\r\nPost War Collective: Community library and social recuperation, Regimental Centre, Ambepussa\r\n\r\nSri Lanka Sinha Regiment won the Silver award for Echo Friendly Digital Library which is an ongoing major project at RHQ SLSR.\r\n\r\nAll 15 winners from the five regional competitions for Asia Pacific, Africa & Middle East, Europe, Latin America, and North America advanced to the global Holcim Awards, which sought architectural interventions that address sustainable building and construction issues around the world. Having just concluded its fourth cycle, the Holcim Awards occur every three years.\r\n\r\nStarting with over 6,000 submissions in the initial call for entries, the jury selected three projects that they deemed to best deliver tangible benefits to its local communities. Each winner receives a trophy and shares the $350,000 prize and their individual amount is as follows:\r\n\r\n\r\nGlobal Holcim Awards Gold 2015 (US$200,000): Articulated Site: Water reservoirs as public park - Medellin, Colombia Global Holcim Awards Silver 2015 (US$100,0000): Post War Collective: Community library and social recuperation - Ambepussa, Sri Lanka Global Holcim Awards Bronze 2015 (US$50,000): The Dryline: Urban flood protection infrastructure - New York City, USA\r\n\r\nProject summary: \"Silver was awarded to a project in the rural town of Ambepussa 50km away from Colombo, Sri Lanka that aims to reintegrate soldiers into post-war Sri Lankan society. Under the direction and the supervision by the Colonel of the Regiment SLSR, the community library by Milinda Pathiraja and Ganga Ratnayake of Robust Architecture Workshop in Colombo is made of rammed-earth walls and recycled materials. With the support of the army, young men were coached in building techniques through the construction process. Head of the Global Holcim Awards jury 2015, Mohsen Mostafavi explained that the value of the project centers on transforming a discharged army without mission into a motivated workforce at the service of society using a set of concrete measures including the introduction of an educational program and the deployment of particular construction techniques. There is significant value in the basic message of the scheme - and the construction of a library that builds both the physical and social fabric of a community.\"
