Articles

Expressways are limited-access highways in populated areas, designed to allow high-speed motorized traffic over long distances. Some run through city centers, while others encircle the urban core.

Once considered the pinnacle of transportation design in the 1950s, these projects are now as obsolete as floppy disks. Walking, cycling, and public transit are more sustainable, safe, healthy, efficient, and productive. To address this issue, the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) produced the infographic Expressways vs. Complete Streets, aimed at comparing both in terms of health, efficiency, housing, environmental quality, and quality of life.

A study conducted in Australia has proven that green roofs help increase the efficiency of solar panels. Essentially, the panels perform better when they do not get too hot. 

The study analyzed two identical office buildings located side-by-side in Sydney. One was equipped with a conventional photovoltaic solar system, while the other featured solar panels surrounded by vegetation. Both systems were monitored over an eight-month period spanning both summer and winter. 

In Accra, the capital of Ghana, Owusu, his wife, and their four children share a house with five other tenants and their families in the Tantra Hills neighborhood. The house has one bathroom and electricity, but the costs of both are excessively high. Because it is not connected to the municipal water grid, Owusu must buy water from vendors who charge high prices. The electricity bill, around $50 per month, is higher than his rent of $33. With a monthly income of $175, Owusu lives in constant fear of eviction if rent, water, or electricity prices rise.

In addition, Owusu's neighborhood lacks easy access to public transit. The nearest bus stop is about a kilometer away, and he typically waits up to 30 minutes for a bus. His commute to work at a gas station takes around two hours, even without traffic. From Monday to Saturday, he leaves home at 4:30 AM to beat the rush hour.

Through immense Greek columns, the door centered under the pediment invites one to enter either a temple or a home. The sense of smallness is undeniable. From north to south, this is a recurring scene: no upper-middle-class neighborhood escapes a neoclassical building.

November 19 marks Women's Entrepreneurship Day, prompting a reflection on the challenges of entrepreneurship as a woman.

In 2019, the Brazilian Institute of Quality and Productivity released its most recent report on Entrepreneurship in Brazil, based on the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), a worldwide research program that assesses entrepreneurship levels across countries. In this report, which predates the COVID-19 pandemic, 88.4% of respondents stated that one of their primary motivations for starting a new business was 'to make a living because jobs are scarce.' In Brazil, micro-enterprises have gained significant ground as alternative employment, driven both by rising unemployment rates and the deregulation of labor laws and subsequent increase in 'outsourcing.'

Over the centuries, kitchens have undergone an interesting transformation that has dictated both their use—once frequented only by staff, today an essential social hub—and their size—shrinking from the largest room in the house to one of the smallest. Yet, regardless of size, the kitchen increasingly represents the heart of the home. An essential space, it now transcends the simple act of preparing food, becoming a place associated with leisure and togetherness. Consequently, this space must meet a series of specific demands, balancing functionality and efficiency with comfort and well-being.

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While closely related, landscaping and gardening are distinct practices that engage with natural, living elements within the built environment. Read on to explore how each of these fields operates. 

To reach the designs we know today, bathtubs have taken on countless forms. From Greek public baths and Zen Japanese ofuros to 18th-century cast-iron tubs and sophisticated modern whirlpool systems, these fixtures have been shaped and reinvented over the centuries, securing their place in history. Yet, regardless of culture or era, they have always been associated with spaces of physical and mental purification, allowing for moments of relaxation and introspection.

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Verticalization and population density are poorly understood aspects of our cities. Contrary to popular belief, a more vertical city is not necessarily a denser one. In Brazil, favelas and semi-formal housing make up some of the densest urban areas. These consist of small dwellings built close together, often home to multiple families. Conversely, there are neighborhoods with many high-rises and few people. These buildings may be commercial, with no residents, or they may contain large apartments, small families, and expansive open space around them. Few realize that Cidade Ademar, a low-rise residential district in southern São Paulo, is twice as dense as the high-rise jungle of Itaim Bibi.

At the FIESP Cultural Center in São Paulo, Nicolás Valencia sits down with Brazilian artist Giselle Beiguelman to discuss artificial intelligence, data centers, and coup plotters, drawing from her book Políticas da Imagem, her exhibition Venenosas, Nocivas e Suspeitas, and her research project Domingo no Golpe.

Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, cycling has become an even more popular, resilient, and reliable alternative for daily travel, and temporary (or pop-up) bike lanes are increasingly common in major cities around the world. Between March and July 2020, 394 cities, states, and countries reallocated street space so people could walk and bike with greater ease, efficiency, and safety.

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As summer approaches, so does the desire to enhance our homes' outdoor spaces. Whether for sunbathing, enjoying the breeze, or gathering with friends, areas like patios, backyards, and balconies can be highly versatile depending on how they are occupied. With this in mind, we have compiled some essential tips to help you make the most of these spaces. 

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Before we are drivers or cyclists, we are all pedestrians. Designing safer ways to navigate on foot, while also offering opportunities for leisure and contemplation for passersby, means conceiving a fairer city that offers a better quality of life—one that respects all its citizens and prioritizes their well-being. Accordingly, we have gathered here several parks, crossings, and pedestrian bridges designed exclusively for non-motorized use.

The exercise of observing a space, taking into account its historical, social, and sensory complexities, is an act that should be part of the daily life of those who practice architecture. This act qualifies actions that engage with that spatiality. Consequently, using architecture as a tool to understand the dynamics of the environments we frequent becomes essential.

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In Brazil, urban problems associated with urban growth and poverty, driven particularly by the informality of land occupation and the precariousness of infrastructure and urban services, have proved to be an insurmountable challenge for public authorities.

Despite past efforts, low-income housing access has largely been achieved through self-built housing and the relaxed enforcement of land subdivision, use, and occupation regulations.

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Another year draws to a close, and with it comes another list reviewing the most memorable moments of the last twelve months. This time, we analyze the photos that garnered the highest engagement (likes, comments, shares, and saves) on ArchDaily Brasil's Instagram.

Play, as a human activity, is a multidimensional practice: it stems from biology, is socially transmitted, and is situated within the architectural realm. Within this interrelation, while play introduces dynamics and narratives that invite us to explore alternative ways of inhabiting the world, architectural projects provide the physical and sensory support needed to unlock these possibilities, with play structures serving as the medium connecting the two. Consequently, a defining relationship emerges between play, the built environment, and its evolution over time.

Contrast can be widely used in architecture as a tool to highlight what we want to showcase. Do we want to emphasize an entrance? Make the project stand out from its surroundings? Turn our architecture into a landmark in the urban—or rural—landscape? Do we need to create symbolism? Ensure legibility? How do we achieve this? How do we "shine a light" on something?

Whatever we want to highlight is amplified through comparison—by means of an exaggerated, antagonistic contrast. Intentionally, we can intensify the use of darkness to emphasize a single light source, framing a staircase in a dramatic and theatrical way. Or we can introduce solid, opaque walls to make a light, transparent entrance stand out.

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