Year after year, interior design surprises us with new trends in colors, materials, textures, and patterns that take center stage in the spaces we inhabit. Maintaining a balanced dialogue, considering both the needs to be met and the emotions to be conveyed, is central to the design of diverse environments. Ceramic, mosaic, and porcelain coverings allow for the creation of spaces ranging from warm and cozy to elegant and sophisticated.
Ceramic is an intrinsically versatile material: advanced printing technologies allow for infinite possibilities in terms of colors, textures, and patterns. As a result, it is widely used in interiors worldwide, combining durability, low maintenance, ease of installation, competitive pricing, and the ideal aesthetic to transform environments according to the designer's vision. Trends and fashions are a natural part of interior design, and staying at the forefront is crucial for creating spaces that are both contemporary and timeless. Whether through the clean lines of geometric patterns, the cozy feel of rustic finishes, or the timeless elegance of marbled surfaces, each trend offers something unique to enhance the character of any space.
What role does street furniture play in public spaces? In response to human social behavior, the design of public spaces is part of a complex inquiry. Alongside the analysis of uses, community participation, the study of climatic and geographical conditions, and resource efficiency—among many other factors—it involves selecting appropriate urban equipment and elements to meet the needs of a large share of the population. As the Spanish architect and urban planner Oriol Bohigas Guardiola maintained, architecture is not only an art but also a direct service to society. Consequently, harmony among the multiple disciplines involved should yield tools that improve and facilitate community life. Understanding the role of street furniture—how it supports specific activities depending on its layout, dimensions, materials, and long-term lifespan—is essential to the current and future functioning of urban spaces.
As part of Expo OBRA BLANCA 2024, held from October 15 to 17 at Expo Santa Fe in Mexico City, Porcelana Corona México and Ambiance showcased their latest innovations in sanitaryware alongside a wide range of products for architects, builders, and distributors at booth 224 of the Bathrooms and Fittings Pavilion.
The atmosphere of a home is gradually built through the interaction between architecture, furniture, and materials. Each component contributes color, texture, and depth, making the living experience sensory and immersive. Among these, materials play a decisive role: they define more than just the visual aspect, conveying tactility, light, temperature, and a connection to the environment, thus transforming our perception of the home. When viewed contextually, they reveal new possibilities for designing and experiencing interiors and exteriors, reminding us that every choice influences comfort and functionality.
In this third dispatch from New York, Kosme de Barañano shares the current state of construction on two structures that will undoubtedly become new milestones in the network of globalized public space—a symptom of the sculptural turn in architectures designed for this type of consumption. The shed and the staircase: two very different constructions that somehow pose an age-old question: are they sculptures, or are they architecture?
On Thursday, September 6, ArchDaily México celebrated its sixth anniversary. The exclusive event took place in one of the country's most significant architectural gems: Casa Gilardi, designed by Luis Barragán, the only Mexican architect to receive the Pritzker Prize. The venue served as the setting for some of today's most influential architects to connect with the ArchDaily México team.
Designed by Milena Lara Silva, the project Ruta de las aves was selected as one of the 10 winners in the Thesis Project category of the 2018 Concurso Arquitectura Caliente (CAC 2018), a Chilean competition organized by Grupo Arquitectura Caliente and funded by the Ministry of Cultures, Arts, and Heritage.
The constant industrial threats endangering the delicate wetland ecosystems are primarily the result of Chile's weak environmental legislation. In the rural sector of Trumao, 11 kilometers from the city of La Unión, this has led to the gradual degradation of its forested wetland. This decline risks not only its biodiversity but also local communities that have persisted since ancient times thanks to the dynamic landscape and its natural resources—both of which are vital for their survival, economy, and, above all, their culture.
The dynamics of city dwellers are shaped by their daily routines, including the work they perform, their schedules, and their chosen mode of transportation. Furthermore, physical and mental conditions underpin how people interact with the streets. This experience is entirely subjective, determined by factors such as age, height, or any physical condition involving the loss of a sense or limb.
People walk, crossing at traffic lights when they see the signal change, while simultaneously listening to a playlist on their phones. They recognize textures because they see them, and they track the direction of the wind visually. They perceive the city without deeply engaging with the sensory information they receive.
Numerous studies have examined the relationship between gender and urban mobility, concluding that women face greater challenges in exercising their right to the city and accessing urban opportunities. The unequal division of domestic labor places a heavier burden on women, who shoulder tasks such as school drop-offs and pick-ups, caring for elderly or sick relatives, and grocery shopping. Consequently, this largely shapes a travel pattern characterized by trip-chaining—making multiple, sequential stops—and relying heavily on walking and public transit.
In this year's edition, the Electrolux Architecture Competition addressed the challenges of vertical architecture for sustainable cities, promoting new ways to generate innovative programmatic design, public benefit, and community integration. With a focus on contextual relevance, the initiative sought to enhance both public space and quality of life for urban residents.
First prize was awarded to architecture students Mateo Loayza Montalvo, Gabriel Ceballos Melillán, Sebastián Quiroz Lara, and Francisco Beltrán Ayala, from the School of Architecture at Universidad Andres Bello, under the guidance of professors Juan Agustín Soza and Mauricio Bruna and external professor Eduardo Maldonado. Located opposite the historic Patio 29, the project proposes a vision for the relationship between the cemeteries of the future and high-rise structures.
Read more about the project in the authors' own words below.
Stadium, Chile's pavilion at the 2018 Venice Biennale, is presented through a large-scale model of the National Stadium of Santiago, aiming to illustrate local housing policies.
The exhibition, curated by architect Alejandra Celedón, aims for these elements—both fragile and heavy—to tell the story of the moment when citizens 'without homes' became homeowners for the first time, serving as "symbolic fragments of this transmutation."
Surprising as it may seem, Spain currently lacks a national Law on Architecture and Habitability to recognize and promote the value of the profession to the country's economic, social, and cultural development.
However, 2017 brought two major developments that can and should provide the momentum needed to advance toward a crucial national law. First, the passage on November 8 of the Public Sector Contracts Law, which, according to Jordi Ludevid, president of the Superior Council of the Colleges of Architects of Spain (CSCAE), represents "a spectacular and highly positive change" for architects. Second, the approval on June 28, 2017, of Spain’s first-ever architecture legislation, the Catalonia Architecture Law.
On Sunday, April 1, the 15th edition of the Latin American Social Workshop (TSL) concluded in Peru. This annual workshop brings together students and architects from across the Americas to analyze, reflect, design, and build public facilities over ten days in diverse Latin American contexts.
Known as XV TSL Puno, this edition took place in Chucuito, a Peruvian town situated at an altitude of over 3,800 meters (12,400 feet) on the shores of Lake Titicaca, near the city of Puno—the folklore capital of Peru. There, 250 students divided into three teams worked on landscape, public space, and heritage restoration projects, led by ENSUSITIO + Jhony Chávez, Ruta 4, and Lucio Torres, respectively.
Following the workdays, amidst coca leaves and fried trout, a recurring question arose during our conversations with the workshop participants: how can social architecture move beyond the photograph of children drawing and adults talking in a town hall meeting? Below, we present the reflections of four Latin American practices that participated in the TSL between 2017 and 2018.
Last September, we launched our first open call in Spain for architects to submit their final thesis projects (PFC). After a thorough evaluation of 87 submissions, 10 projects were selected, standing out for addressing pressing contemporary issues, developing deep research analyses, and posing challenges in both urban and rural environments.
The selected proposals seek to both validate and highlight the diverse fields that architects can address and practice within a multidisciplinary framework, countering the bias of certain institutions and academics who still believe that architects only design "boxes."
As an exemplary figure in the production of modern architecture, Lúcio Costa worked on several fronts—from building design to urban planning, as in the case of Brasília. Among his many facets, his role in promoting and establishing policies to protect the country's historical heritage represents a milestone both in his career and for the nation's cultural assets.
Recent environmental pollution incidents in the Chilean cities of Quintero and Puchuncaví have reignited the debate surrounding the health impacts on residents of so-called sacrifice zones. Last August, the Chilean newspaper La Tercera reported that these cities on Quintero Bay coexist with "15 major energy, chemical, and fuel companies," including a smelter, a natural gas plant, and four thermoelectric power plants.
In response, Chilean architect Leonardo Quinteros has developed "Marine Forest" as his thesis project. The proposal features a decontamination platform designed to bioremediate the bay using cultivated brown algae, drawing on research into methods for extracting and absorbing heavy metals to demonstrate the species' potential as a marine bioremediator.
Quinteros—winner of the 2015 CNPP and currently designing the new Providencia Municipal Building in Santiago alongside Tomás Villalón and Nicolás Norero—based his project on a decontamination plan known as FIC Algas. Developed by the Faculty of Ecology at Andrés Bello University (UNAB) in collaboration with the Regional Government of Valparaíso, FIC Algas
The year 2018 has been filled with achievements and surprises for the architectural community. As the year draws to a close, we reflect on the crucial role competitions play in reinforcing the global image of each region or country. Mexico was no exception, securing nearly 18 international recognitions (including grants, competitions, nominations, etc.) that showcased its key interests and goals for the coming years to the rest of the world. This selection highlights the prominent participation of Mexican architects Frida Escobedo and Rozana Montiel—both invited and recognized on multiple occasions at some of the industry's most prestigious events—as well as outstanding projects like the Teopanzolco Cultural Center by Isaac Broid + Productora, which received several national and international awards.
Read on for the complete list.
Originally titled "La casa existencial, comportamientos "anti-urbanos" en la ciudad de Loja" (The Existential House: "Anti-Urban" Behaviors in the City of Loja), Ecuadorian architect David Medina Jiménez conducted this research in 2015 to obtain a degree at the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja.
As noted by the Colegio de Arquitectos del Ecuador Pichincha on its blog, Medina Jiménez's thesis "explores the importance of 'consciousness' from an existentialist perspective, and its relationship with architecture and the city. The author reaches bold conclusions by questioning an urban planning prejudice that most have taken for granted: the supposed need to densify cities at all costs."
What is architecture? A full answer will probably not be found in words—at least not in those shared here. Nevertheless, it is argued that what we call "architecture"—what we recognize as such—is immanent to self-awareness and consciousness [1] (and these, in turn, to unconsciousness, like light and shadow). The former, self-awareness, is knowledge of the self, of Dasein [2]; the latter, consciousness, is knowledge of the surrounding reality.
From the Fundación Arquia Blog, architect Miren León, a specialist in sustainable design and energy efficiency, brings us an article calling for the reuse of construction materials through "upcycling," a method that helps reduce waste and mitigate the life-cycle impact of buildings.
Although many may have forgotten it today, RE-using is second nature to us. We have all reused shoeboxes, cans, or jars for a purpose different from their original intent: from "creating" new toys or decorative objects to storing marbles or childhood treasures. Since we have all done this on a small scale, why is it so difficult to do it on an urban scale?
Spanish firm Ecosistema Urbano has presented details of Febres Cordero, one of the first projects in Cuenca, Ecuador, to emerge from the Cuenca RED initiative. This iconic, historic building, which served as a school for decades, is being transformed into a mixed-use development that will serve as a benchmark for economic, environmental, and social sustainability in the city.
Developed under the ICES (Emerging and Sustainable Cities Initiative) program of the Inter-American Development Bank, in collaboration with the Municipality of Cuenca, Cuenca RED is an initiative for which Ecosistema Urbano has proposed programs and activities to establish a new network of reactivated public spaces within the historic center of the city, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999.
It was a city of untamed rivers: they seasonally burst their banks, shaping fertile, humid floodplains. When the waters receded, the ground became firm enough for a ball to roll and feet to run after it. It was in a São Paulo without rivers buried under sad slabs of concrete that futebol de várzea—floodplain football—emerged.
Tracing the history of várzea football in São Paulo means understanding how the city was built around imposing rivers like the Tietê. In the early 20th century, immigrant populations, Afro-Brazilians, and recently freed Black people occupied these territories, giving rise to neighborhoods like Barra Funda in the city's west zone. Far more than an amateur sport, it became established as a symbol of social organization and the struggle for the right to the city, at a time when space in the capital was beginning to be contested and feel the pressures of gentrification.
The modernization of Bogotá between 1940 and 1970, captured in urban and architectural photographic reportages, has been documented in various books, magazines, and photobooks of the era, as well as in images from the city's public and private archives. These photographs reveal a deliberate, even critical, approach to how modern architecture reconfigured city centers and put new buildings and urban spaces in relation to the existing urban landscape.
When analyzing the impact of photography on architecture, it is essential to discuss Paul Beer and Germán Téllez. While both captured a wide spectrum of subjects, these two photographers dedicated themselves more specifically to architectural photography. Commissioned by the most prestigious architectural firms of the era, their photographs reveal distinct yet complementary values, relationships, and aspects of modern architecture and the city.
In this edition of Bogotá in the Eyes of 10 Photographers we explore the legacy of Germán Téllez:
Projects from Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, and Brazil have been selected as winners of the 2018 CICOP Chile Award. This is the fourth national—and second international—edition of the Latin American competition open to graduation projects that develop interventions on buildings, built complexes, or areas of heritage value.
"Acting with sensitivity and technical expertise regarding built heritage helps unite efforts toward conservation and reinforces the contribution that the professional field can make to transmitting heritage values to future generations," explained the organizers of the competition, which received 92 submissions in this edition.
The competition director was Nicolas Iza, while general coordination was led by Marco Antonio Orellana. The jury comprised Arturo López Bachiller and David Avila, representing the firm Luis Vidal + Arquitectos, along with María Inés Arribas, Mabel Briceño, Antonino Pirozzi, and Carolina Vergara, representing CICOP Chile.
.jpg?1523545445 "TSL Canoa 2017: Aula Colectiva Training and Entrepreneurship Center / TACTICO Taller de Arquitectura. Image © Nicolás Valencia")
.jpg?1523546713 "TSL Puno 2018: Hatun Tinkuy / ENSUSITIO + Jhony Chávez. Image © Nicolás Valencia")
.jpg?1523546075 "TSL Canoa 2017: El Atrapasueños / Natura Futura Arquitectura + Ruta 4. Image © Nicolás Valencia")
.jpg?1523548272 "TSL Puno 2018: Taller Cóndor / Ruta 4 Arquitectura. Image © Nicolás Valencia")
