Architecture News

The gradual transition from CAD to BIM in architecture firms worldwide, and particularly in Brazil, brings numerous benefits to the design process, from reducing the working hours spent on each project to facilitating the coordination of different disciplines.

However, to fully leverage these benefits, it is essential to have access to BIM families that meet specific design requirements. To simplify the search for this content, the online platform Família BIM offers over 800 families for free download upon registering on the website.

After winning the 12th Competition for Architecture Students of the Brazilian Steel Construction Center (CBCA), students Bruna Barbosa and Lino Mendonça, from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), took first place in the 12th Alacero Competition for Architecture Students, organized by the Latin American Steel Association (Alacero).

The Federal Senate has made a free e-book on the design of sustainable public buildings available on its official website. Written by Mário Hermes Stanziona Viggiano, the book presents a cultural, economic, environmental, and architectural approach to the conception and design of public-use buildings.

One year ago, on September 2, 2018, the National Museum in Rio de Janeiro, one of Latin America's most important cultural institutions, was engulfed by flames. A fire caused by a short circuit in the building's electrical wiring destroyed at least 80% of its collection, which focused on natural history and anthropology. One year later, efforts to recover artifacts and clear the debris suggest that some galleries could reopen as early as 2022, three years before the full restoration is completed in 2025.

The Unidos da Tijuca samba school has announced the theme for its 2020 Carnival parade at Marquês de Sapucaí: "Architecture and Urbanism." The choice was inspired by Rio de Janeiro's designation as the first World Capital of Architecture by UNESCO, as well as the city's selection to host the World Congress of Architects, an event organized by the International Union of Architects (UIA) that is expected to attract around 15,000 professionals and will take place in July next year.

The Pedra Furada School project responds to a demand from an institute operating in Sergipe with the goal of developing integrated solutions between technology and human processes, prioritizing education, public health, and creative economies. The school's mission is to improve educational and economic indicators in the village of Pedra Furada and its surroundings.

The City of Florianópolis and the Santa Catarina State Government plan to inaugurate the first phase of the urban redevelopment project for the famous Hercílio Luz Bridge and its surroundings by the end of the year. Named Ponte Viva: Hercílio Luz Para as Pessoas (Living Bridge: Hercílio Luz for People), the project encompasses not only the restructuring of the iconic landmark as road infrastructure, but also its activation for other uses, such as sports, leisure, and culture.

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The Reasons Offsite, an exhibition on modular and prefabricated architecture, was created in Portugal by the studio SUMMARY and is traveling around the world. The exhibition has been shown in Albania (at Tirana Architecture Week, in September 2018) and in the United States (at the Salt Gallery of the Boston Society of Architects, in March 2019). It now has two more editions confirmed for this year, in Edinburgh and Weimar, the latter as part of the Bauhaus centenary celebrations.

For the fourth time, we are giving our readers the responsibility of recognizing and awarding the projects that have had the greatest impact on the profession through the ArchDaily Brasil Building of the Year 2020 Award. By voting, you become part of an unbiased network of jurors recognizing the most relevant projects of the past year.

Over the next three weeks, the collective intelligence of our readers will filter through hundreds of projects from Portuguese-speaking countries—Brazil, Portugal, Mozambique, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Macau, Cape Verde, and São Tomé and Príncipe—published in 2019, selecting the best built works in Portuguese-speaking territories.

Rio is the World Capital of Architecture. The title was awarded by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Friday morning, January 18, during a ceremony held at the organization's headquarters in Paris, and stems from the hosting of the World Congress of Architects in Rio in 2020. This is the first time a city has received this designation—established last year through a partnership between UNESCO and the International Union of Architects (UIA).

On Wednesday, October 9, the 21st Brazilian Congress of Architects (CBA) began. Organized by the Institute of Architects of Brazil (IAB) since 1945, this year's edition runs through October 12 in Porto Alegre, inviting professionals and the public to discuss its theme, Space and Democracy, through events held across various locations in the city's Historic Center.

Architect Manoel Ribeiro, author of several projects for Rio de Janeiro's Favela-Bairro favela-upgrading program, was invited by the government of Cape Verde to develop a pilot plan for informal settlements in the country. The project aims to overcome Cape Verde's urban, social, and economic challenges and will be developed in the city of Mindelo, the main urban center on São Vicente Island.

The Brazilian delegation from the Special Secretariat for Culture of the Ministry of Citizenship and the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (Iphan) on a mission to Portugal has brought updates regarding Cultural Heritage. In May 2019, the European country will host an exchange mission with Brazilian city managers, mayors, and tourism trade representatives. The goal is to study benchmarks in Portuguese Interpretation Centers to bring models to the 13 Brazilian cities that host World Heritage cultural sites.

Conceived by Tatiane Gonzalez from Ateliê Digital Analógico, "Incerteza Invisível" is a large-scale technological urban intervention in the form of projection mapping, created by an all-female group.

A survey by CAU/BR conducted in partnership with the Datafolha Institute has revealed new insights into the professional profile of architects and urban planners in Brazil. This is the largest survey conducted in the country since the Census of Architects and Urban Planners in 2012, which was carried out when all professionals registered with the newly created Council of Architecture and Urbanism. "We need precise information to guide CAU's initiatives, both for the entity's planning and to improve communication with professionals," said the president of CAU/BR, Luciano Guimarães.

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As part of an initiative to restore and reactivate the cultural spaces of the city of Oaxaca in Mexico, the Ministry of Cultures and Arts (SECULTA) has announced the winners of the competition for the Conceptual Design of the Álvaro Carrillo Cultural Center: architects Mauricio Rocha + Gabriela Carrillo, Alberto Kalach, and Tatiana Bilbao. The project will provide green spaces and adapt to the city's environment, complying with all regulatory specifications.

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On Monday, the Paseo del Bajo was officially inaugurated: one of the most highly anticipated—and expensive—infrastructure projects in Buenos Aires in recent years.

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The College of Architects of Mexico City invited all Mexican architects to participate in the IV Mexico City Architecture Biennial 2019. The event aimed to identify the country's best architectural works, publications, research, and theses, recognizing their authors and sharing the most outstanding works to foster reflection on responsible contemporary architecture and sustainable solutions through analysis and critique. During this biennial, 106 projects and 18 publications were submitted, resulting in 1 Gold Medal, 14 Silver Medals, 2 Special Mentions, and 27 Honorable Mentions across 23 categories. Read on to discover the winners.