With an average of 12 square meters of green space per inhabitant, the city of Rosario was declared Argentina's "greenest" urban enclave in a recent report published by the Inter-American Development Bank's (IDB) Emerging and Sustainable Cities Initiative. This figure aligns with the standards set by the WHO, which recommends between 10 and 15 square meters of green space per person to ensure a decent quality of life for all citizens. The creation of new parks in recent years, combined with the upgrading of over 70 existing ones through the addition of amenities and technology, highlights the significance of green spaces for the people of Rosario.
The latest episode of Arquicast discusses the award-winning and groundbreaking South Korean film Parasite (2019). Director Bong Joon-ho invites us to reflect on the realities and stigmas of a social climate that, despite focusing on a specific culture, is representative of diverse urban contexts, such as those found in South America. Class struggle, after all, is a defining characteristic of modern societies, directly reflected in the spaces they inhabit. In this sense, *Parasite* offers a masterclass on how structural inequalities shape the quality of our built environment.
Resilience seems to be the topic of much discussion within circles of urbanism today. Though, there is a slight problem. We can’t quite agree on what the term means.
Two definitions seem to be floating about. The first rooted in material science. The second, in ecology.
Whether by traditional windows, linear openings in the wall, or skylights, the manipulation and incorporation of natural lighting in architectural projects can render a radical change in interior spaces.
In a time where space grows more and more limited and people increasingly spend time at home, flexibility presents itself as an underutilized strategy of interior design. With flexible furniture, residents can optimize square footage and easily reshape configurations according to specific requirements and shifting needs. Below, we discuss the benefits and variations of furniture on wheels, closing with 7 example projects illustrating their creative and practical application.
https://www.archdaily.com/950641/why-should-we-design-spaces-with-furniture-on-wheelsLilly Cao
Space has long captured our imaginations. Looking to the ocean above us, writers, scientists and designers alike have continuously dreamed up new visions for a future on distant planets. Mars is at the center of this discourse, the most habitable planet in our solar system after Earth. Proposals for the red planet explore how we can create new realms of humanity in outer space.
Four emerging architecture studio profiles from Belgium, Spain, Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, and Poland were chosen by New Generations, a platform that analyses the most innovative emerging practices at the European level, providing a new space for the exchange of knowledge and confrontation, theory, and production. Since 2013, New Generations has involved more than 300 practices in a diverse program of cultural activities, such as festivals, exhibitions, open calls, video-interviews, workshops, and experimental formats.
The incorporation of the human figure is one of the most effective tools used in architectural photography: it helps the viewer decipher the scale of work and assess its amplitude. While it successfully communicates a rough idea of the measurements of the elements in the picture, it also helps architecture become more relatable and accessible. People engage better with the built environment when it is populated, mainly because the human sense of society and community is the cornerstone of our civilization. With this in mind, we are showcasing a selection of our favorite photographs where the human figure takes center stage, enhancing our reading of architecture.
Using and controlling light can change the perception of a place; users perceive and feel the space differently depending on factors such as the type of light switch, color variations, and combinations. When used in temporary installations, light can break the boundaries between art and architecture, and also between tangible and intangible, transforming the elements of the project and creating new shapes and patterns.
Spurred by disasters like Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy, cities across the United States have, over the past 15 years, learned to “live with water.” After more than a century of filling wetlands, damming rivers, and diverting streams and stormwater flows into concrete channels, public officials, influenced by a coterie of landscape architects and planners, have embraced the opposite strategy, investing in open space networks that use dynamic natural systems to slow, store, and absorb floodwaters.
https://www.archdaily.com/950604/its-time-for-designers-to-embrace-fire-as-the-ecological-and-cultural-force-that-it-isTimothy A. Schuler
Figure 13. Archaeology map of the Dehesa del Generalife. Remains of ancient buildings and infrastructures. (Source: R&D&I Project of the University of Granada under the title "Patrimonio y Paisaje Cultural. Revalorización de la identidad histórica y cultural de la Dehesa del Generalife de la Alhambra: Instrumentos de registro y procesos de reconocimiento", 2014). Image via Revista rita_
This article by Juan Domingo Santos and Carmen Moreno Álvarez was originally published in the 8th issue of rita magazine under the title "Identidades del territorio Alhambra. Instrumentos de registro y procesos de reconocimiento de un paisaje cultural" (Identities of the Alhambra Territory: Instruments of Registry and Processes of Recognition of a Cultural Landscape) and is part of a joint dissemination collaboration. The following text presents research that proposes a series of measures to record, analyze, and disseminate the cultural values of the Dehesa del Generalife—a territory continuous with the monumental complex of the Alhambra, rich in archaeological, architectural, landscape, environmental, and ethnological resources.
https://www.archdaily.com/1124108/identities-of-the-alhambra-territory-record-and-recognition-of-a-cultural-landscapeJuan Domingo Santos y Carmen Moreno Álvarez
More than 55% of the world’s population lives in cities, with that number only expected to increase in the coming decades. Despite the rising population in urban areas, local governments continue to raise flags about inadequate infrastructure and the declining quality of life that cities are facing. Perhaps the large scale problems that we typically categorize as urban innovation, inclusion, and infrastructure, can be solved if we get to the root of the smaller troubles, that we may not even know existed. It’s time to take urban issues off the back burner and improve cities not just for today, but for the long term future.
Children playing in the flooding of the Pinheiros River – near the Ceagesp area (Companhia de Entrepostos e Armazéns Gerais de São Paulo) – west zone of the city. Photo: Eduardo Anizelli for Folhapress. Modified by the author
As one of the largest and most populous cities in the world, São Paulo has accumulated over the years a complex web of relationships between its territory and its inhabitants. By fostering and fueling various interests, the city quickly became a major hub, gaining prominence on the national stage. However, the metropolis increasingly reveals a widening gap between its social classes, compounded by the recurring chaos of traffic gridlock and seasonal flooding—the results of poor urban planning that serves the interests of a select few at the expense of the city's overall health.
Some celebrate the failures of "Make It Right", Brad Pitt’s patronage in New Orleans. After Hurricane Katrina wrecked New Orleans in 2005, celebrated architects like Frank Gehry, David Adjaye and Thom Mayne created art for a foundation set up by Pitt. A local architect, John C. Williams was hired to turn designs from those starchitects into buildings with a directive to use the best sustainable materials available.
The orientation and sizing of voids are critical variables when proposing perforated screens on building facades. Analyzing local conditions is fundamental to the performance of this type of solution, which is particularly welcome in countries with high temperatures, such as India. Although its climatic diversity makes generalization difficult, summer temperatures can exceed 40°C across most of the country, demanding specific architectural strategies to mitigate heat and humidity inside buildings.
Landaburu Borda Country House / Jordi Hidalgo Tané. Image
While some works serve as monuments to the egos of those who practice this profession, other architectural approaches propose the exact opposite. These practices deliver projects that—almost poetically—harmonize built elements with the surrounding natural environment. There are also designs that adapt to the morphological order of nature, resulting in an organic language that generates highly unique and singular interior spaces.
The area surrounding a river, lake, lagoon or sea coast acts as a transition zone between water and land. Therefore, turning the water banks into dynamic and appealing public spaces helps to establish a certain balance between the stiffness of the built environment and the fluidity of water.
Rocinha Favela, Rio de Janeiro. Photo by: AHLN, via VisualHunt.com / CC BY
This coming Saturday, October 31, marks World Cities Day, an observance established by the United Nations in 2015 as part of the annual “Urban October” initiative. This celebration aims to foster international interest in global urbanization, enhance cooperation among countries to address urbanization challenges, and contribute to sustainable urban development worldwide.
Yet, while the word “city” generically denotes an “agglomeration of people within a defined geographical area,” in practice we know that each of these settlements is shaped by highly unique developmental and cultural factors. With this in mind, we are using this global celebration of cities to focus on our own reality, highlighting the challenges currently faced by Latin American cities.
