SKOKIE, IL - The versatility and recyclability of concrete was put to the test in the third annual "Concrete Thinking for a Sustainable World" student design competition.

The competition is co-sponsored by Portland Cement Association (PCA) along with the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) and is administered by Association of Collegiate School of Architecture (ACSA).

This year more than 800 students from 33 architecture schools around the world participated. Students either created an environmentally responsible recycling center, focused on reusing today's materials to preserve tomorrow's resources, or designed a building element that provides a sustainable solution to real-world environmental challenges.

Antonio Vigil of the University of New Mexico won first place in the recycling center category, for his interesting blend of programmatic elements built around the prominent sustainable theme of reduce, recycle, reuse. His recycling center was located in a central shopping area and included a local market or "Mercardo" for people to sell and exchange goods.

The building element category, won by Anne Miller, from the University of Toronto, explored the minimal use of materials, resulting in a reusable fabric concrete form liner.