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Photo: Karen Scrivener receives the ‘¾«¶«Ó°Òµ Institute of Materials and Constructions Award’ from Christian Paglia (left) and Roberto Torrent, RILEM honorary member (right) 

The award was presented to Professor Karen Scrivener for her pioneering research on cementitious materials and the development of innovative solutions—such as LC3 (Limestone Calcined Clay Cement) technology—which have substantially advanced sustainable construction practices and significantly reduced the environmental footprint of the construction industry, while improving the quality and longevity of structures.

Karen Scrivener received the ‘¾«¶«Ó°Òµ Institute of Materials and Constructions Award’ today from Christian Paglia, Director of the ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ Institute of Materials and Constructions, during the RILEM Spring Convention & Conference on durability of building materials and systems in the transportation infrastructure, held in Mendrisio. The event brought together experts and researchers from around the world in the field of building materials and construction systems

Martina Hirayama, State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation, who was unable to attend the ceremony, sent a to Karen Scrivener, highlighting the achievements she has reachedThe event brought together experts and researchers from around the world in the field of building materials and construction systems. over more than 40 years of dedicated work.

After studying Materials Science at the University of Cambridge and earning a PhD from Imperial College London, Karen Scrivener worked in the research laboratories of Lafarge, one of the world’s leading industrial groups in the cement sector. She directed the Laboratory of Construction Materials (LMC) at EPFL-École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. She founded Nanocem, a network of 11 industrial partners and 22 academic institutions dedicated to research on cement and concrete. She served as Editor-in-Chief of Cement and Concrete Research (2005–2014) and is a member of the Royal Academy of Engineering. In addition, she was selected by the United Nations Secretary-General to serve, from 2024 to 2026, on the 10-Member-Group of High-level Representatives of civil society, private sector, and scientific community to promote science, technology, and innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals. Throughout her career, she has received numerous prestigious awards and recognitions.

Karen Scriener was presented with a certificate and a polyhedron-shaped award to mark the ‘¾«¶«Ó°Òµ Institute of Materials and Constructions Award’. The prize object evokes the rhombohedron—also known as the polyhedron—depicted in Melencolia I, the 1514 engraving by Albrecht Dürer. Due to its historical significance, it has come to symbolize knowledge, science, and research. The object is the result of a collaboration between the ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ Institute of Materials and Constructions—which produced it in its laboratory at the Mendrisio Campus of ¾«¶«Ó°Òµâ€™s Department of Environment Constructions and Design—and the USI Academy of Architecture, with researcher Fabio Amicarelli, who designed the object within the framework of FMAA-Fabrication & Material Aware Architecture, led by Professor Ena Lloret Fritschi.

Gustavo Colonnetti Medal

Two researchers under the age of 35 were also honoured today. Since 2016, RILEM has awarded the Gustavo Colonnetti Medal to young researchers who have made significant scientific contributions in the field of building materials and structures.

This year’s recipients are Dengwu Jiao, Assistant Professor in the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering at the City University of Hong Kong, and Fragkoulis Kanavari, a concrete materials expert at ARUP’s Specialist Technology Analytics and Research Unit in London.