The European Award for Architectural Heritage Intervention, organized by the COAC (Architects' Association of Catalonia) and AADIPA (Association of Architects for the Defense and Intervention in Architectural Heritage), has announced the shortlisted works in Category A (Intervention in built heritage) and Category B (Outer Spaces).

The finalists and winners will be announced on June 17 during the 5th International Biennial of Architectural Heritage Intervention.

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A-001 Taller de arquitectura + Dellekamp / Schleich + Esrawe Studio present their new project in Mexico City's Historic Center, built upon ruins that evoke the memory shaping the city. Spanning 470 m², the project is composed of a series of layers that wrap around the legacy of each era; in turn, their overlapping creates an inherent need to redefine themselves as a whole. The building housing the hotel project is an 18th-century structure, designated as historical heritage by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).

Between November 26 and December 4, the Trienal Sur del Mundo: 'Human Cities' took place in the city of Concepción, Chile, under the general curatorship of Sergio Baeriswyl. The event was an invitation to take an in-depth look at architecture and urban design at the scale of intermediate cities, and to rethink how our habitats are built in the face of today's changing scenarios.

The Urban Renovation and Development Company (ERU) has published the terms of reference to move forward with the contracting process for the construction of the new administrative building for the Los Mártires Local Mayor's Office, located in the Voto Nacional neighborhood in Bogotá.

Located in the former heart of “El Bronx”—an area with approximately 100,000 residents—the proposal seeks to attract companies, consortiums, or builders with extensive experience in new construction. The new administrative building will benefit around 300 public servants while providing high-quality service to citizens in new, modern facilities. Designed by MC Arquitectos, the project also includes a plaza at the rear and already has detailed designs and construction permits in place.

Paste Up, a festival that brings the selected works of six local visual artists to the streets of Santiago, Chile, launched an outdoor route in early December hosted on a series of iconic buildings in the municipality of Vitacura. Renowned urban artist and photographer Caiozzama, whose artistic interventions became icons of the 2019 social uprisings, curated and edited the pieces. The process of translating various sizes and techniques into large-format works also includes the subsequent recycling of the large-scale prints, which will be on display until the end of February. The artists who participated in this edition of the festival are Fab Ciraolo, Bruna Truffa, Juana Gómez, Cecilia Avendaño Bobilier, and Santiago Ascui. Learn more about the works and the urban art route below.

Today is the day to announce the finalists for ODA2021. Our expert jury—meaning you, our readers—has selected 15 favorite projects from nearly 1,000 works of architecture across Latin America and Spain.

Now in its thirteenth year, this award has become a true tradition. We invite all of our readers to recognize the projects published during 2020 that inspired them and represent the identity of their local contexts in a globalized planet, shaping architectural practice in Latin America and Spain within an increasingly heterogeneous and multicultural world.

Starting today and until next Wednesday, March 31, at 11:59 PM (GMT -3), you can explore each of the finalists in detail and vote for the work that best represents the "Spanish-language" architecture that inspires us, defines us, and leaves its mark on us.

The CAPBA Award in Argentina represents an opportunity to showcase the achievements and innovations of architects across their various professional fields. Works located both inside and outside the province of Buenos Aires, completed within the last 10 years, were eligible to enter. Organized by the Association of Architects of the Province of Buenos Aires, the jury for each category evaluated the submissions and awarded first, second, and third prizes, along with several honorable mentions.

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As part of a new strategy to offer an alternative vacation dynamic, and after 14 months of operating in Valle de Bravo, State of Mexico, the company Wander has partnered with Mexican architect Michel Rojkind, Amasa Estudio, and TUUX to create a cabin model designed to help guests disconnect and reconnect with nature.

Videos

Cars remain one of the primary modes of transportation and a major contributor to the climate crisis, as the vast majority consume fossil fuels and generate emissions—particularly carbon dioxide, which intensifies the greenhouse effect and, consequently, global warming. As such, World Car-Free Day is celebrated internationally on September 22 to encourage people to spend a day without their cars and reflect on car dependency. To offer new perspectives on this issue, we highlight the work of Latvian architect Oto Ozols, who envisions cities designed for people rather than cars through videos that demonstrate how public space can be improved from this perspective. 

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For the eighth time, the MEXTRÓPOLI Architecture and City Festival held the Arquine No. 23 | MEXTRÓPOLI 2021 Pavilion competition, a platform where architecture, urbanism, and art meet to reflect on and celebrate Mexico City. The event also aims to engage citizens by occupying public spaces with architectural interventions that can be activated by visitors. Celebrating public space and offering a fresh perspective on everyday pathways is precisely why MEXTRÓPOLI showcases these ephemeral works of architecture.

The 13th São Paulo International Architecture Biennale and the Vitruvius portal have launched Preâmbulo, an open call for articles, essays, drawings, and projects reflecting on the central theme of the 13th Biennale—Reconstruction—and its five thematic axes: democracy, bodies, memory, information, and ecology. Submissions are open until June 30.

Conceived by IABsp, the 13th edition of the Biennale, scheduled for 2022, uses the idea of Reconstruction to spark debates addressing the challenges arising from the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. It considers reflections and proposals pointing toward innovative social practices and urban-architectural arrangements, as well as the possibilities that emerge in this new scenario.

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On October 5, Design House opened in Mexico City. As in previous years, the event showcases a series of installations integrating disciplines like design, architecture, and interior design. For nine years, across various venues, it has presented cutting-edge proposals from more than one hundred participating firms in collaboration with the showrooms of the Design Route, which provide the furniture and accessories that make up each space.

The Government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires has submitted a bill to the Legislature to create the Sustainable Urban Development Fund (FoDUS), aiming to carry out plans, programs, and projects designed to incentivize urban development in several of the city's neighborhoods through public, private, or mixed initiatives.

The three boutique firms hiring this week are international design teams: Beijing-based Shengzhe Design, Shenzhen-based Studio 10, and CLOU architects, renowned in the commercial sector. Active across diverse fields with distinct styles, they are looking for talented architects to join their teams.

The results of the National Ideas Competition for the Development of Housing and Complementary Spaces for Urban Habitat / “Ex Pediátrico Urban Development” have been announced. Organized by the Professional Association of Architecture and Urbanism of the Province of Chaco (CPAUCH), promoted by the Provincial Institute of Urban Development and Housing (IPDUV), and sponsored by the Argentine Federation of Architect Associations (FADEA) and the Social Security, Insurance, and Loan Institute of the Province of Chaco (INSSSEP), the competition invited the country's architects to design urban and architectural proposals for dignified living, while also revitalizing an urban void in the city of Resistencia within a residential area with high development potential.

On December 13, the groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) building, one of the first projects to kick off the transformation of the hospital campus into a new "research city" concept, designed by architecture firms BAAS Arquitectura and Espinet / Ubach.

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Elevating a building off the ground using pilotis frees up the ground floor for pedestrian circulation. This solution, identified by Le Corbusier as one of the five points of modern architecture, creates an open area that fosters a stronger connection between the public space of the street and the private space of the building. Today, contemporary projects adopt various strategies to design active ground floors that engage with the city and generously share their plots with the public.

With the project Monte Trenzado, Cristián Boza Wilson was named a finalist in the Cerro Calán Observatory Park competition, a call for proposals seeking the best designs for the architecture, landscape, and technical disciplines of a new urban natural park in Santiago, Chile. Organized by the Municipality of Las Condes in collaboration with the Universidad de Chile and the Cerros Isla Foundation, the project will reclaim 45 hectares (111 acres) to construct a new metropolitan park open to the general public.

The 2021 Spanish Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism (BEAU) has announced the finalists for its "Panorama of Architecture and Urbanism Works" category. Out of 581 submissions, 100 projects were initially shortlisted, with 70 now selected for the final round. Of these, 20 will ultimately be recognized as the most outstanding works of Spanish architecture and urbanism from the last three years.

On the 35th anniversary of the reconstruction of the German Pavilion in Barcelona, the Fundació Mies van der Rohe presents the publication "La expresión del peso" ("The Expression of Weight") by Luis Martínez Santa-María, a book that explores his own work "I don’t want to change the world. I only want to express it" and gathers several examples showing how architecture and art have wonderful ways of poetically subverting the relentless reality of the weight bearing down on them.

The CA Awards, organized and curated by the Colegio de Arquitectos de Chile, aim to recognize professionals who stand out for their "excellence, work, and contribution" to the field of architecture across the country. Marking the end of the institution's 79th anniversary celebrations and Architecture Month, the awards honored 12 members who, according to the National Board, are "role models for architects throughout the country." See below the awards and distinctions for each category in this new 2021 edition.

The Rafael Manzano Prize for New Traditional Architecture aims to promote the value of traditional architecture as a proven reference for contemporary architecture in Spain and Portugal. It seeks to do so both in the restoration of historical and artistic monuments and urban ensembles, and in the construction of new buildings that, based on local traditions, integrate harmoniously into these contexts.

Mexican architecture firm gutarqs has been awarded an honorable mention in the International Architecture Competition for the Development of "Coziness Valley" in Murmansk, the largest city in Russia located above the Arctic Circle. Jointly organized by the Government of Murmansk and the ANO Urban Development Center of the Region, the open call invited participants from around the world to develop an ambitious project to transform the 23-hectare area into a major public space adapted to the polar climate, promoting comprehensive development and urban improvement in the region.

If you have ever had the chance to visit Pomaire, southwest of Santiago, Chile, you will have encountered a small artisanal town that dedicates much of its focus to greda (clay). In this very place, Domingo Arancibia was commissioned to design none other than the upcoming Pottery School. A sneak peek: this clay material will be one of the project's primary reference points.