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As part of a new initiative, ESRAWE is transforming its Mexico City showroom into a platform that promotes collaboration among the designers and creatives it works with. This inaugural exhibition seeks to capture the essence of the synergy that defines their working method, featuring iconic pieces from VISSIO, EWE, and Héctor Esrawe's own work, alongside high-design furniture from ESRAWE Studio and young designers like Manu Bañó. Additionally, they are presenting their partnership with Galería Arróniz, showcasing a selection of national and international artists. Read on to discover the full collections.

The city of Bucaramanga is set to undergo an urban renewal project that prioritizes pedestrians in streetscapes, led by the Taller Profesional de Arquitectura Pública de Bucaramanga.

The initiative aims to improve efficient urban solutions at a neighborhood scale, working to counteract the effects of climate heating through urban acupuncture and tactical urbanism as strategies for evaluating urban planning and economic proposals. Additionally, it aims to strengthen direct interactions between the project team and the beneficiary community.

Since 1985, the Faculty of Architecture at the National Autonomous University of Mexico has organized the Alberto J. Pani Architectural Composition Award, aiming to bring together the best students from institutions affiliated with the Association of Architecture Education Institutions of the Mexican Republic (ASINEA). This year, the collaborating host is the Universidad Internacional in Cuernavaca, Morelos.

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México Territorio Creativo presents the program for the thirteenth edition of Design Week México under the motto: design is everything. It will take place from October 6 to 31 of this year, featuring traditional programming alongside the digital initiatives adopted in the previous edition. Additionally, all events will adhere to international and national guidelines, particularly the Mexico City government's health and safety measures, to protect the health of participants, attendees, and everyone who makes the 2021 lineup possible.

In Colombia, numerous competitions have drawn countless proposals from national and international practices, yet not all of them end up being built. The case of the Arts and Crafts Park competition is unique. More than a decade after the winning proposals were announced, the current administration decided to revive the winning project by the firms Taller Síntesis + Cauce arquitectura del paisaje + Architect Juan David Hoyos + Matiz arquitectura to bring it to life.

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The 2021 AZ Awards have announced their finalists. Two Colombian projects are among the finalists in two of the twenty-two award categories. Both projects—the La Perseverancia Vertical Activation Installation and the La Concordia Amphitheater—emerged as architectural proposals for economic reactivation in Bogotá, developed by the firms Taller Architects, SCA, and Colab-19.

The School of Architecture at the Universidad Intercontinental (UIC) has announced the winners of the 20th Academic Competition of Architecture Schools. This edition saw record-breaking participation in the number of students and projects compared to previous years, and for the first time in two decades, achieved international reach with the participation of a university from Ecuador.

On December 17, 2020, the 8th edition of the Furniture Design Award (PREDIM) was held virtually. The accolade is organized by the Mexican Association of Wood and Furniture Industry Suppliers (AMPIMM, A.C.) and the MEM Industrial expo, with the support of the Mexican Association of Industrial Design Institutions and Schools (di-integra, A.C.). Granted by industry experts to industrial design, interior design, and architecture students nationwide, this award aims to drive innovation and foster closer ties between students and furniture manufacturers, contributing to both industry growth and the improvement of furniture quality across the country.

SANILOCK®, a Mexican company dedicated to the design, manufacture, sale, and installation of restroom partitions for non-residential buildings, is celebrating 35 years in the market. Since 1987, the company has provided a new and stronger architectural design for public restroom partitions.

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When specifying materials for projects, the thermal insulation level of windows is essential to ensure comfort inside buildings. A key challenge lies in balancing thickness with performance, as thin monolithic glass offers low thermal insulation, while highly efficient insulated glass is often too thick.

The company Vitro Architectural Glass has recently launched VacuMax™ Vacuum Insulating Glass (VIG), a high-performance glass consisting of two 4 mm tempered glass panes, including a Solarban® 60 solar control low-e coating on surface #2. By using a vacuum space for separation, high-performance thermal glazing is achieved in a thickness of just 8.3 mm.

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As part of the new cultural program of the María Luisa Dehesa Gómez Farías Gallery, located at the School of Architecture of the Autonomous University of Mexico, the photography exhibition "¡Juntas! Manifestaciones feministas y la apropiación del espacio público" ("Together! Feminist Demonstrations and the Appropriation of Public Space") opened on Friday, February 25. The exhibition was curated by the collectives Mujeres Organizadas de la Facultad de Arquitectura and Restauradoras con Glitter Isela Cruz Trejo.

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As part of an initiative by Tec de Monterrey, this year the first prize of the 212th Traditional Sorteo Tec features a work by Mexican architect Víctor Legorreta and his firm LEGORRETA®. Casa Ricardo is a tribute to the architecture of Ricardo Legorreta and is one of the 75th Anniversary Houses of Sorteos Tec, to be celebrated on May 10, 2022. 

The exhibition "Intervención / Intersección," curated by Su Wu at the Rockefeller Center, reflects on the history of intellectual and creative porosity between Mexico and elsewhere. This is MASA's first exhibition in New York, featuring functional works by prominent Mexico-based designers, architects, and artists alongside canonical artworks that themselves suggest what artists have long sought in the country.

The results of the Design Educates Awards 2022 have been announced. These annual awards recognize the best projects that address complex social and environmental contexts while offering educational value. The awards seek out designs that will have a lasting impact on users and the environment, highlighting the world's best ideas and realizations that can educate.

To mark its 470th anniversary in 2024, São Paulo will receive a green area of approximately 10,000 square meters featuring over 400 trees and urban furniture designed by the award-winning Estudio Campana, founded by brothers Humberto and Fernando Campana. The gathering space will be built in the Paulista Avenue area, along a stretch of Alameda Rio Claro, Alameda das Flores, and Rua São Carlos do Pinhal. Construction is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2023.

From April 27 to May 2, 2023, the Logroño International Festival of Architecture and Design, Concéntrico 09, will take place. Year after year, the festival reflects on the urban environment and cities through architectural and design proposals including installations, exhibitions, meetings, workshops, and other activities. This edition has announced the winners of the open calls for city installations, as well as the selected practices for the European Cities Ahead program and the new award from the Mayor's Office of Medellín.

The National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (Iphan), along with representatives from the institutions involved and affected by the January 8 attacks, began coordinating efforts last week to restore Brazilian Cultural Heritage in Brasília (DF).

During the meeting, representatives from the technical departments of infrastructure, restoration, and architecture outlined the damage, ongoing actions, and immediate needs—specifically regarding funding and specialized restorers—as well as proposals for joint initiatives. Discussions also covered potential funding sources for emergency actions and medium- to long-term restoration projects, including private donations and resources from UNESCO.

Paulo Mendes da Rocha will be honored with two major exhibitions this year by Casa da Arquitectura in Matosinhos, northern Portugal. Geografias Construídas: Paulo Mendes da Rocha, uma Retrospectiva is curated by Jean-Louis Cohen and Vanessa Grossman, with exhibition design by Eduardo Souto de Moura and Nuno Graça Moura, while Paulo is curated by Rui Furtado and Marta Moreira, with exhibition design by Ricardo Bak Gordon. Both open on May 26.

The International Contemporary Art Fair of Spain, ARCOmadrid, is taking place at IFEMA, Madrid, through February 26, 2023. As one of the main platforms for the contemporary art market, the 42nd edition of the fair features the program "The Mediterranean: A Round Sea," which involves the art scenes of the countries surrounding this sea. It is curated by Marina Fokidis and features advisory support from Bouchra Khalili, Hila Peleg, and Pedro G. Romero.

The Council for Architecture and Urbanism of São Paulo (CAU/SP) announced the three selected proposals in the first stage of the national competition to renovate the CAU/SP headquarters building, alongside honorable mentions and highlights. The competition registered 49 entries from firms across different regions of Brazil, receiving a total of 29 proposals.

Facing the challenges of aligning development demands with sustainability policies, researchers from FGV EAESP (São Paulo School of Business Administration), alongside the international non-governmental organization ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability) and other partners, have created the Green and Blue Infrastructure Guide. The objective is to provide a step-by-step guide on how to make cities sustainable, focusing on improving local governance across three key factors: food, water, and energy.

To mark International Women's Day, the high school research projects awarded the Lilly Reich Grant for Equality in Architecture were presented at the historic Barcelona Pavilion, designed by Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition. In addition, the call for applications for the new 2023/2024 edition has been opened.

This year, we celebrate the fifteenth edition of our Obra del Año (Building of the Year) award: the highest recognition in the Spanish-speaking architectural world, with winners selected by public vote. Starting today, Thursday, March 9, you and all of our readers will be responsible for choosing the projects built during 2022 that inspired us and now faithfully represent the identity of our local contexts.

Since 2015, the renowned Concéntrico International Architecture and Design Festival of Logroño has fostered dialogue between the city, its heritage, and contemporary architecture, inviting citizens to reflect on the urban environment. For its ninth edition, taking place from April 27 to May 2, 2023, the festival has announced its participating architecture and design teams.