This guide covers a workflow that moves from project parameters to generated floor plans, 3D perspective views, exterior design exploration, and site context visualization, using AI tools in place of preliminary CAD and rendering work.

The Liberdade neighborhood, in the central region of São Paulo, will begin testing the Open Streets (Ruas Abertas) program this Sunday (1st). Similar to what has been done on Paulista Avenue since 2016, four streets in the area will be open exclusively to pedestrians from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays and holidays.

Led by the Municipal Department of Urban Development and Licensing, the initiative aims to prioritize the use of urban space based on pedestrian needs. “The goal is to foster conditions that encourage people to linger, improve walkability, and strengthen the area as a tourist and commercial attraction,” the São Paulo city government stated in a press release.

Atrium Ljungberg unveiled Stockholm Wood City in Sweden, the world's largest urban construction project in wood, and in Norway, just four years ago, Voll Arkitekter completed the Mjøstårnet Tower on Lake Mjøsa, one of the tallest wooden buildings in the world at 18 stories. On the other side of the planet, the Tamango project by Tallwood Architects is an example of the challenges and opportunities of wood construction in Chile, as it could become the first 12-story building with a prefabricated wood structure in Latin America. Meanwhile, in Peru, the Construye para Crecer project by Poggione+Biondi Arquitectos won the XIX National Architecture Biennial 2022 with a residential complex to be built mainly of wood. Nearby, Uruguay recently concluded its social housing in wood competition, paving the way toward innovation in social interest architecture. Furthermore, in 2020, Vicente Guallart won an international competition to define the standards for the buildings of a new city in China. The project, titled The Self-Sufficient City, was already a design that materialized a new urban model in wood across four city blocks.

Across the globe, sustainability and innovation in construction are constantly evolving, and wood structures are presented as a promising option. ArchDaily presented The Future of Wood as its monthly topic, opening up a discussion to explore and hear predictions and thoughts from our readers regarding the future of this material in architecture and urbanism. Is wood the key to a more sustainable and livable urban future? Or are there challenges we must address before embracing this trend? What are the implications for architecture, cities, the economy, and the environment?

As part of the UIA2020 Congress activities, the Institute of Architects of Brazil, in partnership with CAU/BR, will produce a publication featuring Brazilian architecture and urbanism projects aligned with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in an effort to showcase sustainable architectural and urban planning practices.

The exhibition "Engine of Equality: La Residencia de Señoritas (1915-1936)" will be open until October 15, celebrating a unique, iconic, and pivotal institution in promoting equality in Spain. It is housed in the Ortega-Marañón Foundation's recently opened cultural space—an expansion at the rear of the central "casa" in Madrid that joins the historic 1930s building designed by Carlos Arniches on the corner of Miguel Ángel and General Martínez Campos streets.

Architects and urban planners across the country will participate in a national election this Monday and Tuesday, October 16 and 17. More than 200,000 professionals in the field are set to choose 402 state councilors for the Councils of Architecture and Urbanism of the States and the Federal District (CAU/UF) and 28 federal councilors for the Council of Architecture and Urbanism of Brazil (CAU/BR) – one from each Federative Unit plus one representative of Higher Education Institutions (IES).

The Council of Architecture and Urbanism of Santa Catarina (CAU/SC) has announced the results of the design competition for the partial renovation of its headquarters. Acquired last year, the six-story building is located on Rio Branco Avenue in Florianópolis, and its main spaces—such as the atrium, reception, and facade—will be renovated according to the winning design.

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Casa da Arquitectura and Hinterland are organizing the Por Exemplo meeting on October 13, bringing together 10 practices of young Portuguese and Spanish architects aged 45 and under for an exchange of ideas, methods, and work processes.

There is a generation of young architects who have been developing their work in a stimulating international context, driven by the pressure of the tourism market. Despite their brief experience, these professionals have mastered digital tools, but they navigate a highly competitive and continuously accelerating world.

The Student Union of the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of UFRJ (FAU UFRJ), in collaboration with the Abricó UFRJ Model Architecture and Urbanism Office and in partnership with various entities, including the National Federation of Architecture and Urbanism Students, organized the first edition of the Quick Student Ideas Competition - CRIE!. The objective was to seek proposals for a space featuring a pizza oven and barbecue grill that dialogue with the original project by Burle Marx for the Jorge Machado Moreira Building court area, promoting solutions using bioconstruction techniques and low-impact environmental materials.

Mexican architect Enrique Norten has been awarded the Lorenzo H. Zambrano Award for his outstanding career as an architect and professor. He is the founder and director of TEN Arquitectos (Mexico City, New York, and Miami) and, throughout his career, has been internationally recognized for his extensive portfolio of more than 60 built projects around the world.

Since 1985, for 38 years, the School of Architecture at the National Autonomous University of Mexico has organized and hosted the calls for entries for the Alberto J. Pani Architectural Composition Award, with the goal of bringing together the top students from institutions affiliated with the Association of Architecture Teaching Institutions of the Mexican Republic (ASINEA). The event is organized in collaboration with an ASINEA member institution, which this year is the School of Architecture, Design, and Urbanism at the Benito Juárez Autonomous University of Oaxaca (UABJO).

The pilot project for São Paulo's first floating photovoltaic plant began operations on February 28, 2020, at the Billings Reservoir, adjacent to the Pedreira pumping station. A total of R$ 450,000 was invested in equipment, and the 100-kilowatt facility occupies an area of 1,000 square meters.

2023 has been characterized by new trends in renovating existing spaces, such as the Nueva Alameda Plan, which aims to revitalize a key hub and make it more environmentally friendly. Along these lines, numerous other projects are emerging, such as the recent "Londres 50-46 Building Rehabilitation" plan, led by Inmobiliaria Londres SpA and represented by Simón and Joaquín Duch Salas.

Earlier this month, the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (Iphan) launched a public call to select architectural and engineering projects dedicated to preserving Brazil's Cultural Heritage. This initiative is part of the Federal Government's New Growth Acceleration Program (Novo PAC) and aims to select up to 100 new projects for the restoration, conservation, and promotion of Brazilian cultural heritage sites. The deadline for applications is November 10, 2023, and submissions must be made through the TransfereGov platform.

In its quest to develop circular products, Chinese company Yi Design has been creating various bricks from recycled materials. These products offer construction alternatives to address a major industry challenge: the generation of ceramic waste.

According to Yi Design, approximately 18 million tons of ceramic waste are produced every year in China. Headquartered in Jingdezhen, the country's ceramics capital, the group developed YiBrick, a permeable brick made of over 90% recycled ceramic. The material's production also incorporates wastewater and the fine dust from crushing raw waste.

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Gympass has announced a partnership with Tembici to promote the bicycle as a healthy means of transportation. Gympass users in Brazil can now make up to eight trips per month using Tembici's shared bikes in several Brazilian cities, including São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Brasília, among others.

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The recent arrival of the Minergie certification in Chile is overseen by EBP Chile. This effort includes training Chilean professionals in this Swiss low-energy building standard, alongside the recent granting of provisional certification to the Covarrubias Hernández House in Lliu Lliu, Limache, designed by Murillo+Toro Arquitectos, and the Burgos Net Zero Building, developed by Cristián Izquierdo together with Tecton Inmobiliaria.

One of the primary demonstration spaces for Itaipu Binacional's socio-environmental actions is the Bela Vista Biological Refuge (RBV) in Foz do Iguaçu. Established in 1984, its initial purpose was to shelter wild animals rescued from the reservoir area—where land habitat was lost—and to serve as a nursery for forest seedlings used to create the Binational's approximately 34,000 hectares of protected areas.

To adapt the refuge's spaces to current needs and demands, including the use of zoo design strategies and ex-situ conservation actions, Itaipu Binacional organized a two-stage architectural competition open to architects from all over Brazil. Below is the winning proposal by RibasMarçal Arquitetura and Tempo Arquitetos.

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This October marked the fourth edition of the Peña Ganchegui Award for Young Basque Architecture, established in 2017 by the Peña Ganchegui Archive and the Basque Government's Housing Department. The award aims to bring visibility to architects who either trained in or practice in the Basque Autonomous Community, have less than 10 years of professional experience, and promote, develop, and strengthen a high-quality architectural culture.

The award ceremony took place at the Basque Country Architecture Institute, located in San Sebastián's Old Town, and was presented by Pablo García Astrain, Director of Housing, Land, and Architecture of the Basque Government. Jurors María Langarita, Fernando Márquez Cecilia, and António Cruz highlighted Ortega Diago's exercise in spatial synthesis, the singularity of their programmatic solutions, their delicate treatment of materials, their emphasis on transparency, and their focus on fluid circulation. These qualities were evident both in their interior design work—ranging from residential renovations to commercial and workspace fit-outs—and in their unbuilt projects. 

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Building Ecologies is the result of collaborative and interdisciplinary research led by architect Juan José Castellón at Rice University, featuring the participation of the School of Architecture, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and the Shepherd School of Music, along with support from the Carbon Hub initiative.

Exhibited at POST Houston in Texas, this model proposes innovative approaches to urban infrastructure and social spaces, aiming to promote the integration of architectural, technological, and ecological systems. 

The Viva o Verde SP initiative, a partnership between the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the Municipal Secretariat for the Green and the Environment (SVMA) of the City of São Paulo, has officially launched assessment activities for over one hundred parks across the city.

The initiative involves implementing the City-Wide Public Space Assessment, a tool developed by UN-Habitat's Global Public Space Programme. From October to December, researchers will visit more than one hundred urban, linear, waterfront, and natural parks to conduct detailed structural assessments of each location.

The historic drought affecting the Amazon region has revealed four archaeological sites in the state of Amazonas, three of which were completely unknown and are of great importance. The National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (Iphan) has implemented an emergency action plan, involving inspections and educational initiatives in partnership with various public agencies and social organizations, including the Soka Institute of the Amazon, which voluntarily dedicates itself to the preservation of local cultural and environmental heritage.

We invite you to participate in the 2020 Obra do Ano Award. In its fourth edition, we are giving our readers the responsibility of recognizing and rewarding the projects that have made the greatest impact on the profession. By voting, you become part of an unbiased network of jurors recognizing the most significant projects built in Portuguese-speaking countries over the past year. There are only a few days left in the nomination stage, which will select the 15 finalists from over a thousand projects.

Remember, registered users can nominate their favorite project once per day. The nomination stage ends on Tuesday, March 24 at 11:59 PM (Brasilia time, GMT-3). Thank you once again for helping us democratize architecture.

From the competition for the Gabriela Mistral Cultural Center to the competition for the restoration of Palacio Pereira, architectural competitions have enabled the design and construction of many iconic buildings in Chile's history. To recognize architectural competitions as a platform for professionals and students to not only showcase their creativity and skills, but also to secure the preliminary design that best meets a building's requirements, we have selected some of Chile's most successful architectural competition results.

On the first of this month, São Caetano do Sul (SP) implemented free fares on municipal buses through its "Zero Fare Program." Far from an isolated initiative, the measure aims to encourage public transportation use, providing direct savings to residents while improving air quality.