07 May 2009

Rockwool Award to qualify the climate debate

The Danish Rockwool Award 2009 goes to one of the most advanced thinkers in environmental sustainability in the design of cities and buildings as well as industrial processes: author, architect and designer William McDonough. He is known in particular for the Cradle to Cradle environmental concept. Cradle to Cradle has been called the foundation of the next industrial revolution and has, particularly in recent years, generated enthusiasm all over the world.

Author, architect and designer William McDonough

“Waste” and “scrap” eliminated

The concept concerns learning from the processes of nature and designing products from materials which decompose naturally and thereby can be reused as raw materials for future generations of products in a never-ending cycle. Terms such as “waste” or “scrap” are eliminated in the Cradle to Cradle mindset.

The Rockwool Award of EUR 80,000 is given to William McDonough for his contribution to the marketing and development of the Cradle to Cradle environmental concept and for his work designing energy-efficient buildings and sustainable cities of the future.

“With Cradle to Cradle, McDonough has created a large and cohesive way of thinking, where he has tried to re-think the industrial production processes in a totally different context. McDonough has wiped the slate clean and tried - on the theoretical level- to create new, sustainable production from scratch,”
says Curt Liliegreen, member of the award committee.

Early adaptors to win green growth race

On a large scale, several countries have already gone a long way with implementation of the Cradle to Cradle philosophy. In particular, the Netherlands and China have been willing to grasp the baton. The Chinese government e.g. has asked William McDonough to prepare a master plan for the “Cradle to Cradle Cities” of the future.

In the Netherlands, the Environment Ministry has announced that it will initiate Cradle to Cradle projects nationwide. One example is an Amsterdam suburb, where construction has started on 60,000 apartments according to Cradle to Cradle standards.

“More countries have discovered the big opportunities for green growth, meaning an increasing competition for climate-correct solutions. The countries and companies which understand how to adapt early will be the winners in the global competition,”
says John Prior Knock, Managing Director of Rockwool A/S and Chairman of the Rockwool Award Committee.

About the Rockwool Award

The Rockwool Award is an award established by the Danish company, Rockwool A/S with the aim of promoting efforts to improve acoustic, thermal and atmospheric indoor climate as well as promote the development of the Danish construction sector.

Judging committee

John Prior Knock, Managing Director of Rockwool A/S and Chairman of the Rockwool Award Committee;
Anders Gade, associate professor at the Technical University of Denmark;
Professor Svend Svendsen, Technical University of Denmark;
Curt Liliegreen, Realdania.

The Rockwool Award judging committee nominates candidates for the Rockwool Award.

Previous award recipients

2007
Stenløse Municipality
BoKlok

2006
Carsten Rode, associate professor at the Technical University of Denmark
Professor Olli Seppänen – Helsinki
2005
Jens Holger Rindel, Fellow
Dr Pawel Wargocki

2004
Professor Jan Sundell – Technical University of Denmark
Lauri Koskela – VTT Finland