La Parleta is a project by the Ecuadorian architecture and construction collective EseColectivo, which gathers "highly valuable reflections, anecdotes, and experiences surrounding the profession." Below, we share some of their thoughts alongside their fourth episode, "Post-Apocalyptic Architecture."

Street safety goes far beyond policing and lighting. While these factors may be important in certain contexts, community engagement and building social capital are key to making cities safer. “Feeling safe is crucial for people to embrace urban space,” says Jan Gehl.

At the same rate that the real estate development industry aggressively intervened in the most favorable areas of the city valley—backed by state approvals and concessions, supported by massive banking resources, and employing top individual talent trained at public universities—popular settlement neighborhoods grew proportionally across complex topographies, receiving minimal institutional support, completely devoid of financial backing, and with negligible, residual, if not non-existent, technical assistance.

When analyzing an architectural project, we often focus on issues such as its programmatic demands and historical context, its design and representation process, and how it was built. We tend to study it as a finished product. Yet, once a work is constructed, it opens itself up to the city and to others, becoming vulnerable to flaws, imperfections, redevelopments, and unforeseen appropriations. The consequences then stem from conflicts, and social and political dynamics that shape the city, forming a fluid and shifting landscape. 

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When we visit an urban destination—or perhaps a rural one as well—can we truly say we know it? A brief vacation in a tourist destination might give us an impression of what a place "is." However, this is a far cry from reality, as tourism has always manipulated the impression left on visitors, obscuring the actual lived experience of the place. 

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The city of Puebla, located in the central highlands of Mexico, is particularly well-known for its street layout and its predominantly Baroque architecture. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, it hosts a broad cultural dynamic centered on the preservation of built heritage and its appreciation from afar, as if it were a museum piece. Consequently, on our daily commutes, we notice the monumentality of its facades, while most often overlooking what lies behind the large wooden doors: what we have called “the heart of the Poblano home.”

The following article proposes rethinking architecture as a subject rather than an object. Carlos Medellín delves into the topic, arguing from both experimental and academic perspectives how people-centered architecture acts as an agent of change.

Within residential spaces, architects choose to give more or less prominence to certain areas of the program, depending on client preferences. While some prefer to prioritize more intimate spaces, others lean toward social areas—with the kitchen being a primary example.

Although the pragmatic function of a kitchen is to serve as a space for preparing food, there are few homes where it does not also double as a gathering place. Even in traditional dwellings like the Mapuche *ruka*, a central hearth is used both for cooking and for heating, conceptually evoking the same welcoming atmosphere as integrated urban kitchens. Today, fire is managed through stoves—with a strong modern shift toward induction cooktops for their safety and precise temperature control. Nevertheless, the core domestic principle remains the same, and contemporary architecture has allowed the kitchen to once again integrate seamlessly with daily activities and social zones.

Observing the reality of our built environment allows us to recognize that certain identities are not represented by existing models and scales. Unsurprisingly, these voices have been conspicuously absent from the planning and construction processes of cities and their architecture. Their desires, ways of being, and modes of inhabiting the world have been excluded and rendered invisible. This prompts us to rethink: Which voices are legitimized in urban debates, and for whom is the city designed?

In a conversation for the third edition of Revista CLEA—an annual publication of the Latin American Coordinator of Architecture Students (CLEA)—Ecuadorian architect María Augusta Hermida explores the capacity to decolonize spaces and cities today.

The pursuit of security in architecture is closely linked to creating sheltered interiors that allow us to carry out our daily activities comfortably and without unforeseen disruptions. However, the challenges involved in protecting people and property have shifted dramatically in recent years. Today, we seek to feel safe wherever we are, and in an increasingly open and transparent architecture, the building envelope material becomes more and more critical, particularly in its glazed areas.

What parameters should be considered when choosing safety glass? We spoke with technical experts from Cristales Dialum, who have developed solutions with different resistance levels for single- and double-glazed units.

We have all heard the term BIM in the field of architecture and construction. But have you ever wondered why its adoption has grown so rapidly in recent years? Building Information Modeling (BIM) has streamlined the work of various professionals in the architecture and construction industries. It not only facilitates the design process but also simplifies the overall analysis of the building, thereby minimizing errors.

Through BIM methodology, teams can work collaboratively, maximizing the efficiency of project management and administration for both small and large-scale projects. This allows architects and engineers to work with parametric models and drawings, known as 3D smart objects.

Nearly sixty years ago, Flora Manteola, Javier Sánchez Gómez, Justo Solsona, Carlos Libedinsky, and Antonio Diaz envisioned a building with a capacity of 3,000,000 books and 500,000 magazines and newspapers for the National Library of Argentina preliminary design competition. Their proposal for a "large metal tent" would ultimately take second place to the concrete glyptodont by Clorindo Testa, Bullrich, and Cazzaniga that stands today.

From its inception, the proposal "prompted sensitivity toward new formal and structural directions," as noted in the jury's critique. In 2015, this design was featured in the exhibition Latin America in Construction, and today its original model and blueprints are in the official collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.

Below, we revisit the project through the words of Justo Solsona: 

There are many ways to define BIM methodology. One of them describes it as a set of processes that help us combine a project's geometry with the data required to complete its entire lifecycle. We could say that modeling in BIM is like virtually executing the construction process.

Another key aspect is that it allows us to work in a collaborative environment, helping to simplify the flow of information among different stakeholders and providing greater control over our projects. 

As part of an initiative by the Faculty of Architecture at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the Carlos Obregón Santacilia Bookstore is making a selection of its publications available to the public digitally and free of charge. These texts cover a wide range of topics, including research methods, analyses of administrative processes in the architectural field, theoretical writings by Alberto T. Arai, architectural history across various periods and contexts, structural systems, energy efficiency, urbanism, landscape, heritage, reconstruction, biennials, and guides to support the conception of new architectural projects.

This article by Julián García Muñoz and María de los Ángeles Beltrán Fernández was originally published in the second issue of rita magazine under the title "La prefabricación de bóvedas de ladrillo: Una utopía latinoamericana" and is part of a joint publishing collaboration. The following is an overview of the history of these prefabricated vaults, aiming to reclaim their value.

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For many years, the Catalan vault has been used in various projects ranging from residential to public programs. This design element stems from a traditional construction technique—likely originating in the Middle Ages—consisting of building a roof with bricks laid flat on their widest face—exposing their length and width—rather than on any of their thicker edges.

Videos

“Architects, not Architecture” has decided to open its archive to help us navigate the global lockdown, serving as a source of inspiration and entertainment for the architectural community. It features a selection of the best talks from their 35 past events, previously unreleased to the public—including Tatiana Bilbao, Peter Cook, Richard Rogers, Massimiliano Fuksas, Kim Herforth Nielsen, Ben van Berkel, Anupama Kundoo, Sadie Morgan, Dan Stubbergaard, Manuelle Gautrand, and Kjetil Thorsen.

Each week, ArchDaily will share one of the full talks that “Architects, not Architecture” is publishing daily on its website as part of its "new event": Home Edition 2020 (www.architectsnotarchitecture.com).

As an exclusive, Plataforma Arquitectura is presenting one of the talks in Spanish. Below is the presentation by architect Benedetta Tagliabue.

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Similar in nature to silos and granaries, the barn is an essential building typology within agricultural storage processes. Their designs are typically simple and functional. Serving specifically as facilities to store large volumes of raw materials, they are characterized by high ceilings, wide spans, and relative flexibility. These structures protect agricultural products—such as cereals, fruits, grains, straw, and hay—from the sun, rain, moisture, and pests.

We have often heard about BIM (Building Information Modeling) and the wide range of opportunities it brings to the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) industry. But how are these BIM models structured? This article explains the components of these models and their characteristics based on a BIM Standard, while addressing the importance of BIM Catalogs and BIM Libraries.

"Art at the service and disposal of the people"—this is the primary goal of Metro21, a Chilean urban art gallery dedicated to exhibiting works and managing projects for artists working in public space.

"De cancha en cancha" (From Court to Court) is their initiative to reclaim shared spaces that have fallen into disuse and disrepair across many of the country's localities—a common outcome of a lack of long-term upkeep.

In the field of architecture, the technological, social, and cultural changes driven by 21st-century globalization processes have enabled the development of transnational teams and diverse firms designing projects with innovative perspectives and visions unmoored from a single geographical location. Hyper-communication, exchange, and advanced digital resources are design tools that have allowed architects to operate with a more global vision of the practice, transcending national borders and enabling them to approach architectural challenges in a more open and pluralistic way.

According to the UN, the share of the world's population living in urban areas, currently about 55%, will rise to 70% by 2050. Managing this rapid urban growth is a daunting task for governments; among the most common challenges is providing housing, basic services, and food to city dwellers. Food security in major urban centers depends on several factors, including food availability, access, and quality.

Medellín-based firm Taller Síntesis shares the following article emphasizing the importance of recognizing the rural built environment—which accounts for most of the country's territory but not most of its architectural practice—in order to raise awareness of how architecture is directed and recognized in Colombia. Read on below.