Drawings, photographs, silkscreens, and other original pieces by architects and artists from around the world will be auctioned at the Faculty of Architecture of Porto. Organized by second-year students of the Integrated Master in Architecture (MIArq) at FAUP, the "Quem dá mais" initiative—an open-bid auction—will feature works by Norman Foster, Álvaro Siza, and Eduardo Souto de Moura, among others.
Since the 2013 protests, there has been a clear resurgence of the concept of the public sphere in Brazil, particularly in metropolises like São Paulo. Within a context of speculation and a commodified city—where both spaces and public services are driven by capital accumulation, and where public authority operates merely as power rather than in the public interest—a growing movement to reclaim urban spaces by previously marginalized actors has emerged.
Philip Ross is a mycologist who studies the various possibilities of using fungi. He is responsible for the innovative discovery of using mushrooms as an alternative building material. The specialist found that mycelium—a network of thin fibers that mushrooms form underground—is highly resistant when dry and can be used to create a strong building material that is resistant to fire, water, and mold.
Conceived by architects Vinicius Andrade and Beatriz Vanzolini, along with the team from the Arq.Futuro platform, the course “Aprendendo a viver na cidade” aims to awaken young people to the importance of understanding the city, while also discovering how to influence it. The course is delivered in a book format—which is already available in bookstores—and will be officially launched at Escola da Cidade on February 27. The course features videos and audio from the “Cidade Cidadão” series, accessible via QR Code or on the Arq.Futuro website. Teachers who wish to implement it in the classroom will have access to a digital Teacher's Guide (Caderno dos Professores) with pedagogical suggestions and activities.
The effects of urban heat islands, which are particularly noticeable during high summer temperatures, are closely linked to paved areas in urban centers. Because it is impermeable and absorbs significant heat due to its dark color, the asphalt covering streets can considerably raise a city's average temperature—especially in areas lacking vegetation.
With this in mind, the local government of Tietê, a city in the state of São Paulo, implemented a remarkably simple and inexpensive strategy: they painted the streets cyan blue. According to the city's Secretary of the Environment, George Nicolosi, studies show that this blue color reflects more light than the dark gray of traditional asphalt, helping to lower the surface temperature.
In January, the Ibero-American Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism opened the call for submissions for the event's 11th edition, the XI BIAU. The Biennial will be held in Asunción, Paraguay, this October, and will focus on modes of living in Latin America from an everyday perspective. The Brazilian curation is led by Cristiane Muniz, Fábio Valentim, Fernanda Barbara, and Fernando Viégas, partners at the firm Una Arquitetos.
Students, faculty, and staff of the Faculty of Architecture & Urbanism & Design of Alagoas, led by professors Adriana Capretz Borges da Silva Manhas and Josemary Omena Passos Ferrare, alongside student Cecília Oliveira do Nascimento Rossé, have organized an online petition to award professor Zélia de Melo Maia Nobre the title of Doctor Honoris Causa from UFAL (Federal University of Alagoas).
On January 19, Japan House São Paulo will open the exhibition Architecture for Dogs, curated by Japanese designer Kenya Hara. Through the work of renowned architects, the exhibition presents doghouses in a pioneering exercise in scale that considers society's current relationship with these pets.
Many buildings pique the curiosity of passersby about what lies behind their doors. Instead of merely imagining the uses and privacy of these typically inaccessible spaces, next weekend—June 29 and 30—visitors will be able to explore the interiors of various architectural works in the cities of Porto, Matosinhos, and Gaia during the Open House Porto festival.
WRI Brasil has launched a free online publication detailing the benefits, costs, and barriers of adopting sustainability measures in social housing developments. Jointly produced by Lara Caccia, Henrique Evers, Luana Betti, and Camila Schlatter, the study examines simple, low-cost actions and technologies aimed at reducing water and electricity consumption in buildings.
Unesp (São Paulo State University), through its virtual communication channel Univesp TV, is offering a free online course in Art History. Comprising 29 video lessons, the course is aimed at undergraduate and graduate students interested in art, history, research, and culture.
The UN-Habitat Public Space Programme has opened a call for proposals to fund public space projects with up to $100,000 in Brazil. According to the New Urban Agenda, the planning and management of quality public spaces are understood as fundamental prerequisites for poverty reduction and the fulfillment of human rights in urban areas.
The Federal University of Alagoas unanimously approved the Honorary Doctorate for architect Zélia de Melo Maia Nobre. In a historic moment for architecture in Northeastern Brazil, the “lady of the elegant line,” an icon of the regional modern movement, was recognized as the “first woman to receive the title of Doctor Honoris Causa from UFAL,” in the words of Rector Valéria Correia, president of the University Council.
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Today, São Paulo's largest and most visited park, Ibirapuera, celebrates 65 years since its inauguration in 1954. To mark the occasion, the Municipal Secretariat for the Green and the Environment (SVMA) is hosting five days of special programming featuring tours, debates, concerts, meditation classes, performances, and workshops, among other activities.
Infinito Vão: Brasil, the series of talks taking place on March 22 and 23 at IMS, is an extension of the program of activities for the exhibition of the same name, currently on view until April 28 at Casa da Arquitectura in Matosinhos, Portugal.
Curated by Fernando Serapião, Guilherme Wisnik, and Nuno Sampaio, Infinito Vão: Brasil will bring together architects, photographers, and cultural managers over two days for a series of talks and debates on the history of Brazilian architecture, its influence on daily and cultural life, and the connections it builds with other artistic expressions.
Registration is now open for the 27th World Congress of the International Union of Architects (UIA), the world's largest architecture event, which will be held for the first time in Brazil, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, in 2020.
The Tomie Ohtake Institute has announced the 15 projects selected for the 2nd Tomie Ohtake Institute Leroy Merlin Design Award. This edition's theme, CIRCULAR, prompted proposals and discussions on the word as a form, and as a synonym for displacement, movement, communication, exchange, renewal, and sustainability, among other interpretations.
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The Projetar.org portal has released the results of its 30th competition, which challenged participants to design a Bauhaus campus in Brazil. The project would be located next to the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, where Max Bill envisioned one of Brazil's first design schools, based on the principles of the Bauhaus and its German successor, the Ulm School.
