It could be argued that indoor air quality has never received its due attention throughout history. While atmospheric pollution has been considered a threat since the time of Hippocrates in 400 BC, becoming a tangible concern with industrialization during the Industrial Revolution, little is said about comfort conditions in indoor environments. This issue is increasingly critical given that humanity spends about 90% of its time indoors, and the quality of these spaces directly affects long-term well-being and health. In fact, Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) encompasses far more than just indoor pollution. It refers to a balance between air quality, acoustics, lighting, temperature, and other factors that contribute to a pleasant and, above all, healthy environment for occupants. Under the motto “every space can be a healthy space,” Armstrong has developed solutions to help improve the environments where we spend the most time, such as educational and healthcare facilities, offices, and homes.

When it comes to facades, there are numerous options to consider to define both the appearance and the message a building seeks to convey. While glazed surfaces bring sophistication and evoke corporate environments, exposed concrete offers sobriety, and wood lends warmth, few materials are as versatile for facades as HPL (high-pressure laminate). With a wide range of dimensions, colors, and textures, these panels easily adapt to different architectural styles, opening up endless creative possibilities. 

A faucet is a mechanical valve used to regulate (release or block) the flow of a fluid (usually water) from plumbing. While turning on a faucet seems almost mundane today, we rarely think about the vast knowledge and technology required to provide water at any given moment with a simple movement of the hand. Yet, between intake, treatment, and distribution to a kitchen or bathroom, water travels a complex path.

When entering a dark, unfamiliar room, our hands instinctively grope along the wall, searching for a keypad to turn on the lights—and, with luck, finding it. It is one of those many things we only truly notice when they are poorly designed. When designing a space, placing controllers in accessible and intuitive locations requires careful attention from designers. Keypads belong to that category of objects we want to be easily found when needed, yet prefer to remain hidden when not in use. This is because their design often draws more attention than it should, potentially clashing with the space's aesthetic. But this does not always have to be the case. There are options that seamlessly combine design and functionality, offering customization that allows controllers to fit into any type of project.

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Steel frame is a system composed of galvanized steel profiles, with a thickness between 0.80 mm and 3 mm, cold bent, and assembled as structural frames, with vertical and horizontal studs. To wrap the structural profiles, OSB, cementitious or plasterboard sheets are used, which can be finished and painted internally and externally. Inside the walls, insulating materials can be included, such as mineral, glass wool, or others, to increase the thermal acoustic insulation. In the steel frame system, all the electrical and hydraulic parts are installed before closing the panels, making the process more efficient and without breakage and material waste. Cleanliness of the work, efficiency and speed are key points in this constructive system that is widely spread around the world.

Well-designed environments are essential to reduce the risk of accidents and response times in the event of a fall. For architects, designing safe cities and homes is crucial, especially in light of global demographic trends. Developing an architectural project through thoughtful design and correct product specification is, first and foremost, an act of care and concern for our older relatives and fellow citizens. It is essential to ask, "For whom?" and "What are their needs?" so that, from there, we can think about how to improve their quality of life.

This is a conscious invitation for architecture to play an active role in today's society—a positive shift that delivers both design and quality of life.

Transparent media allow light to pass through without dispersing it. Translucent materials, on the other hand, allow light to pass through in an irregular manner; because a portion of the light disperses, they prevent us from seeing through them with total clarity. Translucent surfaces act as veils, revealing without exposing, and literally blurring the boundary between interior and exterior. This effect is widely utilized in architectural design. From the signature facades of Steven Holl to the Moreira Salles Institute (IMS) in São Paulo, as well as many other examples in global architecture, this translucency can be achieved through specialty glass, acrylics, or other plastics. However, polycarbonate is a material that inherently delivers this effect, and it can be used in countless applications, from walls to skylights, and across highly diverse programs.

The construction industry drives considerable economic activity worldwide, generating countless jobs and substantial revenue. At the same time, it also carries significant negative impacts, ranging from the depletion of natural resources to high levels of waste generation during both construction and demolition phases. To put this in perspective, in Brazil, Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) is estimated to account for 61% of all waste generated, while household waste represents 28% [1].

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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.

Solutions that improve usability while also being sustainable always deserve to be highlighted. Klabin, a Brazilian paper and packaging company, has developed the market's first cement packaging that can be integrated directly into the concrete mixing process. The water-dispersible packaging is made of 100% dispersible paper, meaning it can be incorporated during concrete preparation, streamlining production through direct use in a horizontal shaft concrete mixer. Simply place the closed packaging into the mixer, add sand, gravel, and water, and mix until it disperses and integrates into the final product, preserving the concrete's quality. This new packaging guarantees high performance and easy handling.

When we think of architectural visualization, sketches, drawings, and 3D renderings usually come to mind. This association is natural, as "visualization" is typically equated with imagining a project before it is built—whether to validate aesthetic and functional decisions or to communicate concepts to clients unfamiliar with technical drawings. However, beyond superficial elements like materials, layouts, textures, and colors, architects must also address highly technical, invisible factors that directly impact a building's performance.

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Seattle-based Olson Kundig is a prime example of how a firm's design approach is shaped by geography and culture. Founded by Jim Olson (Jim Olson) in 1966, the firm now comprises hundreds of employees and four other partners, including Tom Kundig. The practice boasts a wide and diverse portfolio. In lectures and interviews, Kundig frequently discusses how his upbringing in a region with a rich history of mining and logging influenced his industrial and rational aesthetic, his use of durable, low-maintenance materials, and his keen focus on craftsmanship. At the same time, an imaginative approach that emphasizes kinetic elements and blurs the boundaries between indoors and outdoors is a hallmark of many of the firm's designs. This is often achieved through the integration of manual, hand-operated devices that allow users to physically activate the building, connecting them to the environment, the architecture, and its kinetic mechanisms.

Some symbols transcend language barriers, easily recognized and understood across different cultures—such as restroom icons, the medical cross, and, more recently, the universal Wi-Fi symbol. Among these ubiquitous graphics is the "recycling" logo, conceived in 1971 by architect and designer Gary Anderson while he was a student at the University of Southern California. The symbol features three clockwise arrows forming a triangle, representing industry, consumers, and recycling, respectively.

Reintegrating what is typically discarded as waste back into the production cycle is a core tenet of the circular economy. This concept is particularly relevant to the construction industry, which has historically relied on resource extraction and destruction to sustain itself. Because the brick is synonymous with building anew, nothing embodies the circular concept quite like it. Innovators have risen to the challenge, devising solutions that transform waste into high-value resources, producing building blocks from raw waste materials ranging from seaweed and plastic to human hair. These innovations not only address pressing environmental concerns but also fundamentally redefine how we construct and inhabit our spaces. In this article, we highlight seven initiatives turning waste into valuable building blocks.

Composed of extremely fine mineral particles and formed through the long-term weathering and erosion of rock, clay possesses unique properties that make it highly versatile. When wet, it becomes highly plastic and malleable, allowing it to be molded into virtually any shape. Once dried and fired, it becomes hard and durable, leading to its widespread use in construction and ceramics. In outdoor applications, clay pavers are particularly common, favored for their durability, resistance to weathering and traffic, natural earthy tones, and ease of installation.

Whether through small physical material samples or a digital collage, a moodboard is a valuable design tool for architects and designers—an inspiration board featuring colors and elements that guide aesthetic choices. The idea is for professionals to use them as a source of inspiration to compose their projects and define backdrops, predominant textures, and highlight details. In doing so, surfaces play a fundamental role in defining a space, setting its tone much like music, where all other elements either align with or disrupt the harmony of the chosen palette.

Choosing 80x80-centimeter porcelain tiles reflects the pursuit of a modern, minimalist aesthetic, thanks to their ability to create continuous surfaces that visually expand spaces. By easily covering larger areas, they offer a sense of unity and continuity that is highly sought after in contemporary design. Their geometric designs, modern interpretations of natural materials, and abstract patterns leverage advanced manufacturing and printing technologies to design unique spaces.

From rustic to contemporary styles, porcelain tile offers options that complement and enhance any design scheme, allowing designers and homeowners to realize their vision without compromise. Its application extends beyond flooring, finding a home on walls, bathrooms, kitchens, and facades.

On December 18, the winning projects of the national architecture competition for the restoration and modernization of the monument building of the Museu Paulista (MP), located in the Ipiranga neighborhood of São Paulo, were announced. The competition was launched on September 7, as part of the "Museu do Ipiranga em Festa" celebrations. Out of a total of 13 entries, nine qualified to participate. The evaluation criteria included aspects such as rationality, functionality, and technical feasibility; respect for the building's material, structural, compositional, and documentary characteristics; creativity, aesthetic solution, and design innovation; compliance with specific uses and circulation and accessibility solutions; and the adoption of environmental sustainability criteria and solutions.

The winning project was selected by a judging committee comprising 11 members appointed by the competition promoter, including representatives from federal, state, and municipal heritage preservation agencies, the Brazilian Institute of Museums (Ibram), and institutional partners such as the Institute of Architects of Brazil (IAB) and the Council of Architecture and Urbanism of São Paulo.

Born in Slovakia in 1921, architect Hans Broos began his career in Brazil in 1953, after graduating in Germany in 1949. His brief European career was marked by the reconstruction of Germany, during which he worked alongside architect Egon Eiermann as his assistant at the Technical University of Karlsruhe. During this period, Broos came into contact with Le Corbusier and his principles of modern architecture. Aligned from the beginning with the architects of the Modern Movement, Broos developed his first works in Blumenau and Florianópolis, in the state of Santa Catarina, far from major Brazilian urban centers. Throughout his professional life, the architect addressed a wide range of programs—from residential and industrial to religious, commercial, and social projects—over a career spanning more than 50 years and nearly 400 projects. Of these, approximately 100 were built in various states, including Santa Catarina, São Paulo, Pernambuco, and Goiás. The architect passed away in 2011.