Holcim Foundation Awards: Words with Winners

Mariam Issoufou and Yasaman Esmaili won two Holcim Awards for the Hikma Community Complex in Dandaji, Niger. In 2017, they won the Gold award for the Middle East / Africa region and in 2018 they won a Silver award in the Global category. In a recent video interview, Mariam Issoufou talked about how the design team’s sensitivity to cultural heritage and sustainability was central to the project’s success. She also talked about social sustainability as it pertains to this project, “For me, social sustainability is about much more than just the direct environmental impacts of a building. It's about understanding and responding to the deeper social and economic needs of a community. In this case, our approach was to start with open-ended conversations, rather than jumping straight to design solutions. We didn't ask the community what kind of rooms or spaces they wanted; instead, we listened to their aspirations, challenges, and practical needs. This allowed us to identify opportunities where the architecture could truly make a difference, whether it was providing study spaces for students, workshop areas for women's economic initiatives, or simply creating a more inclusive and accessible civic hub.”

Watch the Holcim Foundation video