Constructive Alps: A Social Business

Photo: Christian Brandstatter

Constructive Alps: A Social Business

         

Constructive Alps is an incentivized architectural prize rewarding sustainable building and renovation excellence. The organization is unique to many other architectural awards because it has developed over time from rating environmental benefits to also rating functionality within a community’s socio and economic issues. The organization does not award the most beautiful or extravagant buildings but to the buildings that give back the most, both environmentally and socially.

The Constructive Alps measure and grade in 4 different areas:

1.     Ecology, because the material used should respect the environment, has to by energy efficient, and has to be accessible by public transportation.

2.     Economy, so energy and money represent the surrounding and benefit the local community.

3.     Culture has to take in the local history and represent it in the construction or purpose.

4.     Social dimension, in order to useful to the people who live nearby.

The organization looks to create buildings that are wholly apart and of the community they reside in. Awarding building throughout the entire Alpine region (Austria, Solvenia, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco and France), Constructive Alps makes it their mission to promote international recognition for the creative architecture. The organization has three main incentives for attracting architects and private builders to participate in their program.

One distinctive way Constructive Alps promotes their mission is through traveling exhibits. The buildings that are receive awards are added to a traveling exhibit that goes to different exhibits all over the world promoting their ingenuity. Builders are also given the opportunity to speak at events to talk about their building process and ideas. The second is vast press coverage as well as recognition that goes on their website. The third is a monetary award given in partnership with the Swiss and Liechtenstein government of 50,000 euros. What is most interesting and important about these incentives is the concept of the traveling exhibit. The exhibit allows people all over to be inspired by this social architecture and see new possibilities in building.  

Many types of buildings are awarded the prestigious Constructive Alps award such as, schools, supermarkets, social houses, revitalization of town meeting centers, tourist centers and more.

An example of an awarded building is the Kaslab’n cheese factory in Radenthein, Austria. Not only is the building aesthetically pleasing and environmentally friendly, it was built in dairy farming town. All milk needed to make cheese comes delivered daily from local farmers. The building was designed to allow visitors and tourists to come in and watch the process of cheese making while having a wine and cheese tasting. Their products are sold at local stores and can be purchased at their factory.

Not only does Constructive Alps promote and celebrate environmentally friendly architecture, they have evolved and seen the importance of the communities they serve. This social aspect is represented in the kinds of buildings Constructive Alps chooses to award.