The renowned Fritz Höger Award for Brick Architecture announced the winners of its 2020 edition, which recognizes architectural practices from around the world for their outstanding achievements in brick construction. With nearly 600 projects submitted once again and a strong international response, the competition—now in its fifth edition—is one of Germany's most important architecture awards.
Categoría Viviendas PRO.CRE.AR - Mención: Vivienda en Arturo Seguí. Image Cortesía de Ezequiel Spinelli
The CAPBA Award in Argentina represents an opportunity to showcase the achievements and innovations of architects across their various professional fields. Works located both inside and outside the province of Buenos Aires, completed within the last 10 years, were eligible to enter. Organized by the Association of Architects of the Province of Buenos Aires, the jury for each category evaluated the submissions and awarded first, second, and third prizes, along with several honorable mentions.
As part of a new strategy to offer an alternative vacation dynamic, and after 14 months of operating in Valle de Bravo, State of Mexico, the company Wander has partnered with Mexican architect Michel Rojkind, Amasa Estudio, and TUUX to create a cabin model designed to help guests disconnect and reconnect with nature.
https://www.archdaily.com/1128298/wander-rojkind-arquitectos-amasa-estudio-and-tuux-present-cabin-modules-to-connect-with-natureArchDaily Team
The Global Challenge has launched a call for entries for architectural initiatives with a high social impact. Finalists will have the opportunity to win an award and connect with A - D partners to bring their community projects to life.
The European Award for Architectural Heritage Intervention, organized by the COAC (Architects' Association of Catalonia) and AADIPA (Association of Architects for the Defense and Intervention in Architectural Heritage), has announced the shortlisted works in Category A (Intervention in built heritage) and Category B (Outer Spaces).
The finalists and winners will be announced on June 17 during the 5th International Biennial of Architectural Heritage Intervention.
Videos
Still from the film "Zaļa iela" by Oto Ozols
Cars remain one of the primary modes of transportation and a major contributor to the climate crisis, as the vast majority consume fossil fuels and generate emissions—particularly carbon dioxide, which intensifies the greenhouse effect and, consequently, global warming. As such, World Car-Free Day is celebrated internationally on September 22 to encourage people to spend a day without their cars and reflect on car dependency. To offer new perspectives on this issue, we highlight the work of Latvian architect Oto Ozols, who envisions cities designed for people rather than cars through videos that demonstrate how public space can be improved from this perspective.
Sede en Madrid | ITTI High Tech Institute . Image Cortesía de Comunicación ITTI
ITTI | High Tech Institute aims to pioneer BIM specialization, providing the knowledge to manage projects through its renowned "Learning By Doing" methodology. Its training programs equip BIM managers with the necessary resources to address complex issues from an innovative and revolutionary perspective.
Located in the former heart of “El Bronx”—an area with approximately 100,000 residents—the proposal seeks to attract companies, consortiums, or builders with extensive experience in new construction. The new administrative building will benefit around 300 public servants while providing high-quality service to citizens in new, modern facilities. Designed by MC Arquitectos, the project also includes a plaza at the rear and already has detailed designs and construction permits in place.
The 13th São Paulo International Architecture Biennale and the Vitruvius portal have launched Preâmbulo, an open call for articles, essays, drawings, and projects reflecting on the central theme of the 13th Biennale—Reconstruction—and its five thematic axes: democracy, bodies, memory, information, and ecology. Submissions are open until June 30.
Conceived by IABsp, the 13th edition of the Biennale, scheduled for 2022, uses the idea of Reconstruction to spark debates addressing the challenges arising from the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. It considers reflections and proposals pointing toward innovative social practices and urban-architectural arrangements, as well as the possibilities that emerge in this new scenario.
The Colombian plains city of Villavicencio ended the year with promising news. The new metropolitan park planned for its urban landscape is based on a proposal by Estudio Territorios, the winning entry in a competition commissioned by the Mayor's Office of Villavicencio and organized by the Colombian Society of Architects to create a metropolitan-scale green space for the region.
In 2020, the amount of time we spent inside our own homes increased significantly, and these changes undoubtedly impacted how we experience residential space. Reevaluating the quality of these places became essential, adding an extra layer of complexity to apartment design. Ensuring comfort in every room, expanding the sense of space in small areas, or making the home more versatile are some of the challenges imposed and solved in various ways.
Luis Antonio Moreno Aguayo—architect and co-founder of Taller Matatipac in Tepic, Nayarit—presents his project: the Bípeda chair, which uses experimentation to simplify concepts to their elemental roots, employing critique as a tool to fuel creativity.
https://www.archdaily.com/1127907/taller-matatipac-presents-a-pre-hispanic-inspired-chair-in-mexicoArchDaily Team
Big Ben, London, United Kingdom. Image by Pajor Pawel. Image via Shutterstock
As part of the Manchester International Festival (MIF), Argentine artist Marta Minujín set out to recreate London's iconic clock tower at half its original size. Relocated from London to Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester—the city that drove the Industrial Revolution during the 18th century—the replica is a 42-square-meter structure covered in 20,000 books related to British history. This cultural icon, representing the center of power in the United Kingdom, is symbolically laid on its side as a work of relational art where the public can enter, explore the installation, and, toward the end of the festival, take home the books that comprise it.
Under the theme “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future,” Expo Dubai 2020 —held from October 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022— is the first world expo hosted by an Arab nation and the Middle East region. The Spain Pavilion, under the slogan “Intelligence for Life,” synthesizes the idea of preserving a high quality of life on our planet for ourselves and future generations.
Designed by the firm amann cánovas maruri, the building is located in the expo's Sustainability District and stands out for its series of prominent truncated cones that rise above the landscape, evoking the feel of a traditional public square. Inside, the Pavilion houses two complementary thematic exhibition areas designed by the joint venture between External Reference and Onionlab. Here, the Barcelona-based firms have applied a striking blend of design, art, and technology to create a uniquely immersive experience.
Rescuing the invisible, diving into an erased urban memory, and walking on water. Surprising as it may seem, the world has not ended yet. However, those walking through Belo Horizonte, passing the busy intersection of Afonso Pena Avenue and Brasil Avenue, might be able to pinpoint exactly where it does. The “Acaba-Mundo” [World's End] is a creek that crossed the Curral del Rei settlement, the site to which the capital of Minas Gerais was relocated in 1897.
“Edificios de Madrid” is a new 10-episode micro-series presented by Open House Madrid. A new episode will premiere each week on their YouTube channel, featuring ten renowned architects who explain and share previously unseen details of iconic works like the Zarzuela Racecourse, the Hotel Puerta de América, and the Liria Palace, while rediscovering lesser-known sites like the Frontón Beti Jai and the Francisco Giner de los Ríos Foundation.
On World Environment Day, celebrated on June 5, the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, launched the Sustainable Development and Climate Action Plan. The document will guide the municipal administration's environmental goals for the coming decades. Among the proposals is the adoption of solely electric buses on municipal routes.
Electric mobility in Brazil, particularly in public transportation, is still in its infancy. There are promising solutions, such as the solar-powered electric buses developed in Ceará and in Florianópolis, but the adoption of these technologies remains highly localized.
Today, the winners of the Regional Undergraduate Research and Thesis Projects Award were announced during the Lima International Architecture Biennial, BIALIMA 2021.
The purpose of this award is to promote, encourage, and highlight the best practices and talent of the more than 17,000 architecture students currently training in over 20 educational institutions across the Lima and Callao regions, who represent the future of architecture in the region.