Mexican architecture firm gutarqs has been awarded an honorable mention in the International Architecture Competition for the Development of "Coziness Valley" in Murmansk, the largest city in Russia located above the Arctic Circle. Jointly organized by the Government of Murmansk and the ANO Urban Development Center of the Region, the open call invited participants from around the world to develop an ambitious project to transform the 23-hectare area into a major public space adapted to the polar climate, promoting comprehensive development and urban improvement in the region.

If you have ever had the chance to visit Pomaire, southwest of Santiago, Chile, you will have encountered a small artisanal town that dedicates much of its focus to greda (clay). In this very place, Domingo Arancibia was commissioned to design none other than the upcoming Pottery School. A sneak peek: this clay material will be one of the project's primary reference points.

According to the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB), the construction industry is the largest consumer of natural resources. To minimize environmental impacts, the concept of sustainable construction has emerged, employing techniques that ensure greater efficiency and responsibility from the beginning to the end of a project.

The first consideration is the layout of the rooms, as each space has an ideal location based on the local climate. “The layout of rooms in a residence can establish baseline conditions for comfort or discomfort. It is the role of the architectural design, through the organization of the floor plan, to ensure the appropriate level of sunlight and natural ventilation for each space,” states the free sustainable renovation guide published by the Ministry of the Environment.

The National Cultural Heritage Service (SERPAT), with technical advisory from the Ministry of Public Works' Directorate of Architecture and sponsorship from the Chilean Association of Architects and the Association of Architecture Offices (AOA), launched the Los Ríos Regional Infrastructure Design Competition for the Library, Archives, and Collections Repository. The initiative aimed to select the best design proposal to deliver a distinctive and iconic public building for the region while fostering discussion on contemporary local architecture.

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With their project Campo de Retamas, the firms Burgos & Garrido Arquitectos and MAPAAC have won the design competition for the comprehensive renovation of the La Paz University Hospital complex (Madrid, Spain). Although the proposal had already been unanimously selected in November 2019, on March 24, the Governing Council of the Community of Madrid approved the final project, establishing the construction start dates. The initial phases of the project are expected to begin in March 2022, with the entire construction process estimated to take about 11 years. To keep the hospital fully operational throughout this period, the renovations will be divided into three phases: the General Hospital, the Maternal and Child Hospital, and finally, the complementary services building and the Maternity Tower.

A modular, prefabricated bike lane was recently inaugurated in Chapultepec Forest Park, Mexico City. Made from post-consumer plastic waste, its smart design also provides drainage and rainwater storage.

The plastics repurposed for the construction of the bike lane would otherwise have been discarded or incinerated. Another advantage is that if the material wears down, it can be recycled again, creating a circular life cycle.

São Paulo-based firm Hiperstudio has been named the winner of the national competition to redevelop Senac Belo Horizonte, organized by the Institute of Architects of Brazil. With a proposal that emphasizes the spatial quality of the ground floor, characterized by the presence of pilotis, the studio convinced the jury, which was looking for projects capable of "dialoguing with the historical and cultural contexts in which the unit is inserted, while respecting the urban and architectural configuration of Belo Horizonte's downtown area."

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The latest data from SICCAU reinforces the importance of architects and urban planners during times of crisis and necessity. With the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainty and business restrictions caused demand for projects and construction to drop drastically in the first months of last year. However, after this initial shock, the architecture and urban planning market showed a strong recovery. In the final three months of 2020, the number of activities registered by architects and urban planners grew by 12% compared to the same period in 2019. 

The Official Associations of Architects of Castilla y León (COACYLE - COAL) have announced the winners of their 11th Architecture and Urbanism Awards, aiming to recognize and showcase the innovative, imaginative, and cutting-edge work produced each year in the region.

The Council of Architecture and Urbanism of Rio de Janeiro (CAU/RJ) is conducting an unprecedented study to profile architects and urban planners working in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The survey primarily aims to gather data on professionals working outside the capital and those employed in the public sector. The initiative also seeks to gather input for the council's strategic planning for the 2021–2023 triennium.

The Museum of the Portuguese Language will reopen on July 31, rebuilt after the fire that struck it in December 2015. One of the first museums entirely dedicated to a language, located in the historic Luz Station in the city with the largest Portuguese-speaking population in the world, the museum celebrates the language as a founding element of Brazilian culture. Through interactive experiences, audiovisual content, and immersive environments, visitors are taken on a journey into the history and diversity of the language spoken by 261 million people worldwide. The official opening ceremony on July 31 will be streamed live on the museum's social media channels.

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The National University of Rosario, one of the most prestigious universities in Argentina, will award an honorary doctorate (Doctor Honoris Causa) to Spanish architect Alberto Campo Baeza on June 24, 2021, during a public online ceremony.

Organized by the Association of Architects of the Province of Buenos Aires (CAPBA) and promoted by the Ministry of Territorial Development and Habitat, the Casa Propia – PROCREAR II Housing Project Competition was launched with the goal of implementing an action plan to facilitate access to permanent housing. This initiative aims to improve the affordability of housing solutions for all social sectors in response to current demand in Argentina.

Fundación Mi Parque in collaboration with Transelec, has developed a manual focusing on the technical and landscaping aspects of pruning urban trees near power transmission lines. This task is identified as an opportunity to move toward building an integrated and sustainable city image.

The renowned Fritz Höger Award for Brick Architecture announced the winners of its 2020 edition, which recognizes architectural practices from around the world for their outstanding achievements in brick construction. With nearly 600 projects submitted once again and a strong international response, the competition—now in its fifth edition—is one of Germany's most important architecture awards.

The Albeida Tourism Complex, designed by architects Alfonso Salgado Suárez and Francisco Liñares Túñez, and the new Spatial Planning Guidelines of the Basque Country are the winning projects of the latest edition of the 2020 Architecture and Urbanism Awards, presented by the Superior Council of Colleges of Architects of Spain (CSCAE).

Organized by the Central Society of Architects (SCA) together with Clarín Arq and sponsored by the Argentine Federation of Architecture Entities (FADEA), the Clarín-SCA National Prize for architecture students aims to foster the development of future architects. The competition received individual and group projects completed during the final two years of study in 2020 and 2021.

Shaped by the pandemic, how can we address a challenge as complex as the proper functioning of supply markets and street vending? We all know that, in one way or another, we need to reinvent them.

More than 20 spaces and buildings of high architectural, cultural, and heritage value will open their doors, allowing the public to rediscover the architecture and urbanism of Buenos Aires. In its ninth edition, this in-person festival will take place on December 4 and 5, offering unique tours with innovative and accessible activities for all.

The National Public Competition for the Basic Scheme and Urban, Landscape, and Architectural Preliminary Design outlines the development of the “Water Landscapes” project for the Rio Negro Linear Park, located in the municipality of Rionegro, Antioquia. Organized with the advisory of the Colombian Society of Architects (Antioquia Chapter), the competition aims to gather urban, architectural, and landscape design proposals for the urban stretch designated for the park.

The jury comprised architects Giovanna Vittoria Spera Velasquez, Jorge Pérez Jaramillo, Martha Cecilia Fajardo Pulido, John Octavio Ortiz Lopera, and Paola Catalina Castro Gomez. Out of 17 submissions, three prizes and two honorable mentions were awarded. The winning entries are presented below.

Under the agreement between the Government of San Juan and the province's Association of Architects, a preliminary design competition was held for the construction of a new police headquarters. The winning project, designed by ABCH Arquitectura, proposes an urban piece that fosters a relationship between society and the police department as an institution.

Eleven projects were submitted to the competition, evaluated by a jury consisting of an architect from the State Secretariat for Security and Public Order, two architects from the Ministry of Public Works and Services, an architect representing the College of Jurors for FADEA, an architect from the Argentine Federation of Architects' Associations, an architect chosen by the participants, and a representative from the San Juan Provincial Police.

International architecture studio Mestres Wåge has been selected to design Barcelona's future educational and technological hub for the maritime sector. The project, presented last April, stood out for its relationship with the surroundings, its permeability, its integration of public space, and its coherent functional layout.

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The Federal Government and the Association of Engineers and Architects of Mexico will award the 2020 National Architecture Award to Guadalajara-born architect Fray Gabriel Chávez de la Mora, who at 91 has stood out for his 175 projects over a 65-year career.

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The results of the ideas competition to rehabilitate the Raixa estate in Mallorca, Spain, have been announced. Organized by the Department of Sustainability and Environment of the Consell de Mallorca with the collaboration of the Official Association of Architects of the Balearic Islands, the call invited participants to design architectural proposals to rehabilitate the existing building complex (a traditional estate of Moorish origin and high heritage value located at the foot of the Sierra de Tramontana) and transform it into an agroforestry training school (Margers) and a mountain shelter that highlights the Dry Stone Route (which begins in Valldemossa, passes through Raixa, and reaches Bunyola, Orient, and Alaró).