social intensity, and showcasing of skills. Project materials range from light clay to cob, poured earth, wattle and daub, compressed earth block (CEB), adobe, rammed earth, and others.

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As a widely-available sustainable material with low-energy production, the competition seeks to highlight the possibilities of earthen construction in order to promote broader uses in the future. An award committee chaired by Wang Shu will meet on July 9 to select the winners. The announcement will be followed by an award ceremony in Lyon, France on July 14 at the Terra 2016 World Congress, part of a series of events celebrating ‘‘Lyon 2016, capitale de la Terre”.

Individual Housing

Caldera House (San Rafael Valley, Arizona, USA, North America) / DUST
Munita Gonzalez House (Santiago, Chile, South America) / Arias Arquitectos Asociados, Surtierra Arquitectura
21st Century Vernacular House (Ayerbe, Spain, Europe) / Angels Castellarnau Visus
House J (Darmstadt, Germany, Europe) / Schauer + Volhard Architekten
Cardrona Valley House (Wanaka, New Zealand, Oceania) / Justin and Louise Wright, Assembly Architects Limited
"Clay Weaving" House (Quito, Ecuador, South America) / Francisco Trigueros Munoz, Elena de Oleza Llobet, Jorge Ramón Giacometti

Collective Housing

Garden City de Cota (Cota, Cundinamarca, Colombia, South America) / Mauricio Sanchez, Juan Pablo Urbina
The Great Wall of Western Australia (Pilbara, Western Australia, Oceania) / Luigi Rosselli

School, Sports & Health Facilities

Public Swimming Pool of Toro (Toro, Spain, Europe) / VIER arquitectos slp
High School Païamboué (Koné, New Caledonia, Oceania) / André Berthier, Joseph Frassanito, Espaces Libres (K’ADH)
Women’s Wellbeing Centre (Ouagadougou, Burkina-Faso, Africa) / Riccardo Vannucci FARE studio
DESI Training Centre (Dipshikha Electrical Skill Improvement) (Rudrapur, Bangladesh, Asia) / Anna Heringer
Maosi Ecological Primary School (Maosi, China, Asia) / Prof. Edward Ng et Mu Jun
Royal Automobile Club of Victoria Golf Club (Torquay, Australia, Oceania) / Wood Marsh Architects

Cultural Public Facilities

Windhover Contemplative Center (Palo Alto, California, USA, North America) / Aidlin Darling Design
Camthanh Community House (Hoi An, Quang Nam, Vietnam, Asia) / Hoang Thuc Hao, Pham Duc Trung, Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy, Le Dinh Hung, Vu Xuan Son
Archaeological Heritage Interpretation Centre (Dehlingen, France, Europe) / nunc architectes, Louis Piccon
Visitor Center Swiss Ornithological Institute (Sempach, Switzerland, Europe) / mlzd

Offices, Shops & Factories

Pavilion Ruca Choro (Cauquenes, Chile, South America) / Patricio Merino Mella
Koudougou’s Central Market (Koudougou, Burkina Faso, Africa) / Laurent Séchaud, Pierre Jequier
European Conservatory for Soil Samples (Orléans, France, Europe) / Design & Architecture, Milena Stefanova et Bruno Marielle (group’s representatives) ; NAMA Architecture, Jean-Marie Le Tiec and Arnaud Misse (associated architects)
ACRE Restaurant and Bar (San José del Cabo, Mexico, South America) / fabriKG Arquitectura & Paisaje
Sustainable Centre Villa Janna (Marrakech, Morocco, Africa) / Denis Coquard, Jalal Zemmama
Ricola Kräuterzentrum (Laufen, Switzerland, Europe) / Herzog & de Meuron

Interior Layout & Design

Renovation of the Al Jahili Fort (Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, Asia) / Roswag & Jankowski Architekten
Plazza Pintgia, Transformation from Barn to House (Almens, Switzerland, Europe) / Gujan + Pally Architekten AG
Printing Plant Gugler (Pielach, Austria, Europe) / Herbert Ablinger, Vedral & Partner

Exterior Design, Art & Landscape

Zenkonyu x Tamping Earth (Marugame, Japan, Asia) / Tadashi Saito and Atelier NAVE
Urrn-Graves Cemetary (Innsbruck, Austria, Europe) / Renate Benedikter-Fuchs
Stairway to Heaven and City of Orion (Plaine de Marha, Morocco, Africa) / Hannsjörg Voth

Architecture & Local Development

Panyaden School(Chiang Mai, Thailand, Asia) / Chiangmai Life Construction
Sewing School Steel-Earth (Niamey, Niger, Africa) / Odile Vandermeeren
Earth Village (Ha Giang, Vietnam, Asia) / Hoang Thuc Hao, Nguyen Duy Thanh, Le Dinh Hung, Vu Xuan Son, Tran Hong Nam
Kler Deh High School (Kler Deh, Karen state, Burma, Asia) / Line Ramstad, Gyaw Gyaw
Post Earthquake Village Reconstruction (M’a’anqiao, China, Asia) / Mu Jun, Edward Ng, Zhou Tiegang, Wan Li, Ma Jie
Pavilion of the Band-i-Amir National Park (Band-i-Amir, Afghanistan, Asia) / AFIR Architects & Planners, Anne Feenstra, Khalid, Dawari, Faiz M. Momand
Phoolna, Community Hall and Housing for Teachers (Sunderpur, India, Asia) / Johannes Sebastian Vilanek, Iris Nöbauer, Jomo Zeil, Felix Ganzer / Supervisors : BASEhabitat, Roland Gnaiger, Michael Zinner, Clemens Quirin

Workshop, Training, Festival

SECMOL School Building (Leh, India, Asia) /Sonam Wangchuk together with many students and volunteers
Schap! 2011, (Magagula Heights, South Africa, Africa) / Team Carinthia University of Applied Sciences 2010/11
Community Library (Ambepussa, Sri Lanka, Asia) / Robust Architecture Workshop