Architecture News

Bioconstruction is based on the principle that it is possible to build with a very low environmental impact. To promote this concept and present practical techniques, the Ministry of the Environment is offering a free online guidebook for training and information on the subject and its methodologies.

Although created for a course within the Support Program for Ecotourism and Environmental Sustainability in Tourism (Proecotur), the material is highly useful for anyone wishing to better understand bioconstruction and learn the details of different sustainable and environmentally friendly techniques.

A happy ending to one of the disputes over the appropriation of urban space in São Paulo: the land that will house Augusta Park is finally becoming a public and common asset. After decades of impasse, the social, environmental, and cultural function of the city's last central woodland has prevailed over the right of the developers owning the land to exploit it by building high-rises.

The Jury of the XXVI Colombian Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism has presented the list of projects and publications selected for the next edition of the event, which will be held once again in Cartagena this year.

Divided into eight categories, the 283 submitted projects were evaluated by an international jury comprised of Iñaqui Carnicero (Spain), Alejandro Beals (Chile), and Fabián Farfán (Bolivia), alongside local architects Germán Fonseca, Julián Rincón, Sara Giraldo, and Diego Aguilera.

The 108 finalist projects for the upcoming Colombian Biennial are:

The documentary FILME PAISAGEM, um olhar sobre Roberto Burle Marx (Landscape Film: A Look at Roberto Burle Marx) opens in theaters on November 15, showcasing the Brazilian landscape architect's profound contribution to the country's native flora. Written and directed by João Vargas Penna, the film is a journey through the art and personality of Roberto Burle Marx, who was also a painter, cook, and singer—lesser-known facets of his life to the general public.

The vernacular architecture of bahareque was one of the first seismic-resistant building technologies in Colombia. By the late 19th century, this construction method was widely used across many regions of the South American country, valued for its earthquake resistance, speed of construction, and low cost. This was well before brick and sand-cement mortar arrived in cities like Medellín and Bogotá, eventually spreading to the rest of the country.

This construction method arose after its performance was analyzed as a viable system for implementation in different regions with high seismic activity. Its application leverages local, context-specific materials, making it a prominent vernacular technique in Colombia. It characterizes much of the colonial architecture still found today in historic centers and towns with rich heritage.

Although the Catalan political situation remains mired in uncertainty, companies seem to be regaining confidence in Barcelona as a location for their corporate headquarters, following the city's 2017 loss of the opportunity to host the European Medicines Agency (EMA) at Torre Glòries (formerly known as Torre Agbar) to Amsterdam.

Now, however, Facebook has chosen this tower—designed by architects Jean Nouvel and Fermín Vázquez (b720)—as the site for an operations center to combat and eliminate harmful content, such as fake news, on the social network. 

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In the 1960s, as the verticalization of Avenida Paulista intensified with the construction of large commercial buildings and headquarters for corporations, companies, and banks, the most notable addition to the landscape was the construction of MASP, designed by Italian-Brazilian architect Lina Bo Bardi (1914-1992).

The orchid, or Cattleya trianae as it is scientifically known, is one of the most beautiful flowers. Its texture, combined with the variety of colors and species, makes this flower truly unique. It is estimated that Colombia has more than 3,500 species growing across nearly the entire country. Furthermore, the country has become the second-largest exporter of orchids in the world, behind only the Netherlands.

Colombia's first virtual herbarium of living orchid collections is a research project led by the Colombian Orchidology Society (SCO) with the support of the Humboldt Institute and the Corporation for Biological Research (CIB). The main objective is to establish and develop the virtual herbarium, backing it with a tissue bank. This initiative aims to promote and conserve the species through sustainable use as established in Colombia's orchid conservation plan.

Following several months of research to identify works in Latin America and the Caribbean, an international curatorial committee of architects has selected 20 built works to be featured in the third edition of the Rogelio Salmona Latin American Architecture Prize.

The curatorial committee was composed of architects Silvia Arango (Andean Region), Felipe Leal (Mexico, Central America, and Caribbean Region), Alexandre Ribeiro Gonçalves (Brazil Region), and Fernando Pérez Oyarzún (Southern Cone Region), who reviewed 53 Latin American projects to make their final selection. This coming September, the prize will be awarded to the winning work during a ceremony in Bogotá, Colombia.

These are the 20 works selected to participate in the third edition of the prize:

UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, presented David Penchyna, Director General of Infonavit, with the Dubai International Award for Best Practices to Improve the Living Environment yesterday.

Established in 1996 to recognize global initiatives that excel in their contribution to sustainable urban development, this year's award was presented to the work led by INFONAVIT, within the framework of SEDATU's activities, carried out in collaboration with the UN-Habitat office in Mexico and with invaluable data contributions from local municipalities.

As you know, ArchDaily has joined forces with Spotify, the world's largest music streaming platform. From the start, we have been sharing our own playlists for those moments in the lives of all architects. We have also invited architects from Latin America and Spain to share the music that inspires them, or better yet, the sounds that have shaped their careers.

In this installment of ArchDaily en Español + Spotify, we share an ad hoc playlist to close out the year: Fiesta para Arquitectos. A constantly updated playlist to get the party started... while you edit your plans.

The results of the National Public Architecture Competition for the Memorial to the Victims of Kiss were announced this Tuesday morning (April 10) in a ceremony held in Santa Maria. The project unanimously awarded first place was by the firm Motta e Zene Engenharia e Arquitetura, from São Paulo (SP), represented by architect Felipe Zene Motta. The ceremony also recognized the five ranked projects and the five that received honorable mentions.

According to the jury, the proposal stands out for its appropriate urban integration and placement at the average level of the terrain, its symbolic character, and the delicacy of placing its focal point in a flower garden at the center of the exhibition. The project reinforces the emotional significance of the site of memory, while offering the city a narrative of the event that contributes to healing. Ease and simplicity of construction and maintenance are supported by the spatial organization of functions on a single level.

See the full results below:

Alongside Tiê, an adventurous capybara, Lina sets off on a journey through ten public spaces around the world – such as the High Line in New York or Paulista Avenue in São Paulo – to discover the secrets of how cities are built. The two are the main characters of the book Casacadabra – Cidades para Brincar (Cities to Play), a new release from Pistache Editorial, which launches its crowdfunding campaign on April 16 on Catarse. The book features text by Bianca Antunes and Simone Sayegh, with illustrations by Luísa Amoroso. This is the second title in the Casacadabra series – the first, titled Invenções para morar (Inventions for Living), presented the architecture of ten houses around the world.

The São Paulo City Government has resumed discussions regarding property tax (IPTU) exemptions and discounts for landmarked buildings. Previously debated during the administrations of Gilberto Kassab and Fernando Haddad, the issue is currently the focus of a newly drafted bill. 

The proposal limits the IPTU exemption to landmarked properties located in downtown São Paulo, within a perimeter that is still being defined. It will not apply to properties subject to general zoning restrictions, such as those in historically preserved neighborhoods like Jardins and Pacaembu. 

An unprecedented initiative for Brazil's representations at the International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, the Muros de Ar exhibition allocated one month for submissions and evaluations of public projects to be included in the curatorial selection occupying the Brazilian pavilion starting May 26. The open call selected 17 projects in Brazil that use architecture as an instrument to mediate conflicts, transition between public and private domains, and connect distinct urban fabrics.

Collectively curated by architects Gabriel Kozlowski, Laura González Fierro, Marcelo Maia Rosa, and Sol Camacho, who were selected by the Fundação Bienal de São Paulo to organize the exhibition, the open call received 289 projects from more than 60 Brazilian cities.

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One of the most representative houses by Mexican architect José Díaz Infante that served as an experiment to study urban processes was the 'Earthquake-Resistant House' located at Ámsterdam 270. Also known as 'Kalikosmia,' this house addressed themes that broke with the purist forms common at the time, making it highly controversial. Furthermore, it was the result of an analysis based on the aftermath of the 1985 earthquake in Mexico City.

The Mexican architect defined himself as a "spatial designer," saying, "(...) I am timeless, I am not in history because I am more in science than in style. I do not belong to an era. My work has evolved in accordance with the different structures I have built. I treat each program differently, and in each project, I contribute something that I deny in the next." This was reflected in his career: in addition to being an architect, he collaborated with NASA and studied under Buckminster Fuller. As the designer of major works like the TAPO terminal and the Mexican Stock Exchange, he is today among the forgotten.

Registration is now open for the 1st National Public Photography Contest organized by the Council of Architecture and Urbanism of Goiás (CAU/GO), under the theme “Historic Heritage in Architecture and Urbanism.” Submissions will be accepted until 4:00 PM on September 24 at the CAU/GO headquarters.

On the morning of March 10, 2018 (Beijing time), at the 2018 Civic Trust Awards ceremony held at Manchester's iconic Old Trafford stadium (home of Manchester United), OPEN's completed project, the “Tsinghua Ocean Center,” was honored with a Civic Trust Award!

Established in the UK in 1959, this prestigious award is highly regarded, because it recognizes not only outstanding project design but also its value to the public. From urban planning to public art, the awards consider the built environment within a broader context, driven by the belief that design must serve its users.