Municipal public buildings, licensed urban spaces, and private buildings of collective interest and use will be required to display the names of the authors of the architectural and/or urban design project, as well as the technical professional responsible for the construction. This is mandated by a bill recently approved by the Maringá City Council. The text now goes to the city's mayor, Ulisses Maia, for approval.
Dérive LAB is a multidisciplinary laboratory based in Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico, that seeks to explore, understand, and inspire alternative (new) ways of living and thinking about urban life. Through research, design, and action, they focus on developing art, architecture, urban design, and other disciplinary projects that impact three specific scales: public life, the built environment, and everyday objects.
After establishing itself—with ten editions already—as a key reference event for understanding the current and future state of architecture and urbanism in the Ibero-American community, the XI BIAU will take place for the first time in the city of Asunción in October 2019. The program of activities will include the presentation of selected works, keynote lectures, specialized presentations, and panel discussions organized around the central theme: aĩ paragua y (I inhabit - water).
The site where this new plaza will be created is currently underutilized as a public parking lot, failing to leverage the favorable pedestrian conditions of this location, which is surrounded by housing and commerce and strategically located at the intersection of Calle 3 Sur and Av. Del Parque Sur. This gave rise to the National Ideas Competition: Design of Plaza 3 - San Isidro, organized by the College of Architects of Peru alongside the Municipality of San Isidro, with the goal of promoting the development of a reclaimed public space for the benefit of the district's community by creating a welcoming gathering place. At the same time, the urban design proposal is expected to serve as a benchmark for future related competitions.
Description provided by the design team:
Ten pieces made of different materials challenge the laws of balance. Using the same typology at different scales, each composition in the Balance collection explores the equilibrium between technique, people, and the ideas that inspire us. Each piece was produced using various traditional crafts, artisanal techniques, and Mexican industrial technologies that Joel has explored at different points in his career.
Architects and engineers have launched a call for free technical assistance in the design, renovation, or construction of social housing—already established by a 2008 law—to "be more than a law; to become a State Policy, as part of the social right to housing guaranteed by the Constitution."
The appeal was made at the opening of the Seminar on Technical Assistance for Social Housing, hosted by CAU/BR and the Federal Council of Engineering and Agronomy (CONFEA) in Brasília on the 15th of this month. If the proposal is adopted, Brazil would have the equivalent of a "SUS" (Unified Health System) for social housing. The proposal is part of the "Open Letter to Candidates in the 2018 Elections for the Right to the City," recently released by CAU/BR and the Institute of Architects of Brazil (IAB).
On the occasion of Pope Francis's visit to Chile, the Metropolitan Cathedral Chapter requested conservation work on the Cathedral's vaulted ceiling to improve safety and the condition of the ornamentation after recent earthquakes, aiming to safeguard the many faithful who visit the Cathedral daily.
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“The Place of Sharing” is already taking shape on site. On the third day of work, foundations are being prepared and steel structures installed to support the Casa de Brincar e Não Só – Not Only a Playhouse, which is being built through August 10 at the Guarda Housing Complex (CHG) in Perafita, Matosinhos, Portugal. The initiative is part of the Self-Construction Laboratory organized by Casa da Arquitectura – Portuguese Center for Architecture.
The city of Groningen, located in the north of the Netherlands, is an international benchmark for urban mobility. With just over 200,000 inhabitants, Groningen is considered the country's cycling capital—roughly 61% of all trips in the city are made by bicycle.
This shift in mindset dates back to the 1970s, when Dutch cities began to be dominated by cars and local realities were altered. The trend at the time was to redevelop older neighborhoods to make room for vehicles traveling to the center.
Once again, anyone passing by the bustling Araújo Porto Alegre Street, on the corner of Graça Aranha Avenue in downtown Rio de Janeiro, will be able to marvel at the grandeur of the Gustavo Capanema Palace and understand why it is a Modernist icon, both for Brazil and the world. More than 70 years after the building’s inauguration in 1946, all the innovative design of its facades—introduced by the masters of architecture and art of the 1930s—has been fully restored and will be unveiled by the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (Iphan) on September 20.
The 2018 CEMEX Pavilion competition was established to offer Guadalajara's student community an opportunity and a platform to express their aspirations, interests, concerns, and critiques of the architectural profession. This is materialized through an intervention in the courtyard of a heritage home in the city's historic center, which currently serves as both a workshop and a cultural center.
Supported by CEMEX and the Arq. Marcelo Zambrano Scholarship, the first edition of the 2018 CEMEX Pavilion competition was launched. Aimed at the student community of the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area, the competition invited participants to intervene in a heritage property in the city's downtown core, aiming to provide students with a fresh platform to express their concerns and passions about the profession through a built work, bridging the gap to professional practice.
On Monday, April 16, Chilean architect María Isabel Tuca, a prominent academic and professional association leader, passed away in Santiago. In 2000, she became the second female president of the Chilean Association of Architects, following Eliana Caraball in the mid-1980s.
In an interview with the Chilean newspaper El Mercurio after taking office, Tuca recalled that despite the warnings of the nuns at her school ("that was a career only for men," they told her), she chose to study architecture at the University of Chile, graduating in 1965.
The reality of many Brazilian cities is so challenging that it would make many mayoral candidates hesitant to take on the task of public administration. With this in mind, and aiming to bring political and urban discussions to children and teenagers, the Brava Foundation, in partnership with the Wilson Center's Brazil Institute, developed Cidade em Jogo, a free app reminiscent of the famous game SimCity, yet featuring problems and challenges typical of Brazilian cities.
More than 50,000 people visited the Casa da Arquitectura – Portuguese Center for Architecture during its first year in the rehabilitated Real Vinícola block, in Matosinhos. To celebrate this first anniversary, the institution is organizing three days of free activities for everyone on November 16, 17, and 18.
Featuring guided tours, conferences, talks, presentations, book launches, and concerts, Casa da Arquitectura's anniversary program offers about 30 events for all audiences, including families and children. The block's outdoor space will also host various artistic performances.
Lake Verea is composed of Francisca Rivero-Lake Cortina (Mexico City, 1973) and Carla Verea Hernández (Mexico City, 1978). They have worked as a duo since 2005. Their practice focuses on experimenting with photographic techniques and formats to achieve a personal and intimate perspective. They live and work in Mexico City and around the world. Their research interests center on the portraiture of architecture and the architecture of portraiture, the search for modern ruins, and the emotional interpretation of the spatial journey.
Their latest contribution is a series commissioned by Gabriela Etchegaray for the 16th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale. Featured in the Mexican Pavilion, “Echoes of a Land,” they conceive architectural portraits through an intimate approach, using fragments to compose a narrative where the architectural subject is personally reinterpreted.
One of the most traditional festivals in Brazil's South region, Oktoberfest has launched a sustainability-focused initiative. In addition to serving thousands of liters of draft beer, the event's 2018 edition will support the environment by transforming plastic cups used during the 19-day festival into bricks and furniture for community gardens.
Dubbed "Oktober Consciente" (Conscious Oktoberfest), the initiative was created by the Instituto Gigantes da Ecologia (IGE), a non-profit civil association based in Blumenau, Santa Catarina. The project aims to raise awareness and promote environmental best practices among attendees of what is considered one of the largest German festivals in the world.
The Municipal Cultural Foundation of Belo Horizonte has launched a call for proposals to occupy the Casa do Baile, designed by Oscar Niemeyer in Pampulha. Submitted proposals must address the themes of architecture, urbanism, and design.
At the height of the railways in the mid-20th century, the state of São Paulo had around 500 railway stations. With the end of long-distance passenger train services during the 1980s and early 1990s, much of this heritage was abandoned, and those structures that escaped looting and vandalism eventually collapsed due to a lack of maintenance. Today, fewer than 50% of these stations remain standing, according to the Brazilian Association of Railway Preservation (ABPF).
On February 10, the Akademie der Künste (Academy of Arts) in Berlin opened the Spanish photography exhibition UNFINISHED, which won the Golden Lion at the 2016 Venice Biennale.
Spain is one of the countries where the economic crisis has most severely affected architectural practice. Many publicly and privately funded buildings were under construction when the crisis hit, and a large number of them were left unfinished.
A commemorative coin honoring architect Eduardo Souto de Moura will be put into circulation this week in Portugal. As part of the "Portuguese Architecture" series of thematic coins issued by the Banco de Portugal, the coin, which has a face value of 7.50 Euros, will be available to the public starting this Wednesday, December 12, at Banco de Portugal treasuries and credit institutions.
Bixiga, one of São Paulo's most traditional neighborhoods, has gained significant historical and tourist importance over the years, thanks to its cantinas, street festivals, and vibrant cultural scene. However, many of the neighborhood's other layers and histories are harder to discover and access. Recognizing these numerous attractions, heritage sites, and the overall complexity of the area, and believing in the importance of walking, the NGO SampaPé! has launched the "Bixiga a Pé!" map, which highlights Bixiga's diverse historical and cultural layers for those exploring the neighborhood on foot.
Fernando Guerra, one of the most prolific photographers in the field of architecture, is set to be the subject of a documentary directed by Sara Nunes and produced by Portugal's Building Pictures. The Flying Photographer, the film's working title, is drawn from a dedication by Álvaro Siza, an architect whose works and life Guerra has been extensively documenting.
Alfred Willer, a Czech architect who built his career in Brazil, has his story told in the feature-length documentary Red Trees [Red Trees], directed by his daughter, designer Marina Willer. After making its world premiere at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and opening in theaters in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami, the documentary will have its national premiere on March 29.
Practice breeds true knowledge. As architectural design is a highly practical discipline, designers must continuously refine their creative philosophies through hands-on experience. With this in mind, the forum was themed “On Practice,” aiming to showcase the extensive creative work of China IPPR’s Third Architectural Design Institute over the past year—highlighting outstanding designs, refining creative methodologies, and demonstrating team vitality. We hope this forum marks a promising beginning, encouraging more architects to step away from their computers, pick up the microphone, and actively participate. By sharing their built works and welcoming diverse dialogues, they can help realize a creative vision where theory and practice complement and enrich each other.
