The Fabrik G architect's office, consisting of Gonzalo Elizarraras, a School of Architecture graduate, and Karla Llorens, is one of the finalists for the Terra Awards to be held in Lyon, France. Their project, the ACRE restaurant, was selected for the «Activity construction» category. The project was undertaken using local materials and based on sustainability and energy efficiency criteria via a traditional construction technique using earth (Rammed Earth Building).
The aim of the Terra awards is to identify and distinguish projects which use earth as a material. The ACRE restaurant stands out not only due to its design but also due to the quality of its execution. The development of the use of earth as a low energy consumption material, which is widely available all around the world and highly suitable for participatory construction projects, could solve the need for ecological and economic housing to some extent.
The awards were set up by the UNESCO Chair on "Earthen Architecture Constructive Cultures and Sustainable Development" the research unit LABEX AE&CC – CRAterre-ENSAG Laboratory, the Amàco Project, Les Grands Ateliers, the CRAterre Association and the EcologiK/EK journal. Wang Shu, who was awarded the Pritzker Prize in 2012, is the honourable president for this year's Terra Awards.
The awards ceremony will be held on 14 July 2016 in Lyon (France) as part of the World Earth Congress 2016.
