The Arquitetura Bicha collective emerged during the pandemic, driven by an interest in reading materials on gender and sexuality in architecture. Its members began meeting weekly to debate and investigate the bibliography suggested by each of them. Books on queer theory, feminism, and architecture inspired the collective, which launched an Instagram profile to share their discussions.
The work of Marília Marz uses cities as its source of inspiration and research. She began the conversation on Betoneira by sharing her experience with the Ciência sem Fronteiras (Science Without Borders) program, through which she went to the US to study architecture and ended up falling in love with comics. The artist dove headfirst into the graphic universe at the University of Oregon, where cartoonist Joe Sacco also graduated. Marília Marz pointed out that university placement in the program was somewhat random; not everyone was able to attend their institution of choice. She ended up at a university that was not among her top choices, but which happens to be one of the few schools offering a minor in comics.
Episode 75 of Betoneira featured Otavio Zarvos, founder of the São Paulo-based real estate development firm Idea!Zarvos. In the interview, he spoke about his first project built in the Vila Madalena neighborhood, and how he attracted other investors, acquired surrounding properties, and began what would become one of the city's most prominent developers. His background in business administration helped him plan and run the numbers necessary for the venture to succeed.
The latest episode of Betoneira welcomed Romullo Baratto, Victor Delaqua, and Susanna Moreira, editors of ArchDaily Brasil, to discuss the platform's trajectory and the state of architectural communication. For all three, the main challenge lies in covering current events and urgent architectural issues at the speed of digital media, rather than the traditional pace of print. Staying attuned to this rapid flow is essential; over the last twelve years, since the launch of the Portuguese-language site, shifts in digital media have fundamentally reshaped how architecture is researched and published, alongside changes in lifestyle and consumption patterns.
Nadia Somekh, a guest on Betoneira, speaks about housing for all. Drawing on her extensive experience in the public sector as an architect, manager, and activist, Somekh begins the conversation by noting that while public housing policies in Brazil are not yet where they need to be, progress is being made. Her research on verticalization shows that, since 1957, zoning and urban planning regulations in São Paulo have systematically excluded low-income populations from apartments. For instance, these regulations prohibited the construction of studio apartments on Avenida Nove de Julho and Avenida Paulista.
Photographers Ana Mello and Evelyn Müller were the guests on the latest episode of Betoneira, and the conversation revolved around the work of architectural and interior photographers, author attribution, and image ownership. Müller spoke about the inception of Conafarq (Coletivo Nacional de Fotógrafos de Arquitetura) during the pandemic, when many photographers were left without work for months. Although the market was at a standstill, photographers noticed that their pre-pandemic photos continued to be used by clients in various contexts—such as social media, emails, and other channels. Small groups began to mobilize to discuss the need for photographers to be compensated whenever their photos are used commercially.
Cities are fascinating and challenging spaces. While they serve as arenas for exchange and encounter, they also present seemingly unsolvable problems. Episode 58 of Betoneira features a conversation with urban planner Mauro Calliari on the potential of cities, considering the complexity of the post-pandemic landscape.
The first point Calliari addressed was the very concept of the city. According to him, defining it precisely is one of the central debates of urbanism, as there are many ways to approach the issue. A city is usually a reasonably large, dense, and diverse place. Cities presuppose a certain concentration of people, commercial activities, and other functions necessary to sustain life.
Whether as an actor or a writer, Gregorio Duvivier makes us laugh – and think – even when commenting on today's bleakest issues. This is, according to him, a way to build connections and strengthen friendships.
A guest on the Betoneira Podcast, he also discusses Carnival, public spaces, and the Rio-São Paulo rivalry, a recurring theme in his work.
Is it possible to photograph time through transformations in urban space? To accumulate past and present in a single image, inviting the viewer into a visual and archaeological investigation? The Betoneira Podcast spoke with German photographer Michael Wesely about photography and cities. A pioneer of long-exposure photography, Wesely developed a technique that allows a single negative to be exposed for hours, days, or even years. The result is the condensation of the entire exposure period into a single photograph, producing poetic images of profound visual impact.
How can emotional connection help create more welcoming spaces for marginalized groups? What is the impact of technology on the conception of our cities and homes? How can architecture and design improve well-being and elevate self-esteem? These and other questions guide this conversation with architect, urbanist, and designer Guto Requena hosted by the Betoneira Podcast.
So often overshadowed by romantic and professional partnerships with men, women architects have been, and still are, constantly tested and subjected to symbolic violence, disguised as jokes or "simple" banter. The conversation in episode 51 of the Betoneira Podcast, with professor and researcher Silvana Rubino, raised an ever-urgent debate: what is the place of women in architecture?
Real or imagined, houses and cities are always present in cinema. In this episode, the Betoneira Podcast hosts art director and set designer Vera Hamburger to discuss how professionals like her appropriate urban space to create illusions, capture the public imagination, and bring the magic of cinema to life.
The guest on episode 48 of the Betoneira Podcast is actor, writer, comedian, screenwriter, composer, singer, and television host Paulo Vieira. With humor and wit, he discusses serious issues, such as the importance of education and art as tools for generating new possible futures for the people of this country, and, of course, his relationship with architecture.
Breaking out of architectural bubbles and popularizing this field of knowledge so that more people engage with the subject is highly beneficial to society. Utilizing audiovisual media as a tool to disseminate this culture is exactly what several professionals have done in recent years, with documentaries such as Paisagem Concreta, about Álvaro Siza, which has just premiered on the Arte 1 channel.
Documenting architectural and urban projects is not just a final step, but a vital act of preserving memory. In this episode of the Betoneira Podcast, architect Hugo Segawa, a pioneer in using photography as a tool for researching and documenting Brazilian architecture, emphasized that the act of documenting must generate knowledge.
There is no shortage of filmmakers trained in architecture, nor of architects passionate about cinema. On the Betoneira Podcast, architect and filmmaker Marcio Kogan joined hosts Marcelo Barbosa and André Scarpa, both architects and cinephiles, to discuss the films that have shaped their lives and influenced their architecture.
Thought you had already seen, read, and heard everything about the Week of '22? The Betoneira Podcast, however, approached the topic through a different lens: architecture. Guest Guilherme Wisnik explained how Oswald de Andrade's *antropofagia* underpinned Lúcio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer’s relationship with Le Corbusier in the design of the Capanema Palace, Brazil’s first public modernist building.
We have repeated the word “sustainability” so often in recent years that we have almost lost sight of its true meaning. What does it actually mean to be sustainable?
A guest on the Betoneira Podcast, architect Marko Brajovic suggests that, rather than seeking out certifications—often used for greenwashing—the most genuine approach is to recognize that we are part of the very nature we are trying to protect.
