Due to the global coronavirus pandemic, the sixth edition of the Concéntrico International Architecture and Design Festival has been postponed, with new dates set for September 3 to 6, 2020.
The postponement is accompanied by an innovative online coverage initiative called the "Concéntrico Marathon," which will take place during the originally scheduled dates, from April 29 to May 3, 2020.
For more than 70 years, Guatemala's professional associations have sought to preserve a spirit of unity among their fields. In 1958, in an effort to enhance communication and interaction, a new headquarters was established to bring the different professional associations together in a single space for the first time. Later, the Assembly acquired its own land, and between 1971 and 1972, an architectural design competition was held, resulting in the design of the current complex. Today, Guatemala's professional population is growing steadily, and the complex designed nearly fifty years ago is no longer sufficient to house all the associations and their members. For instance, several organizations, such as the associations of engineers and psychologists, do not operate out of the main headquarters. Therefore, there is a clear need to expand the infrastructure of the professional headquarters to accommodate all current and future associations in a single complex, adequately meeting the needs of their members.
The spread of the coronavirus is affecting the entire world, and difficult times lie ahead. However, as people's movement decreases, many cities are experiencing a significant reduction in their environmental issues.
The São Paulo-based firm SPBR Arquitetos, led by Angelo Bucci, has launched a new version of its website, making vector CAD drawing files of its projects available. In addition to the drawings, photographs of the works, model images, texts, and other information about each building are also available for download.
ConArq is the first National Congress of Architecture organized by students in Argentina. It stems from the desire to discuss, listen to, and propose architecture across the country's different schools, aiming to strengthen student education and make significant contributions to the practice of the discipline, ultimately creating a space for debate.
During social lockdown, the CNM (National Commission of Monuments, Places, and Historical Assets of the Ministry of Culture), is offering a free online course to discover the great treasures of Argentine architectural heritage, spanning different eras, styles, and regions. Led by renowned experts in each field, the classes will cover a broad overview ranging from the Cueva de las Manos in Santa Cruz Province to modern buildings throughout the country.
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 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 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.
.jpg?1589245986 "Kaspé House / Zeller & Moye. Image © Dane Alonso")
