This guide covers a workflow that moves from project parameters to generated floor plans, 3D perspective views, exterior design exploration, and site context visualization, using AI tools in place of preliminary CAD and rendering work.

No País dos Arquitectos is a podcast created by Sara Nunes, who also runs the architectural film production company Building Pictures. The podcast aims to profile the professionals, projects, and stories behind landmark contemporary Portuguese architecture. With just over 10 million inhabitants, Portugal is a highly compelling country within this professional field, and its architectural output far exceeds what its population and territorial scale would suggest.

In this episode of the sixth season, Sara talks with architect and curator Pedro Gadanho about the exhibition Generation Proxima: Emerging Environmental Practices in Portuguese Architecture. Listen to the conversation and read part of the interview below.

After at least five years of countless sketches, drawings, models, readings, and calculations, the time comes for Architecture and Urbanism students to present their final graduation projects—often referred to as TCC, TFG, or Final Graduation Projects. In choosing their topics, students highlight architectural, urban, or theoretical projects. Beyond demonstrating readiness for graduation, these works play a crucial role in sparking debate about the future of our cities, the built environment, urban infrastructure, mobility, and many other fundamental topics regarding how we inhabit space.

UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, is tasked with addressing housing and sustainable urban development issues worldwide. It plays a key role in tackling global urban challenges, working to improve quality of life, confront issues like rapid urbanization and housing shortages, and promote urban planning practices that are more socially inclusive and environmentally responsible. In 2022, it launched the project "Urban Connections - Public Space Planning for Inclusive Communities," a major initiative of the organization aimed at strengthening local governments through participatory urban planning and public space design.

As part of an initiative by a group of young people who make up Patio Efímero, early in 2023 the open call was launched for the "Patio 4 Competition: Meeting of Ephemeral Interventions" in collaboration with the National System of Art Creators of the Federal Ministry of Culture, CREST EVOCA, El Parral Departamentos, and the Management of the Historic Center and Cultural Heritage of the Municipality of Puebla. The invitation was extended to plastic, graphic, visual, and multidisciplinary artists, as well as established and emerging architects, to participate in the fourth edition of Patio Efímero.

Although construction is primarily based on technical principles, which at first glance seem to follow only pre-established designs and specifications, there is a deeper dimension related to the nature and essence of the materials used. These materials do not only perform a utilitarian function; they also transcend their mere purpose, evoking the notion put forward by Pablo Neruda: "There is a rigor in materials that limits excessive whim and the struggle to infuse them with humanity."

Among the range of existing materials, there is perhaps none as universal as brick. Its versatility and aesthetic honesty have made it a widely used resource in the construction of diverse spaces worldwide. Within Chilean architecture, the broad possibilities this material offers have been highlighted, having been exceptionally utilized by numerous architects. Furthermore, it has gained renewed relevance in architectural discourse, as exemplified by the book "Arcilla. Materia y Obra en Arquitectura." This is reflected throughout the history of Cerámica Santiago and its joint collaboration with the Faculty of Architecture and Art at UDD to promote the Brick Architecture Prize.

Designing and constructing homes is a complex process involving a variety of factors. Within this process, considering the various design elements is essential—including underlayments, ceilings, partitions, claddings, structures, and facades—alongside selecting the right materials for each. This choice must align with user preferences as well as indoor and outdoor conditions, prioritizing durability, energy efficiency, and aesthetics.

To simplify the design process, Volcan develops Volcanboard fiber cement building solutions for different construction elements. Available in a variety of thicknesses to adapt to various applications, these fiber cement boards stand out for their fire and moisture resistance, as well as their long-term durability and versatility. Below, we explore various applications of Volcanboard in residential design.

As part of an initiative by the ISAD School of Architecture and Design in Chihuahua, the Taller del Desierto (Desert Workshop) has been running for several years, fostering various projects to stimulate student learning. For this edition, a pavilion was built, conceived as an assembly of pieces with a theatrical narrative. This pavilion was created as a collaboration between ISAD and Teatro Bárbaro, a local independent cultural forum led by Luis Bizarro. Consequently, the pavilion was designed to serve as a traveling venue for performances created or adapted specifically for this space, which consists of pieces designed during the four-week summer workshop in 2023.

About 14% of the population of Porto Alegre, nearly 200,000 people, live in favelas, classified by IBGE as "subnormal agglomerations." These residents typically lack guaranteed property rights and do not have access to basic public utilities and services such as sanitation, drainage networks, or street lighting. Around 4,000 people experience homelessness. The city's public transit system, which carries over 20 million passengers per month, is facing the worst crisis in its history, with unsustainable operations. Our public spaces are dominated by cars, whose drivers enjoy the privilege of parking for free on public streets. Dumpsters, which are meant to receive only organic waste and non-recyclables, end up filled with all kinds of trash, undermining proper waste collection in the city.

Amid the bustle and majesty of Mexico City, the iconic buildings that adorn its skyline boast not only imposing architecture, but also stories and secrets that spark curiosity. During this month dedicated to architecture, we bring you some of the curiosities and myths surrounding CDMX's buildings, which serve as the pillars of multiple narratives.

A study released by Project Drawdown shows that at this very moment, we have immediate access to at least 76 solutions to curb climate change. The proposed solutions are relatively simple, and the cost of implementing them is less than the cost of inaction.

Through the incorporation of various elements, interior design creates comprehensive spaces that blend functionality and aesthetics. Among these components, suspended ceilings are a solution that integrates finishes suspended from the main structure. While adapting to a wide range of styles through a diversity of materials, colors, and textures, suspended ceilings also address acoustic needs, contribute to thermal insulation, and integrate lighting systems.

Among its solutions for interior applications, Hunter Douglas combines aesthetics, comfort, and sustainability to develop the WoodLines suspended ceiling line. Integrating innovation with natural materials, the manufacturing process continuously bonds a natural wood veneer to a roll-formed metal profile. As a result, linear ceilings composed of continuous slats are obtained, combining the functionality of a metal ceiling with the warmth and aesthetic appeal of natural wood.

The capacity of urban planning laws to yield results entirely different from those anticipated is notorious. As is often the case, the numerous failed attempts recorded in cities worldwide are not enough to prevent new laws and regulations from being enacted.

This article offers an observation and analysis of the diverse forms of land occupation and use within informal or self-built urban fabrics on the outskirts of Luanda, examining their relationship with the Angolan capital's consolidated urban core.

Curitiba has implemented several initiatives to strengthen biodiversity and enhance the quality of vegetation in its urban landscape. Consequently, the capital of Paraná, alongside 18 other cities worldwide, has been selected to participate in UNEP's (United Nations Environment Programme) Generation Restoration project.

When it comes to climate change, the headlines can sometimes seem contradictory. One day, we read about catastrophic wildfires wreaking havoc across the globe; the next, we see an optimistic article about the rapid rise of solar and wind energy. Taken together, these narratives can make it difficult to grasp the big picture of climate action. Are countries actually implementing effective solutions if greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions continue to rise? In which areas has the world made enough progress to overcome the climate crisis, and where are the gaps? What specific measures are needed to get us on the right track?

With its sights set on the future, in 2024, the Universidad Católica del Uruguay is adding the Architecture, Design, and Environment program to its academic offerings. Felipe Reyno, PhD in Architecture and director of this new degree program, reflects on the need to train architects with a contemporary, contextual, diverse, critical, and collaborative perspective.   

Like the flight of a bird, a summer rain, ocean tides, lightning during a storm, or a prolonged drought, natural phenomena occur every day without our noticing. Yet, some draw more attention, such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, the emergence of a new virus, or major floods. Even so, if they occur in an uninhabited region and do not cause significant material damage, they remain merely natural phenomena. If, however, they strike populated areas, causing deaths, injuries, production disruptions, major financial losses, and displacement, only then are they considered natural disasters.

Originally written as a final paper for the elective course Traditional Dwellings (Moradias Tradicionais) at Escola da Cidade in 2017, this essay addresses the little-known presence of large-scale pre-Columbian structures in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest.

Over the last 40 years, hundreds of massive geometric formations carved into the ground—known as geoglyphs—have been discovered in the state of Acre. These structures show that the Amazon was inhabited thousands of years ago and that its vegetation was managed, debunking the notion of the region as an untouched, pristine wilderness.

A faucet is a mechanical valve used to regulate (release or block) the flow of a fluid (usually water) from plumbing. While turning on a faucet seems almost mundane today, we rarely think about the vast knowledge and technology required to provide water at any given moment with a simple movement of the hand. Yet, between intake, treatment, and distribution to a kitchen or bathroom, water travels a complex path.

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Despite UNESCO's recognition of specific world heritage sites, some are in constant danger of disappearing due to natural phenomena like earthquakes and human factors such as urbanization. By definition, these landmarks are significant to human history, embodying characteristics that reflect the core values of various civilizations. However, many have never been experienced firsthand by a large portion of the global population.

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The way you experience the city, the urban infrastructure provided in the areas you frequent, and even the job opportunities that come your way are all, to some extent, shaped by the color of your skin. These themes unfold across multiple layers to discuss racial segregation in the urban environment in the seminar "The City and Racial Subjection," organized in 2018 by the Laboratory of Race and Urban Space Studies (Labraça) at FAUUSP.

As it celebrates its 60th anniversary, Brasília has an opportunity to draw inspiration from the anti-racist and anti-colonial movements worldwide that have challenged the monumentality of official history, confronting the memorialization of colonialism within its own urban landscape. Rather than celebratory events that reiterate official narratives, marking the city as a *bandeirante* milestone of national modernity, we should pause—a pause moreover imposed by the pandemic—to reflect on how certain memories are eternalized while others are erased, and thus trace new memorial cartographies onto the urban fabric of the capital.

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Twenty-first-century urbanism will be marked by an increase in both the number and scale of global megacities—urban agglomerations with over 10 million inhabitants, according to the UN—alongside a geographical shift. By 2100, African metropolises such as Lagos (Nigeria) and Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo) are projected to exceed 80 million residents. The rise of these new, larger metropolises, especially in Africa and Asia, compounded by the urgent need to address the ongoing climate crisis, demands immediate changes in the discourse surrounding urban mobility.

While the architecture and construction industry has been advancing in new fields for years, it remains one of the most lagging in terms of automation and efficiency. And indeed, while many of these innovations never progress past the experimental stage, we face a sobering reality: the sector is one of the largest producers of pollutants and waste worldwide. How can we reverse this trend?