Architecture News

Far from over, discussions on race and gender in architecture are only beginning to gain momentum. One of their outcomes is the emergence of projects and initiatives that seek to map and identify Black architects who, despite their numbers and prolific activity, are rarely cited—or published.

Still rare and absolutely necessary, these initiatives represent an important step toward fairer, more egalitarian recognition in the field of architecture. Below, we present four investigative projects that aim to identify and shed light on these professionals and their work. 

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The exhibition Vkhutemas: The Future in Construction 1918-2018, currently on view at Sesc Pompeia and curated by Neide Jallageas and Celso Lima, introduces the public to the Soviet pedagogical experience of Vkhutemas — the Moscow School of Arts and Techniques, founded in 1920. Despite its brief existence, closing in 1930, the school's teaching and production methodologies exerted a profound influence on the 20th-century global art scene.

Inaugurated in 1960, Brasília is perhaps the city in the world that most closely followed the principles and guidelines of modern architecture and urban planning in its design and construction. A synthesis of the vision of some of the most respected figures in the history of Brazilian architecture, its layout and buildings drew the world's attention to the nation's economic growth and Brazil's expansion into its own interior.

"Brasília is the dream come true of architects and urban planners. It is the only city in the world built where there was nothing but the cerrado, in central Brazil, and where the builders had complete freedom to apply the principles of the most modern urban planning without restrictions." 

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The proposal is part of a Master Plan that includes 32 experimental rural housing prototypes designed by different architecture firms invited to reflect on rural housing production across the country, as well as a welcome center designed by MOS Architects.

The project by Dellekamp Arquitectos, located in Apan, Hidalgo, Mexico, spans a total area of 1,465 square meters across two levels. It aims to enhance the duality between the welcome center and the central prototype area—which is framed by the two linear volumes—thereby strengthening the overall urban complex.

Closed for more than two years for renovations, the Altino Arantes Building, affectionately nicknamed Banespão by locals, will reopen to the public tomorrow in celebration of São Paulo's 464th anniversary. Built in 1947 to house the headquarters of the State Bank of São Paulo (Banespa), the 161-meter-tall skyscraper offered visitors access to its observation deck with panoramic views of the city.

Now, the downtown icon will feature a series of attractions including a museum on the building's history, art exhibitions, a skate park, and a loft available for rent on Airbnb.

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The 'Vivienda para Rosario' (Housing for Rosario) project by Rojkind Arquitectos + Dosa Studio arose in response to the events of 19S, when an earthquake with its epicenter in Morelos shook different areas of the country. In response, various organizations such as Reconstruir México, Pienza Sostenible, and Échale a tu Casa stepped in to support affected families by proposing long-term sustainable solutions. Guided by the premise that demolishing to rebuild from scratch was not the solution, efforts focused on promoting the reuse of existing materials and structures to facilitate diagnostic assessments and prevent future disasters.

Overlooking the Río de la Plata, in the quiet of Laguna del Diario, amidst trees and a vast sky, lies Casa Poseidón, an example of modern Uruguayan architecture designed by Samuel Flores Flores in 1978. Unsurprisingly—as private interests and a lack of awareness have made demolition a recurring theme—its quiet existence is being disrupted to make way for yet another casualty of the real estate market.

The announcement of its demolition, justified by the construction of a building complex, has sparked well-founded criticism from the community seeking to protect the country's tangible architectural heritage. What are your thoughts on this?

Croquiseros Urbanos is a group of primarily Argentine architects who meet periodically to explore the city and document it using sketching as a tool. Launched in late 2010, this initiative aims to promote analog work while reflecting on space and its construction.

The collective establishes a meeting time and location, from which attendees freely and spontaneously explore the surroundings, capturing the situations or details that stand out to each of them. Afterward, participants gather at a prearranged spot to share their experiences and work.

Over the years, the group has expanded its reach to various cities across the continent through "special visits," arriving in Santiago this past April.

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As the end of the year approaches, we would like to thank our readers and contributors once again for making 2018 such a rich year for architecture. With your continued support, we are reaching more architects, students, and those outside the architectural community worldwide, inspiring them to build a better environment for everyone.

For the second time, we are giving our readers the responsibility of recognizing and rewarding the projects that have made the greatest impact on the profession through the ArchDaily Brasil Obra do Ano 2018 Award. By voting, you become part of an impartial network of jurors recognizing the most relevant projects of the past year.

Over the next two weeks, the collective intelligence of our readers will filter through hundreds of projects from Portuguese-speaking countries—Brazil, Portugal, Mozambique, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Macau, Cape Verde, and São Tomé and Príncipe—published in 2017, selecting the best built works in the Portuguese-speaking world.

From a pool of hundreds of works published in 2017, readers will choose their favorites, and the 15 most voted will move on to the second stage of the Award voting.

Choose and vote for your favorite projects!

The definition of a dream home has been updated—at least for those passionate about minimalism and sustainability who discover the home of Martin Freney and Zoe. Located in Adelaide, Australia, the residence was built by the couple inspired by Earthship, a sustainable architecture movement based on reusing materials to minimize environmental impact.

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Tatiana Bilbao is an internationally recognized Mexican architect who has helped position Mexico on the global architecture scene. One of the core principles of her practice is "creating dignified spaces to elevate people's lives" and building communities through spatial design.

On Saturday, May 12, at 12:00 p.m., the exhibition Perspectivas. Tatiana Bilbao Estudio opened at the Museo Amparo in Puebla, Mexico. The exhibition was first presented at the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Monterrey (MARCO) in 2017.

In an interview with El País, Bjarke Ingels discusses with architecture journalist Anatxu Zabalbeascoa the motivations behind his work and the factors that have made him one of the most prominent figures in global architecture.

Moving between the formal concepts that give his buildings their names—such as "snowflake" or "labyrinth"—and the competitive nature of the architecture world (his proposal replaced Norman Foster's for Two World Trade Center in New York), Zabalbeascoa questions Ingels more sharply than might be expected, at one point asking if "architecture can turn into a joke." 

The Faculty of Architecture and Art at Universidad del Desarrollo held activities as part of the Detonating Experience II 'Contact with Matter,' which takes place three times during the program and aims to introduce future architects to each curricular cycle. Each exercise brought students closer to the construction and design of full-scale objects. The "Table" Workshop was led by the prominent firm Grupo Talca, featuring architects Rodrigo Sheward and Martín del Solar, while the EDII "Mast" was directed by professors Yanko Bugueño and Diego Martínez along with teaching assistant Magdalena Gallegos.

As part of the official program of World Design Capital CDMX 2018, thirteen renowned architects, designers, urban planners, writers, and artists will analyze the challenges, policies, and opportunities facing our cities. In a century marked by the city as a key driver of social interaction, discussing how urban areas function is essential to making them more sustainable and efficient, while improving the quality of life for their residents. The speakers will present their vision, share best practices, and contribute to the dialogue on new strategies for change that foster the well-being of our cities and their populations through design.

Among the various housing solutions—ranging from half-houses to 3D-printed homes—a new sustainable option stands out for its Lego-like assembly. Named “Slice,” the apartment designed by Iranian architect Nasim Sehat features identical, functional modules that lock together based on the user's needs.

The modules are configured as a shower, toilet, kitchen, office, and bedroom, along with an empty module to buffer functions, totaling eight “rooms.” Sehat—who is based in Shanghai and developed the concept by observing local urban habits—proposes that these Slices be booked online.

Bike-sharing services have been gaining increasingly more users in several Brazilian cities. In São Paulo, Yellow's system will make 20,000 bikes available using an innovative dockless model, eliminating the need to pick up or return them to specific stations. They will be monitored via GPS through chips from Vodafone Brasil—the local partner of Datora Mobile—allowing users to connect to and locate the bikes via an app. Operations began on August 2.

The São Paulo Association of Art Critics (APCA) announced yesterday the winners of the 2018 APCA Awards. The awards are divided into ten categories covering architecture, visual arts, cinema, literature, fashion, popular music, radio, theater, children's theater, and television.

The ceremony honoring all the winners of this APCA Award will take place on a date to be announced in the first half of 2019, when the organization will celebrate its 62nd awards ceremony.