Decarbonization at Scale/

Open to final year masters students and recent graduates of universities in the United States and Canada, the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction will conduct its first Holcim Foundation Fellowship in August 2024 in New York City.

Masters students and practices will learn together from recently built projects and to challenge existing modes of practice. This in-person intensive two-week course seeks to foster a curiosity and solutions-driven mindset through a series of actions – open dialogue, consultation, exploration, and reflection – and to create a dynamic feedback loop that leads to transferable and scalable outcomes.

Upon completion of the program, selected Fellows will be chosen to take part in the next step of the journey – the Holcim Foundation Emerging ChangeMakers.

Applications are open to current Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban Design, Urban Planning, Historic Preservation, Structural / Civil / Construction Engineering and Real Estate Development students about to undertake their final year of masters level studies and those that completed their masters degrees in 2023 or later at any university in the United States and Canada.

Partnering Firms

Fellows will visit case study projects in New York City to meet practising professionals and hear presentations to learn about the innovative leadership work of their firms.

Partnering Firms

Fellows will visit case study projects in New York City to meet practising professionals and hear presentations to learn about the innovative leadership work of their firms.

Students are selected using the following academic/merit and interpersonal criteria:

Video introduction

Compose a 2-minute video introducing yourself, your motivations and why you would like to take part in the Holcim Foundation Fellowship. Be as creative, artistic, serious or oratorical as you wish – but make sure you are visible and speaking for at least half of the video. Note the video size limit of 100 MB.

Reflection paper

A 800-word reflection paper covering the following i) the rationale behind embracing self-leadership and collaboration in prospective careers, and ii) the significance of contextual learning in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and propelling advancements in the construction industry.

Resume

A resume (PDF), maximum 2 pages.

Portfolio

Student portfolio – no longer than 4 slides/pages (PDF). The applicant’s academic program relevance will be taken into consideration.

Letters of recommendation

Two letters of recommendation are required for this application: one academic reference and one reference from either another academic or a professional source. Both letters must be submitted directly by the respective referees to [email protected] by April 30, 2024.

Please ask your referees to describe you along these points: i) Intellectual and critical thinking skills; ii) Design skills related to applicant’s discipline; iii) Collaborative spirit and sense of empathy; and iv) Curiosity and humble posture of learning. Please ask your referees to include your last name followed by first name in the email subject.

We suggest submitting your application even before obtaining letters of recommendation. Promptly reach out to your referees to ensure all elements of your application are received on time by April 30, 2024.