The Colombian Society of Architects (SCA) has announced the finalists for the 27th Colombian Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism (BICAU XVII) across all categories. The selected projects, which you can explore below, will receive either an Honorable Mention or be named winners of their respective categories; the winner of the National Architecture and Urbanism Prize will also be chosen from among them.
Following recent global events surrounding the crisis caused by the COVID-19 virus and its impact, we have witnessed the creation of numerous sanitary camps, field hospitals, and retrofitted halls, indoor arenas, and exhibition centers. These facilities aim to care for the hundreds of patients expected as infections continue to grow exponentially.
The winners of the Berlin Architecture Museum International Ideas Competition have been announced. The open call invited students and young architects from around the world to design an Architecture Museum for the city of Berlin—a building whose primary mission is to disseminate architectural culture and to transmit and generate knowledge about the discipline, while honoring the immense value of Berlin's architectural and urban heritage.
Clavel Arquitectos is behind the design and construction of Odiseo, a building designed to function as an urban oasis and leisure center in Murcia, Spain. The most striking feature from the exterior is what will be Europe's largest cantilevered pool—and the second largest in the world.
Concéntrico 06 is the Logroño Architecture and Design Festival, open to all citizens and visitors, which invites them to discover and rediscover key spaces in the city's historic center.
The winners of the National Ideas Competition for the renovation of the Downtown Campus of the School of Architecture, Urbanism and Design of the National University of Córdoba have been announced. Organized by the Provincial College of Architects, the call invited architects from across the country to develop proposals for the programmatic and spatial reconfiguration of the FAUD UNC Downtown Campus in Argentina, repurposing the building for activities related to culture, research, outreach, and postgraduate studies.
The levels of air pollution reached by major urban centers around the world in recent years reveal the troubled relationship we have maintained—and continue to maintain—with our environment. The gravity of the issue lies in the fact that this not only affects the overall balance of the planet, but according to the World Health Organization, the current state of the atmosphere also causes, through the simple act of breathing, the death of around seven million people each year. Shortly after governments in various countries announced measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus—lockdowns and isolation—numerous studies began to show an unexpected and promising trend: air pollution levels in many cities began to drop significantly within days of the measures being announced due to reduced traffic and a decline in industrial emissions.
The Mapa Corona nas Periferias, a digital initiative by the Marielle Franco Institute and the Favela em Pauta channel, is now live. The digital map highlights solidarity initiatives combating COVID-19 in socially vulnerable areas such as favelas, communities, quilombos, or rural hinterlands.
The National Social Distancing Campaign (Jornada de Sana Distancia) in Mexico began on March 23, 2020. However, a couple of weeks earlier, despite the federal government's recommendation to continue normal activities, people on social media were already choosing to replicate the European model of self-isolation. Some architecture firms immediately decided to close their physical spaces and transition to remote work, while others took a few more weeks. Still, this period of social and physical (spatial) distancing is experienced differently in every household. The months of this pandemic have exposed not only inequality regarding basic needs in dense urban areas, but also the fragility of our social order. Whether at a macro or micro scale, all these experiences are shaped and influenced by the built environment, making architecture both a judge and a party to the equation.
The results of the design competition for the restoration and expansion of the Bengolarra building complex (Spain) have been announced. Organized by the Zigoitia City Council, the competition invited architects to develop proposals to renovate the area's sports facilities and improve accessibility, accommodating new uses and creating a more sustainable, modern, open, and accessible space for everyone.
The winners of the Microscapes - Tactical Micro-Gardens competition have been announced. This international call, organized by the Intendencia Departamental de Río Negro (Uruguay) and the Inter-American Development Bank, invited architects, designers, landscape architects, artisans, citizens, entrepreneurs, and any other interested parties to propose installations to revitalize one of the central spaces of the Fray Bentos industrial complex.
São Paulo-based firm Estúdio Módulo, led by Guilherme Bravin and Marcus Vinicius Damon, was named a finalist in the international competition Hope Dental Center: Rwanda Clinic and Training Institute. Organized by Archstorming in partnership with His Hands On Africa (HHOA), the competition aimed to select the design that will be built to house a dental clinic and training institute in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.
The winners of the competition for Projects to enhance the archaeological site of the Andalusi suburb of Arrixaca and the San Esteban Garden in Murcia (Spain) have been announced. Organized by the Ministry of Development, the call invited participants to devise proposals to protect the valuable Arrixaca Archaeological Site while creating a new public space for the community.
In the year that the nation's capital turns 60, the Council of Architecture and Urbanism of the Federal District (CAU/DF) is launching the CAU/DF Seal - Architecture of Brasília. The initiative celebrates the modern architecture of the Plano Piloto Urban Ensemble, highlighting the city's non-monumental architecture. The goal is to recognize the historical value of these buildings and their authors—who are often little known by the general public—as well as to promote best practices in building conservation and maintenance that have preserved the architectural language of the Modern Movement.
The Tomie Ohtake Institute and AkzoNobel continue to map contemporary architectural production, highlighting, for the seventh consecutive year, significant projects built within the current Brazilian landscape. The relationship to the urban context, the commitment to the site and sustainability, as well as design and construction inventiveness, are the core criteria guiding the 7th Tomie Ohtake Institute AkzoNobel Architecture Prize.
The architecture firm Hauser (Argentina), alongside architects Mathías Klotz (Chile) and Edgardo Minond (Argentina), has presented its project 'BRUSCO,' a large-scale mixed-use development with a significant urban impact. Located opposite Montevideo's City Hall, the complex will integrate diverse programs, including an open-air retail promenade, a city hotel, public and private parking, residential units, and offices. The project is already under construction and aims to become a transformative landmark that revitalizes the surrounding area, ensuring both day and night activity by coordinating and integrating the schedules of its various functions.
São Paulo-based firm SIAA Arquitetos has been named the winner of the national competition organized by AESabesp for the new São Paulo Water Museum, which involves the restoration and expansion of the former water and sewage department (RAE), currently the França Pinto reservation center.
Below, discover the winning proposal, accompanied by the project description written by the SIAA Arquitetos team.
The winners of the 2020 Wood Week Competition have been announced. The multidisciplinary open call invited participants to submit wood-focused projects in seven categories: Architecture, Design, Engineering and Construction, Innovation, Wood Startup Challenge, Built Works, and Photography. Wood Week (Semana de la Madera) is an annual event organized by Madera21, an association founded in 2001 by the Chilean Wood Corporation to promote and raise awareness about the use of this material in Chile.
.jpg?1589245986 "Kaspé House / Zeller & Moye. Image © Dane Alonso")
