As part of an initiative to document the history of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, REGIOPOLIS emerged as a documentary video series narrated from the perspective of the city's creators, aiming to leave an architectural record of the Monterrey metropolis. Each episode showcases some of the most significant works that laid the foundation for its urban fabric, exploring the historic and emblematic architecture built to this day.
In recent years, "real-time rendering" has become an increasingly prominent concept in architectural visualization. Initially dismissed as a theoretical tool far from practical application—plagued by critiques of poor quality, lack of compatibility, and sparse asset libraries—it was deemed incapable of replacing traditional visualization workflows, let alone serving as a primary tool for architects. However, several recent animations created with D5 Render have piqued our curiosity, prompting a closer look at what real-time rendering can now achieve.
The Ministry of the Environment of Mexico City announced the winning project of the National Thematic Garden-Ethnobotanical Garden, Environmental Culture Center Competition in the Second Section of the Chapultepec Forest, which will form part of a master plan for the “Chapultepec Forest: Nature and Culture.” Upon completing the analysis and deliberation of the projects, the jury members highlighted the quality and high standard of the participants across the five submitted proposals. The first, second, and third-place winners are listed below. Read on to discover the winning project and the four finalist proposals.
Industrial buildings are perhaps the ultimate exemplification of Louis Sullivan's famous adage: form follows function. They are typically functional, efficient, fast to build, and unornamented. Consequently, studying the industrial heritage of cities and countries allows us to understand the materials, technologies, and local construction traditions of each era, while reflecting on the industrial past. This quickly brings to mind England's red-brick factories, as well as the skylights used to flood production floors with natural light, among many other typical solutions. Today, steel frames and precast concrete structures are the most widely used due to their combination of construction efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and capacity for large spans. Typically, these industrial warehouses are also characterized by being extremely cold and impersonal, in addition to carrying a substantial carbon footprint. However, Canada's experience in recent years stands out. In this country, timber buildings for industrial programs are gaining increasing acceptance.
This article by Diego Navarro-Mateu, Oriol Carrasco, and Ana Cocho-Bermejo was originally published under the title "Diseño inverso para superficies doblemente regladas: aproximación geométrica y optimización del hypar de la Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Valle de Félix Candela" in issue 27 of the Dearq journal on July 1, 2020 (DOI: https://doi.org/10.18389/dearq27.2020.08). The following text proposes a reverse engineering/design methodology based on evolutionary computation to discover the hidden, primal hyperboloid that forms the roof of the Church of Nuestra Señora del Valle (Spain), a legacy of the work of architect Félix Candela.
It is presented here as part of a joint collaboration to help disseminate the research, analysis, and opinions developed by the national and international academic community on architecture, urban issues, and related fields.
This week, we feature job openings from two of China's leading architecture practices: Beijing-based People's Architecture Office (PAO) and Shenzhen-based Meng Architects. Known for their distinct design philosophies and active presence in different sectors of the architectural field, both offices are looking for talented architects to join their teams.
MOVYT has launched Trayectopia, a card game designed to foster reflection on our experiences of mobility in public space. The tool was created to support public officials tasked with developing mobility plans under Chile's new Public Space Contributions Law.
Arquitecturas Colectivas defines itself as “a network of people and collectives interested in the participatory construction of the urban environment.” Looking at this network in perspective, two things stand out. The first is that it seems quite sensible for a group of people and collectives to organize to tackle urban transformation projects with a bottom-up philosophy, collaboratively developing the necessary tools. The second is that this does not happen more often.
The bid award meeting for the "Full-Phase Design of the Guiwan Unit 4 Nine-Year School Project" was held on January 29, 2021. The tenderer legally established a bid selection committee, and following a vote by the committee, the final rankings are as follows:
Traveling to Colombia, as a Brazilian, felt like recognizing a sister country. Over the course of a month, as a participant in the Field Stations workshop, I recorded personal perspectives of my impressions of the places visited. The theme is the river landscape, and the records carry the fragility and subjectivity of a logbook. The desire to share them is driven by the desire to express this sense of identification, showing how I saw similarities between us—problems, complexities, and beauties—as well as the clear recognition that we would be stronger together. It envisions the idea of eliminating the invisible borders that separate us and uniting peoples divided by colonizers.
Driven by necessity, various building types have changed their use. Churches that are now libraries, abandoned warehouses turned into cultural centers—and while much has been written on the subject, from N. John Habraken's 1970s Open Building concept to Adamo Faiden's contemporary From Mixed-Use to Diff-Use, today we are experiencing, more than ever, a compelling global debate surrounding housing adaptability. Is it necessary to dedicate so much square footage to offices when, during the pandemic, we realized that a large portion of work can be done remotely? This was one of the central questions during the lockdowns of recent years.
Undoubtedly, buildings are on the radar for what we can do with them in the near future—especially as the climate crisis enters the equation. "The greenest building is the one that is already built," says Carl Elefante. Adaptive reuse and adaptability will surely be the defining terms on the lips of architecture professionals worldwide. Thus, it is time to reflect further on how design can address this challenge.
Located near Paris and symbolizing the power of French absolute monarchs, the Palace of Versailles was originally built between 1610 and 1643 as a rural hunting retreat for King Louis XIII of France. Over time, the residence was expanded and refined, becoming a small chateau in 1634. Its transformation into a grand, luxurious palace and a display of royal opulence began during the reign of Louis XIV, known as the Sun King.
The federal Ministry of Culture and the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature (INBAL) will present the pavilion titled Desplazamientos (Displacements), representing Mexico at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, from May 22 to November 21, 2021, at Venice's historic Arsenale complex. The proposal rethinks the way Mexico has traditionally participated in this prominent forum, where the world gathers to discuss architecture—a field fundamental to heritage and human life in both cities and nations.
The construction industry's role in today's climate crisis is deeply concerning—between material production, building execution, and operations, the sector is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases. At the same time, urban populations are growing at unprecedented rates. Within the shaping of major cities—which consume massive amounts of energy—reducing the discipline's impact seems to rely on small-scale interests and personal initiatives rather than sweeping action from the academic, professional, or political spheres.
History has provided us with numerous construction techniques and local material uses that have proven sustainable over time. This involves the efficient use of resources that bypass major industrial processing stages and eliminate the need for long-distance transport. In some cases, at the end of their life cycle, they can even be returned to the environment, such as adobe and timber. In other instances, reclaimed materials—such as recyclable waste and debris generated directly on-site—can also be integrated. Undoubtedly, modern technology and knowledge can help optimize these materials for large-scale application in major cities. Is it possible to develop projects with low environmental impact and adapt them to dense urban contexts? Is this the future path for building materials?
Founded in London by Ms. Jane Zhang, Jane Z Studio established its roots in Shenzhen in 2012. Combining an international perspective with local practice, our multicultural team continuously injects depth and vitality into Eastern aesthetics. We provide world-class urban, architectural, and spatial design solutions, with a portfolio spanning corporate headquarters, commercial districts, private clubs, Zen temples, high-end residences, and exhibition spaces. Through our creative vision, we bridge East and West, weave past and future, and inspire daily life.
.jpg?1624381640 "Interamerican University / Boyancé Arquitectura + Edificación. Image © Manolo R. Solis")
Campeche is a state located in southeastern Mexico on the Yucatán Peninsula, bordering the states of Yucatán, Quintana Roo, and Tabasco, and facing the Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, Campeche is one of the three states that define the political border with Guatemala. Covering 57,924 km², it is the third least-populated state in the country. Its capital and most populous city is San Francisco de Campeche.
This week’s job openings come from two design firms based in Beijing and Shenzhen: Origin Architect and JKP Architects. Specializing in different scales and themes, both practices are active across various architectural fields and are seeking like-minded architects to join their teams.
Founded in Shanghai in 2015, DYML Architects is a dynamic, diverse, and cutting-edge international architectural practice. We are committed to providing creative design services with a global perspective, passionately seeking exceptional solutions through unconventional design thinking and unique angles.
MENG ARCHITECTS is a comprehensive design and research firm specializing in forward-looking urban and architectural research, design consulting, construction management, and product R&D. Founded in Shenzhen in 2002 by Meng Jianmin—an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a National Architectural Design Master—the firm was formerly known as Meng Jianmin Studio.
"Domingos Libro" is presented by Carmelo from Enorme Studio, where every two weeks, he delves into forgotten architectural publications, books, and architecture magazines from the 60s, 70s, and 80s that have the most interesting stories behind them.
In this new episode, he discusses the catalog of the exhibition "Houses For Sale," published by Rizzoli and B.J. Archer in 1980. Through the Leo Castelli Gallery, one could purchase the designs for eight houses by renowned architects (Emilio Ambasz, Peter Eisenman, Vittorio Gregotti, Arata Isozaki, Charles Moore, Cesar Pelli, Cedric Price, and Oswald M. Ungers), upending the traditional "client commissions architect for their dream home" relationship.
In 1963, the exhibition “Nordeste” inaugurated the Museum of Popular Art of Unhão in Salvador. Despite the promising backdrop for Lina Bo Bardi to launch the museum project within the restored premises of Solar do Unhão, its activities were cut short after only a year. This temporary and sole exhibition open to the public relied on loans from various private collections and museum archives to present a vast assembly of diverse objects, inviting the general public to understand the value of popular craftsmanship. The exhibition, which the architect would have preferred to title ‘Civilização Nordeste’ [Northeast Civilization], exposed class attitudes that had little to do with an understanding of what she termed the "progressive attitude of popular culture linked to real problems." (BO BARDI, 1963)
Inés Esnal has designed a sculpture specifically conceived for the stairwell of a single-family home. Her architectural training has heavily influenced her understanding of art in relation to space, from both phenomenological and geometric perspectives. By combining artistic approaches with scientific strategies in her creative process, she aims to create a work of art that is geometric yet atmospheric, logical yet experiential.
Titled Flame, this sculpture is made of polypropylene ropes on a steel frame, measuring 75 x 502 cm and spanning the three levels of a residence in La Moraleja, Madrid.
Economic crises, health emergencies, and natural disasters, followed by social conflicts, political disagreements, and the search for new places to live, have historically driven the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. The result: changes in residence, habitat, and culture.
Who would have thought that residents of São Paulo, one of the busiest cities in the world, would miss the hustle and bustle of the streets? Through a simple and elegant intervention, Brazilian architects Gustavo Cedroni and Martin Corullon of Metro explain how they supported one of the areas hardest hit by the pandemic, using small architectural gestures to bring life back to the street.
