The European Collective Housing Award holds its award ceremony in Bordeaux

> The arc en rêve architecture centre, co-organiser of the award together with the Basque Institute of Architecture and the Department of Territorial Planning, Housing and Transport of the Basque Government, hosted the event.

> Carles Baiges, of Lacol, picked up the prize in the new construction category for ‘La Borda’ (Barcelona); Philipp Esch, of Esch Sintzel Architekten, picked up the prize in the renovation category for the conversion of a wine storage in Basel (Switzerland) into housing. Both presented their works in detail.

After the international jury announced its decision in Donostia on 31 May, the European Prize for Collective Housing was awarded this Thursday in Bordeaux. The award is promoted by the Basque Institute of Architecture, arc en rêve centre d’architecture and the Department of Territorial Planning, Housing and Transport of the Basque Government. The teams from Lacol (for ‘La Borda’, in Barcelona, winner in the new construction category) and Esch Sintzel Architekten (for the conversion of a former wine warehouse in Basel into housing, winner in the renovation category) collected their awards at the headquarters of the French centre. This closes the first edition of the award, which will transfer the winning and finalist candidatures, 18 in total, to an exhibition that will open at the Basque Institute of Architecture. The organising bodies have considered it a success: the competition received 171 candidatures from 19 European countries, a fact that shows that collective housing, as well as being a sign of identity for the entire continent, is also a tool for social cohesion, sustainability and architectural excellence.

© Alban Dejong