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As part of the programming for Mexico City Art Week, CAPITALES presents its fifth exhibition, titled "Objetos Arquitectónicos" ("Architectural Objects"), from February 8 to 13, 2022, at Frontera 88, Roma Norte. Produced in collaboration with Manada Architectural Boundaries, the exhibition features 27 studios, including Alejandro Tapia, Ariel Rojo, Blanca Arcos, Carlos Bedoya, Carlos Candia, Carlos Torre Hütt, Chuen Mx, Déjate Querer, Dosa Studio, EDAA, Enrique Rosas, Estudio Atemporal, Fernando Polidura, Jimena Hogrebe, Julia Reyes Retana C, Lanza Atelier, Lupe Toys, María Santibáñez, Martacarmela, Onnis Luque, PRODUCTORA, PLECA, Rafael Rodríguez, Roberto Michelsen, Unidad de Protocolos, and Vera Primavera.

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One of the defining features of cities is their undeniable capacity to bring together creative talent through multiculturalism and transdisciplinarity. Today, it is increasingly vital to generate spaces and platforms within these urban environments that serve as creative laboratories—places not only to share but, above all, to reflect on contemporary practice, viewing design not as a decontextualized entity, but as an integrated concept that bridges diverse disciplines.

Anderson Marín Vidal and Juan Sebastián García, from the research group on Sustainable and Applied Emerging Technologies (T.E.S.A.), present an analysis of the primary impacts expected from the designs for the Río Molino Waterfront (Malecón del Río Molino). Created by the architecture firm Celeste & Piedra, the project won first place in a competition organized by the Mayor's Office of Popayán and Findeter.

How can we analyze the environmental impact of buildings? What strategies could be developed to improve people's quality of life and achieve a harmonious relationship with the environment? Year after year, more questions are added to the design decision-making process of thousands of architects around the world. They seek to take action and implement policies that improve the environmental performance of their buildings, reducing energy and resource consumption while also lowering greenhouse gas emissions and waste production.

In the midst of today's information age, several Latin American architecture firms are returning to analog formats, ranging from fanzines and illustrations to manuals and postcards.

Against the backdrop of the Taller Social Latinoamericano in Colombia, we spoke with the firms Ruta 4 Taller (Colombia), Coonvite (Colombia), La Cabina de la Curiosidad (Ecuador), and República Portátil (Chile)—all of whom have, coincidentally, explored these formats in their recent work.

More than a trend, industrialization is a necessity in the construction industry. In recent years, we have witnessed its importance in increasing productivity and speed of execution—as well as reducing waste—in architectural projects. Beyond streamlining construction processes, this serial, mechanical, and standardized production increases quality and shortens delivery times. If initial project decisions incorporate the modulation of the various stages that can be industrialized within vertical and horizontal parameters, the outcome is much more efficient than if these are evaluated during construction (when it is no longer possible to reduce waste through modulation). Furthermore, by minimizing waste and reducing the consumption of energy and water resources, it also contributes to a more sustainable industry.

Architects and designers, as well as psychologists and sociologists, recognize that aesthetics and its underlying philosophy have the power to change how we perceive the world around us. Consequently, a deeper understanding of what is beautiful holds the powerful potential to alter how people respond to their environment.

Exploring the different meanings of aesthetics in architecture, from 'form follows function' to the aesthetics of the metaverse, can help us understand the potential of our physical and virtual environments on the path toward a better world.

Much has been written on the subject, from Alberto Pérez-Gómez's "The Beautiful and the Just in Architecture" to Pablo Caldera's "The Failure of Beauty." Now, however, we want to open up the debate and invite you, our readers, to share your perspectives on what makes a building or a city beautiful.

Share your thoughts in the form below. Selected responses will be published in an upcoming article.

Through the construction of a narrative fiction, this work by Federico Lagomarsino, framed around the landscape, aims to depict everything that unfolds in contemporary society when a singular event occurs—in this case, the impact of the two largest meteorites detected to date in South America.

"I'm an architect... now what?" must be one of the most common questions for any recent graduate with an architecture degree in hand. Over the years, many will find jobs in different industries that do not necessarily involve working in an office designing and constructing buildings.

Rodrigo Lagos Vergara and Macarena Paz Barrientos Díaz originally published the article titled "Architecture Education in Chile, 1999-2019: Ecological Potential and Collective Political Meaning of Design Practices" in Revista [i2]: Investigación e Innovación en Arquitectura y Territorio, from the Department of Graphic Expression, Composition, and Architectural Projects of the Universidad de Alicante, on January 1, 2022.

Below, they present some of the most important points of their publication: three pedagogical actions in Chile that understand teaching as a central practice through the academic exercise of the design project.

Preserving the planet in its current state or even restoring damaged ecosystems has become a collective imperative across all sectors, and architecture is no exception. In her article “Towards Sustainability from Architecture and Ecosophy: Links Between Mental Ecology, Emotional Neuroscience, and Space,” published in the journal LIMAQ No. 7, Isabel Loredo—architect, co-founder of Signare Estudio, and holder of a master's degree in neuroscience and education—explores the various ways in which ecosophy can be applied to the architectural field.

The power of visual representation in architecture fosters debate and reflection on various urban issues. "Imaginarios urbanos" (Urban Imaginaries) is a collective initiative by Nómena arquitectura and Cuatro Cero Cuatro Arquitectura. Through a series of evocative images, the project aims to raise awareness and drive change in the design of Lima's streets.

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When designing residential interiors, architects increasingly lean toward creating environments where flexibility and space optimization provide solutions tailored to programmatic and functional needs, helping to achieve the well-being and comfort that turn a house into a true home.

Videos

Desde la periferia is an audiovisual project directed by José Luis Uribe, PhD in architecture and professor at the School of Architecture of the University of Talca, Chile. The project consists of three documentaries to be released progressively over the next two years, exploring various aspects associated with contemporary Latin American architecture. The first installment, Volume I: Ugly, Dirty & Bad: A Contemporary Architecture in Latin America, is an audiovisual essay that gathers some of the initial thoughts on its current state through the oral accounts of a group of architects in a hotel room in Asunción, Paraguay.

The city is in constant flux: monuments disappear, landmarks are forgotten, and new symbols emerge, prompting streets, plazas, and walls to redefine the urban landscape. In doing so, they offer new reference points, narratives, and ways of understanding the city, our history, and our society.

Thinking, discussing, and reconfiguring the city through art involves a series of processes. Researching territories, their inhabitants, sociocultural environments, and relational dynamics are essential pillars when designing and implementing installations that impact the city. The proliferation of large-scale artistic interventions that prioritize the purely aesthetic forces us to reflect on what we encounter in public spaces and how these encounters affect our daily lives.

August 19 is World Photography Day. To mark this occasion, we present the winning entries of the recent photography competition "Interculturality and Inhabited Heritage" ("Interculturalidad y Patrimonio Habitado").

Videos

The internationally renowned art collective _marina_morón (comprising Dr. Jesús Marina, PhD in History, and architect Dr. Elena Morón, PhD) inaugurated their latest work at the Pabellón de Mixtos of La Ciudadela in the city of Pamplona.
The exhibition is sponsored by the Basque-Navarrese Association of Architects and the Pamplona City Council, and will remain open to the public until March 15, 2022.

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May 3rd is a holiday originating from the Finding of the Holy Cross (also known as May Cross or Feast of the Crosses), which traces its roots back to Roman rites celebrating the Cross of Christ. Over time, this commemoration has evolved and been adopted across cities in Mexico, Chile, Spain, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Colombia, and Venezuela, where traditions include floral decorations, processions, and dances.

The IPCC has published its latest report on the environmental crisis, "Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability." The latest findings warn that urgent priority must be given to action on the adaptability of the built environment, noting that, globally, the most rapid growth in urban vulnerability has occurred in informal and unplanned settlements, as well as in small to medium-sized urban centers in low-income countries with limited adaptive capacity. This is a recurring reality across Latin America.

The world of gastronomy is about far more than just food; space plays a vital role in the overall dining experience. To achieve this, architecture transcends mere functionality to cultivate distinct atmospheres through the meticulous curation of light, acoustics, color, texture, and form, ensuring both intimacy and comfort for diners.

The city of Lima—capital of Peru, a preeminent culinary destination—features a diverse array of restaurants and cafés that reflect the country's rich heritage. Below, we present a selection of 10 restaurants and cafés offering unique dining experiences across the city.

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Could a space be one and many at the same time? Under the name Minimum Common Multiple, Estudio BNAA has designed a space of minimal footprints—typically used for commercial premises or offices—with the unique feature of being able to transform into multiple spaces simultaneously. Located in San Luis, Argentina, the project references the mathematical concept of the least common multiple (LCM) but from a different approach and function, combining movement, flexibility, and the use of magnetism as a construction system.

Ana García, architect and founder of NeuronaLab, recently interviewed Aureli Soria-Frish from the company Starlab. They discussed how the latest technological advances are increasingly being used to objectify neural activity and the emotional states associated with architectural spaces. Below, she shares her key reflections.

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Mexican interior designer and artist Olga Hanono has been invited to present her latest exhibition, DREAMVILLE, at La Biennale de Venezia Modigliani Opera Vision, from May 1 to July 31, 2022. The collection is inspired by the human capacity to dream, reflecting on imaginary objects that might exist within a dreamscape, along with the variety of colors and shapes found in distant stars, planets, and galaxies. Hanono has created art pieces and furniture using unconventional, luxurious materials.

This year we celebrate the fourteenth edition of the Obra del Año 2022 award—the highest recognition in the Spanish-speaking architectural world, where the winners are chosen by popular vote. Starting today, Tuesday, March 8, our readers will be responsible for determining which projects inspired us during 2021, faithfully representing the identity of our local contexts while shaping the way architecture is practiced around the world.

Over the next three weeks, the entire ArchDaily en Español network (Plataforma Arquitectura, ArchDaily México, ArchDaily Colombia and ArchDaily Perú) will serve as the platform to celebrate the best built architecture in Spanish-speaking America and Spain.

With nearly a thousand projects published in 2021, you can easily find your favorites by browsing through each category and using the search engine to filter projects by country and architecture firm. 

The 2022 Obra del Año Award is brought to you by Dornbracht, renowned for its design leadership in architecture, which can be found internationally in bathrooms and kitchens.