Architecture News

André Schmitt, one of the most respected architects in the state of Santa Catarina, passed away this Thursday (12). Schmitt served as Secretary of Tourism in the 1980s and was a frequent collaborator of the IPUF (Florianópolis Urban Planning Institute), actively participating in public discussions and contributing his knowledge to society. On Florianópolis' anniversary in 2018, he received the Virgílio Várzea Medal of Merit, an honor awarded by the Legislative Assembly of Santa Catarina.

The Casa das Canoas, a landmark residence designed by Oscar Niemeyer in 1951 in Rio de Janeiro and listed as a heritage site by the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN), is currently closed. Considered a milestone of modern architecture, the house became famous for being built at the foot of Pedra Bonita in the São Conrado neighborhood. Today, it is at the center of a dispute between the family of the architect who designed the residence and the Oscar Niemeyer Foundation, which is responsible for the property's preservation.

Growing concern over the use of natural resources in architecture has drawn increasing attention from professionals and researchers, pointing toward a future where architects must not only design but also facilitate the decommissioning and recycling of buildings. Against this backdrop, raising awareness about water waste on construction sites has become a major priority—an issue addressed in a recently launched guide by the São Paulo State Construction Industry Association (SindusCon-SP), Caixa Econômica Federal, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The city of Belmonte, on the southern coast of Bahia, has just opened Brazil's first museum entirely dedicated to the chair. The Museum of Brazilian Chairs is a project by designer Zanine de Zanine, son of Zanine Caldas—a Belmonte-born artist and one of the leading figures of Brazilian modernist furniture design—construction entrepreneur Daniel Katz, and the Belmonte Secretariat of Culture and Tourism.

The city of São Paulo is the first in South America to freely release laser-scanned data covering its entire territory. The files are available for download on the GeoSampa Portal. The technology, known as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), goes beyond standard satellite imagery or aerial photography to provide a high-resolution geometric representation of a city. Consequently, it offers a much more accurate and detailed model of the mapped area.

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NAPPE is a permanent art installation designed by Portuguese studio FAHR 021.3 and built next to the Nangang Exhibition Center, in a redeveloped area of Taipei, Taiwan. Drawing on the country's culture and geography, NAPPE is inspired by Jade Mountain, the island's highest peak and a symbol of purity, honesty, and national values. The outdoor pavilion seeks to draw citizens into a new urban experience.

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Within the scope of The Poetics of Reason, this year's Lisbon Architecture Triennale explores the nexus between Agriculture and Architecture, two complementary fields that emerged around 10,000 years ago during the Neolithic Revolution and, later, in the Anthropocene. Given the current environmental crisis, the core hypothesis of the exhibition Taking the Country's Side: Agriculture and Architecture, curated by Sébastien Marot, is that no consistent thinking can develop in the future of either discipline unless they are once again allied and fundamentally reconsidered together.

The open call Outros Territórios – International Call for Urban Intervention Projects has selected the seven finalists of the program's first stage. All will be presented in an exhibition at Viaduto das Artes, an intriguing cultural space in the Barreiro region installed under two overpasses and aligned with the call's general concept of exploring possibilities for activating urban gaps.

In Asunção, Paraguay, the XI Ibero-American Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism announced today the winners of the Panorama of Works section for this edition of the event, "all faithful to the spirit of the XI BIAU: inhabiting, the inhabitant," according to the organizers.

Out of 997 projects in Latin America, 17 architectural works—predominantly for collective use—built in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Spain, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Uruguay, and Venezuela were awarded.

The CAU/BR is studying new rules for issuing Technical Responsibility Records (RRT) and Technical Collection Certificates (CAT) by architects and urban planners. The Professional Practice Commission, which is presenting the proposal to the public, aims to improve the registration system to protect both architects and their clients regarding the technical responsibility of architecture and urbanism services.

In April, UMAPaz is offering a course aimed at individuals who want to learn more about sustainability applied to architecture and construction projects, including small renovations. With an introductory approach, it seeks to clarify concepts of sustainable construction for anyone interested in the topic, without requiring prior knowledge.

One of the most distinctive features of Padua’s urban structure is its network of porticos and covered galleries, which organize pathways and open up to define plazas—public spaces for community gathering.

Projects working to preserve and promote Brazilian Cultural Heritage can now access the official guidelines to participate in this year's Rodrigo Melo Franco de Andrade Award. Globally recognized for its cultural diversity, Brazil is a country whose identity reflects the influence of various groups that helped shape Brazilian society. For 32 years, the Rodrigo Award, organized by the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (Iphan), has encouraged and recognized those who work to preserve the country's cultural assets.

Applications are now open for the 6th Instituto Tomie Ohtake AkzoNobel Architecture Prize. The initiative continues to map contemporary architectural production by highlighting, for the sixth consecutive year, significant projects built in the current Brazilian landscape that demonstrate a commitment to their site and sustainability, as well as design and constructive inventiveness. 

One of Italy's most important culinary hubs, Bologna is aiming to encourage its residents to adopt cycling, public transit, or simply walking as their primary means of transportation—leaving their cars at home. To achieve this, the city has launched an incentive program. 

Led by the Portuguese duo Isabel Ruas and Gonçalo Ruas, the studio Oficina de Mosaicos will create a mosaic reinterpretation of the work War and Peace, the monumental panel painted by Candido Portinari and donated to the UN in 1956. The piece will be permanently displayed at the USP campus in Butantã. The project has the support of the artist's son, João Portinari, and is currently in its fundraising phase.

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Discovering the stories behind architectural projects and urban interventions is the premise of ARQ.DOC, a new series set to premiere in January 2019 on YouTube. Produced in a documentary format, the episodes explore the creative diversity of Brazilian architecture.

On October 19, a workshop on implementing an ecological sanitation system will be held. The event will take place in São Paulo's South Zone and is open to anyone interested. The workshop is organized by the social-environmental project cooperative Sapiência Ambiental in partnership with the UFABC Agroecology Center.