Architecture News

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.

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. 

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.

Yesterday, Monday (September 10), the 3rd Latin American Landscape Architecture Biennial announced the finalists for the competition, which will take place in Mexico City on September 26 and 27. Organized since 2014 by the Mexican Society of Landscape Architects (SAPM), the biennial seeks to highlight the role of landscape architecture in shaping the habitat in Latin America, with a particular emphasis on the environmental and social challenges facing the region.

"We seek to encourage participation in landscape construction to showcase the broad and diverse panorama of local interventions that ultimately help define a region sharing common challenges and solutions," the organizers state in the biennial's guidelines.

The 19 built works, unbuilt projects, and research papers meet the biennial's criteria, focusing on projects that respect the landscape and its values, demonstrate a commitment to sustainability, and integrate and address social issues, among other criteria.

Discover the finalists below:

The Dolmen Collection is based on an exploration of balance between elements of different materialities. This exercise highlights the physical properties of stone and wood, creating tension between the suspended and supporting elements. Designed by Héctor Esrawe, Manuel Bañó, Federico Stefanovich, and Alejandro Ramírez, it comprises a dining table with chairs and a cabinet.

'Alta Densidad' (High Density) is a project by architect Jorge Taboada comprising a series of aerial photographs that depict the stories of a city. This series is presented as an "archaeological vestige" where "people lose their face and identity and become invisible."

The history of social housing in Mexico has come a long way, undergoing transformations that concern not only architecture, but also the organizations leading their construction and the government. 

The official results for the National Competition for the Requalification of the Public Space of the Monumental Axis of Maringá have been released. This central urban area lies between Cathedral Square (Praça da Catedral) and the Vila Olímpica sports complex. Totaling approximately 169,000 square meters, the Monumental Axis includes gardens, public spaces, parking areas, and perimeter paving along the building facades. Due to the site's vast scale, proposals had to be presented in seven sectors to facilitate phased bidding and construction. The winning project was designed by a team comprising Pedro Paes Lira, Manoela Muniz Machado, Julia Marini, Laura Figueiredo, and Juliette Tellier from the firm Natureza Urbana, with landscape consulting by Bianca Vasone, Gabriella Ornaghi, and Lilian Dazzi, and engineering consulting by Alexandre Horiye Ferreira and Felipe Macedo Barbosa.

The jury, composed of architects and urban planners Haroldo Pinheiro, José Gilberto Purpur, Mario Figueroa, Orlando Busarello, and Renato Leão Rego, selected the following winners:

On November 24, 2016, the Superior Council of Colleges of Architects of Spain (CSCAE) awarded the Gold Medal of Spanish Architecture to architects Guillermo Vázquez Consuegra and Víctor López Cotelo. This would have been routine, were it not for the complete absence of women architects among the winners, nominees, finalists, jury members, and the presenting panel.

This discrepancy was highlighted in a petition on Change.org addressed to Jordi Ludevid, then-president of the CSCAE, in which the signing architects called for greater active participation of women at all stages of the process, seeking equal representation with their male colleagues.

An inseparable figure from Brasília, Athos Bulcão is responsible for works that bring color and geometric patterns to the purity of the federal capital's architecture. To promote the artist's work, the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (Iphan) launched the book Athos, Colorindo Brasília, the first volume of the Patrimônio para Jovens collection, an initiative by Iphan's Federal District office and the Federal District Department of Education (SEDF).

In early 2016, we reported that construction had been completed on BD Bacatá, Colombia's tallest skyscraper (216 meters), and that its opening was just months away. However, an official opening date has yet to be set, while elsewhere in the Colombian capital, construction is progressing on a project that will surpass BD Bacatá in height: the Atrio Towers (268 meters), designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP) and El Equipo de Mazzanti.

After two editions at the Parque Cultural de Valparaíso, the Chilean Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism will return to Santiago in 2019. On Wednesday, June 6, the Mayor of Santiago, Felipe Alessandri, and the President of the Chilean Association of Architects, Humberto Eliash, signed the official agreement during a ceremony at the Mercado Matadero Franklin, which was attended by city council members, Minister of Housing and Urban Development Cristián Monckeberg, undersecretaries, regional authorities, and other officials.

During the ceremony, organizers confirmed that the 21st Biennial will take place in October 2019, with both the Mercado Matadero Franklin and the Teatro Huemul serving as the main venues for the country's premier architectural event.

As is tradition, digital travel platform TripAdvisor has released the results of the 2018 Travelers' Choice awards. These accolades are determined by millions of reviews posted on the website, measuring "the year-over-year increase in positive traveler review ratings," the company explains. Additionally, these cities "have also experienced an increase in search traffic and booking interest" for accommodations.

According to Brooke Ferencsik, communications director at TripAdvisor, the selected cities share the fact that "they all have excellent accommodations, wonderful restaurants, and exceptional attractions for every travel budget."

In South America, six countries are represented on this year's list. Below, discover the ten cities chosen by TripAdvisor users:

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Dampness from water ingress, condensation, or leaking and burst pipes; cracks and fissures in partition walls, facades, columns, or beams; corrosion, deformation, and spalling are some of the most common building pathologies that can affect a structure throughout its lifespan. Detecting these issues is essential to address them, keep the building in good condition, and prevent accidents or structural failures.

To address this, the Official Association of Architects of Madrid (COAM) has launched its first public awareness campaign, titled ‘Arquitecto de la Casa’ (House Architect). The initiative aims to raise awareness about the necessity and benefits of ongoing building maintenance, highlighting specialized architects as the most qualified professionals for the job.