Fitting a ramp into a layout can be a designer's nightmare. But anyone who has ever had to climb a steep ramp in a wheelchair or push someone else knows firsthand how much of a difference a well-designed ramp makes. NBR 9050, from 2015, establishes the technical criteria and parameters to be observed in the design, construction, installation, and adaptation of buildings, furniture, spaces, and urban equipment to ensure accessibility.
In 1988, upon the death of Luis Barragán, a process began to manage the assets he bequeathed to a group of architects based in Guadalajara, Jalisco. This led to the creation of the Fundación de Arquitectura Tapatía Luis Barragán, established to safeguard a portion of his real estate, his library, and certain personal belongings. Consequently, the foundation secured the necessary funding to acquire the Luis Barragán House and Studio, preserving it as the house-museum it is today.
We spoke with architect Salvador Macías, co-founder of Estudio Macías Peredo, who now directs this venue, which aims to provide a public space for reflection and the dissemination of architecture.
Walking through São Paulo without seeing cars and trucks brings me an almost surreal happiness, imagining for a moment that the city actually worked, that Jane Jacobs's dream has come true. Simultaneously, another aesthetic sentiment inevitably emerges—a feeling of the "end of the world." This second impulse materializes as a constructive thought that has nothing to do with moral fatalism, let alone tragedy. It is simply the end of a world that the Industrial Revolution, alongside liberal capitalism, has "schooled" us to accept for two centuries. This was the world of infinite natural "resources," of the dream of endless energy abundance, and of voracious consumption desires. Dreams that were not even ours.
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Documenting the urban landscape is a task photographers have undertaken almost since the birth of photography in the second half of the nineteenth century. Inexhaustible, the city continues to serve as raw material for photography, which, in turn, offers an image of the city that is simultaneously identical to and distinct from what is felt when experiencing the urban space.
Mauro Restiffe is perhaps one of the photographers who most deeply experiences the city and its residual spaces—an aspect that becomes immediately apparent upon viewing the selection of photographs chosen for the exhibition São Paulo, Out of Reach, on display at the Instituto Moreira Salles in São Paulo, curated by Thyago Nogueira. Bringing together photos that record moments of urban transformation and decay in places such as Cracolândia, Bom Retiro, Luz, Itaquera, and Ipiranga, among other neighborhoods, Restiffe composes a fragmented image of São Paulo between 2012 and 2014. Yet—partly due to his technique and, above all, his gaze—it also represents other eras of this metropolis.
Revit templates are the starting point for working in Revit, as they contain the basic elements and settings required to work on any project type. Consequently, each architecture firm creates different templates for its various projects.
Whether you are just starting to work in Revit or looking to supplement your existing templates, we present two templates containing everything you need to successfully begin in the BIM world, available in 2017 and 2018 versions.
The team led by architect and University of Chile academic Claudia Torres has documented a series of industrial ruins in rural areas throughout Chile for the project “From Noise to Silence: Valuing Industrial Ruins in Rural Areas,” a research initiative funded by Fondart 2017.
On this occasion, the project team —Claudia Torres, Sandro Maino, Ricardo Labra, Valentina Soto, and Laura Gallardo— share the story of the mechanized pier of Caldera, a symbol of the iron ore mining boom in Chile.
In the 1950s, small- and medium-scale copper mining went through a period of depression, giving rise to iron mining, which grew exponentially in the Atacama and Coquimbo regions. Many of the copper and saltpeter miners left unemployed by the crisis were absorbed by the flourishing iron mining industry.
In any profession, it is common for children to follow in their parents' footsteps, motivated by the environment they grew up in and inspired by a passion for the craft. Architecture is no exception. Growing up surrounded by sketches, floor plans, and coffee seems to spark the desire to pursue the same career.
In celebration of Father's Day, observed in Brazil this coming Sunday, August 12, we have compiled a list of architects who followed in their fathers' footsteps. Read on below:
Adolf Loos, Joaquín Vaquero Palacios, Fernando Moreno Barberá, Norman Foster, and the bicentennial of the Museo del Prado are just some of the key names and milestones set to take over Spanish museums in 2018.
Here are 10 highly recommended architecture exhibitions for the new year that offer a rich and compelling cultural lineup. They span Spanish and international architects, iconic buildings from Spain's architectural history, and the profound impact of emerging technologies—such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality—on the field of architecture.
Few cities worldwide have had the courage to tax vehicle circulation—even though existing examples have, so far, been positive. It has fallen to Buenos Aires to launch the first policy of this kind in Latin America. Starting now, the city government will charge for the time saved by those who insist on driving in the historic center (known as Microcentro) of the Argentine capital and in the Retiro neighborhood between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. The city joins a list whose prominent names include Singapore, London, Stockholm, and Milan.
Although we are all pedestrians, those behind the wheel often fail to respect the space, time, or priority of people on foot. This is one of the reasons walking in cities remains a challenge. Beyond public safety concerns, the road hierarchy and resulting urban design of Brazilian streets hinder the fulfillment of basic pedestrian rights.
Joaquim Manoel Guedes Sobrinho was a Brazilian architect and urbanist who graduated in 1954 from the School of Architecture and Urbanism at the University of São Paulo (FAU-USP)—as part of the institution's third graduating class—and was a leading figure of the so-called “Paulista School.” A prominent aspect of his professional practice was his partnership with his wife, Liliana Marsicano, with whom he established a lasting collaboration on a series of projects until 1974.
Aiming to offer low-income households genuine flexibility for expansion and adaptation during their housing process, the Robotic Timber Framing group at the Department of Architecture of the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, led by Luis Felipe González and Francisco Quitral, is developing timber housing structures that can be freely assembled and transformed by their occupants.
Without the need for metal fasteners, the components are joined using mortise and tenon joints, a process carried out by an industrial robot equipped with cutting tools.
I have been writing about gentrification for some time now. However, over the past week, two reports in particular caught my attention regarding how the topic is stirring up debate in two very different places: California and Berlin.
Interestingly, both cases boil down to the same underlying reason: the risk of gentrification in these cities is largely driven by the impact of innovation ecosystems on local real estate dynamics.
Therefore, this article aims to reflect on how Americans and Germans are tackling the issue, each in their own way. Furthermore, what lessons can we draw from these experiences, given that this could soon affect Brazilian cities rising in the national entrepreneurship and innovation scene?
In the constant ebb and flow of those moving through the city of São Paulo, you have likely noticed the distinctive graphic pattern repeated across various sidewalks. The classic pattern behind the modules that graphically form the map of the state of São Paulo was created in 1966 by architect and artist Mirthes dos Santos Pinto. It all began in the 1960s when then-mayor João Vicente Faria Lima launched a competition to design the city's new pavement. Mirthes, who at the time worked as a drafter for the São Paulo Municipal Works Department, created a stylized map of the State of São Paulo. Using square modules of black and white geometric tiles, the design alternated between solid colors and diagonally split tiles to create a continuous pattern.
There are now more than 350 Colombian projects published on ArchDaily. To celebrate this milestone, we have curated a selection that highlights the invaluable role of architectural models in conceptualizing, designing, and constructing contemporary Colombian architecture.
Far from the photorealism now achieved by 3D rendering specialists, the physical model endures as a critical tool for conceptual, spatial, structural, and constructive exploration, as showcased in the following selection:
When discussing Le Corbusier, a portion of his work—especially the early villas designed in collaboration with Pierre Jeanneret—is often dubbed the “White Villas.” It is curious that this color, white, remains so closely associated with the architect, rather than him having a “blue” period like Picasso or a “gold” period like Klimt.
When and why was the term “White Villas” coined for Le Corbusier's work? Could the whiteness of his buildings have been misunderstood, much like Greek art? This notion of whiteness was highly useful for laying the foundations of Neoclassicism in its time, yet it is entirely removed from the rich palette of colors that graced those works during the Hellenic period.
The lessons that can be drawn from visiting or studying a work of architecture are both many and varied. Whether we focus on programming, construction details, material solutions, relationship to context, siting, or any other aspect, these considerations yield clear concepts that can later be applied to our own projects.
With this in mind, and recognizing that there are multiple ways to approach an architectural problem, we have compiled a list of design strategies that define specific spatial qualities in classics of Chilean residential architecture, grouping together some of the most remarkable design moves from each case.
For optimal and wider propagation of TV and radio frequencies, antennas must be positioned in strategic and, above all, elevated locations. When the local topography is unfavorable, the construction of broadcasting towers and masts becomes essential. Yet, beyond serving a crucial function, these structures stand as visual landmarks, offering an extraordinary opportunity to transform urban infrastructure into pieces of unique aesthetic value. Renowned architects and their teams have designed radio and television towers that marry rigorous structural engineering with the plastic inventiveness of their chosen design solutions. We have selected a brief collection of television and radio transmission towers. See them below:
Nearly a year after an earthquake struck Mexico City and several Mexican states on September 19, 2017, we are beginning to see the fruits of the many efforts that arose in response to the slow—and at times nonexistent—government reaction, with citizens taking it upon themselves to organize and help. Various associations, foundations, and collectives joined the cause, and the architectural community was no exception.
This gave rise to ReConstruir México, driven by the determination to put architectural expertise at the service of those most in need, assisting in the reconstruction and conservation of affected heritage by providing technical support and advice, as well as designing and proposing solutions. However, goodwill alone was not enough; a multidisciplinary, integrating entity was needed to channel these efforts into physical housing for the victims. PienZa Sostenible stepped into this role, coordinating the process as a non-profit organization. As a platform for study, analysis, critique, engagement, and implementation addressing Mexico's current situation, PienZa Sostenible promotes outreach and drives projects aimed at improving quality of life, social development, economic growth, and environmental sustainability in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Over the course of five days, 36 third-year students from the UDD Architecture Program in Concepción, Chile, traveled to San Juan, Chiloé, to design and build a lookout for the local community. The main objective of this academic initiative was to connect students with physical materiality, marking the beginning of their professional degree cycle. The project is part of "Experiencia Detonante II" (Triggering Experience II), one of three hands-on experiences students undergo during their studies to engage directly with territory, materiality, and the discipline. Specifically, the Concepción campus, through its Escuela SurSur, fosters this connection to materiality by engaging with remote locations that preserve traditional local crafts.
We invited fifteen architectural photographers to share their playlists with us, now available on ArchDaily Brasil's Spotify.
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If you want fast rendering, optimize the size of staging assets, textures, and light sources. Learn your rendering software inside out and construct your scenes based on actual resource needs. There is no point in using the largest, most detailed, or highest-resolution assets for every single case; doing so will only leave you frustrated with your computer and software, struggling to navigate the viewport while constantly wishing for the latest processor, graphics card, more RAM, and more money to upgrade your rig—entirely unnecessarily.
Whenever possible, choose a GPU-based renderer, such as Thea Render for SketchUp, which is used in the examples in this article.
Here are several tips to make your rendering workflow faster and more efficient:
Not long ago, we read in one of the winning texts of the National Criticism Competition: “In Chimbote, a city that grew turning its back on its bay, shaped by the pursuit of an economically productive life, there is not much to do, not much to enjoy. And this is not only due to the lack of venues for cultural or recreational activities, but because in the street itself, in the public space, there is not much to encounter. It seems difficult for this situation to change when it comes to building the city (…) in a city that became boring, useful only for a precarious economic production, where the street is merely a transit space, of coming and going without much emotion (…). Hopefully, boredom will not rob us of the ability to imagine new ways of growth for our city.” A harsh and challenging critique of the city's future trajectory.
Today, this project emerges as a response, showcasing alternative ways of seeing, living, and growing for this warm city on Peru's northern coast. It is a way to rediscover a vibrant, colorful Chimbote, and we are thrilled to present and highlight it here: the flip side, the actions taken in response to criticism, or precisely what critical thinking can achieve. Beyond being a breath of fresh air, it serves as a replicable model of small yet significant initiatives that can be carried out in cities across the country, beyond Lima.
Almost two years ago, South America was hit by a public health crisis that affected hundreds of thousands of women. In Brazil, more than 2,600 children were born with microcephaly—a congenital condition in which the skull is smaller than normal—and other complications resulting from the Zika virus infection. Brazilians quickly became accustomed to the unfamiliar name of the disease, which rapidly spread through the northeastern region of the country and crossed borders into Colombia and Venezuela. However, as the disease became an international concern, it also became clear that it was a much greater problem for some groups than for others.
