English: Architect from the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urban Planning of the University of Buenos Aires (FADU-UBA). Collaborator at ArchDaily. Her interests involve projecting and thinking about urban planning and architecture from people. Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Instagram: @agustinainiguez_
Primer Premio. Image Cortesía de Arq. Ezequiel Spinelli
Organized by the Colegio de Arquitectos de la Provincia de Santa Fe DSP y Distrito 1 and promoted by the Argentine Federation of Architects' Organizations (FADEA), the National Preliminary Project Competition for a building for the Center for Experimentation, Innovation, and Development in Design and Construction (CEIDDC) seeks to address an educational program within the Faculty of Architecture, Design, and Urbanism (FADU) at the Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL) in Santa Fe, Argentina.
The jury comprised architect Ian Dutari representing FADEA, architect Ma. Isabel Rinaldi representing CAPSF, architect Gustavo Barrirero representing CAD1, architect Roberto Frangella representing the participants, and architect Sergio Cosentino representing the promoter (UNL). A total of 65 entries were received, with three prizes and a series of honorable mentions awarded. The winning projects are presented below.
OF.studio has unveiled the design of PZ Torre Residencial, a residential building within the Zapata Palace in Mendoza, Argentina, seeking to recreate the traditional courtyard of Cuyanas houses, a common style in northern Argentina.
The winners of the National Competition for the Master Plan of Ideas and Preliminary Project for the Tenth Section Los Cerros District in Mendoza have been announced. Organized by the Mendoza College of Architects (CAMZA) and sponsored by the Argentine Federation of Architecture Organizations (FADEA), the competition aimed to gather proposals for a Master Plan of Ideas and Preliminary Project to develop a privately owned, publicly accessible urban development.
As part of the C40 Cities "Students Reinventing Cities" competition, the winning projects from all participating cities have been announced, including Barcelona, Bogotá, Dubai, Paris, and Athens, among many others. Among them, the "Balvanera 2030" project stands out in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina. This initiative aims to contribute ideas to redesign the Balvanera Sur neighborhood, incorporating ecological and sustainable guidelines that go beyond addressing local issues. Based on the guiding principles presented by C40 Cities and ARUP, the proposal seeks to rethink the neighborhood's current dynamics, ranging from how citizens interact with the site to structural issues like public space and real estate.
The Serena del Mar Hospital Center (CHSM) is the first hospital designed by Safdie Architects. Focusing on the human being, the concept revolves around the idea that "access to nature and natural light are vital in creating improved therapeutic experiences for patients, families and staff alike". Seeking to provide a sense of well-being that leads to better clinical outcomes, the hospital has started opening in phases to the public, earlier this year. The firm's first project in Latin America is not the only one, in fact, Safdie Architects are working on Qorner, a residential project under construction in Quito, Ecuador, and the Albert Einstein Education and Research Center in Brazil, to be inaugurated in early 2022.
Located at 852 Leandro N. Alem Avenue in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, the Mercado de los Carruajes originally housed the “Presidential Carriage Garage,” serving as a storage and maintenance facility for horse-drawn carriages. Over time, the building was repurposed to accommodate the vehicular fleet of the Presidency of the Nation. Following a series of interventions and expansions, the historic heritage building began its conversion process in 2017, which is now complete with only the final details being finalized. A gourmet market concept featuring food stalls, fresh food vendors, retail spaces, and an event terrace eagerly awaits its grand opening, which was delayed due to the pandemic.
Argentina is positioned in the extreme south and southwest of South America and given its extension, it has a multiplicity of climates and differences in the incidence of sunlight. These conditions led many architecture professionals to think about pergolas to generate transitional spaces between the interior and exterior of the homes that allow meeting the needs of its inhabitants by creating shaded, meeting and resting spaces in the open air.
Organized by the Sociedad Central de Arquitectos (SCA) and promoted by the Centro Argentino de Ingenieros (CAI), the call for entries is now open for the binding National Preliminary Design Competition for the Argentine Center for Innovation, Conservation, Valorization, and Adaptation of the CAI headquarters, located at Cerrito 1250 – Av. 9 de Julio – in the heart of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires.
The architectural competition for the San Juan de Dios Hospital Complex in Bogotá was organized by the Urban Renovation and Development Agency (ERU) with advisory support from the Colombian Society of Architects. The goal was to reconnect and integrate the complex with its surrounding neighborhoods and the city center. This involves upgrading both the interior green areas and the peripheral public space, designing the plazas, pedestrian pathways, and interior gardens, as well as proposing options for pedestrian corridors and internal enclosures. In turn, the intervention will integrate the southern edge of the complex with the Policarpa and Sevilla neighborhoods, the north with the San Bernardo neighborhood, and the east with Las Cruces.
Inés Esnal has designed a sculpture specifically conceived for the stairwell of a single-family home. Her architectural training has heavily influenced her understanding of art in relation to space, from both phenomenological and geometric perspectives. By combining artistic approaches with scientific strategies in her creative process, she aims to create a work of art that is geometric yet atmospheric, logical yet experiential.
Titled Flame, this sculpture is made of polypropylene ropes on a steel frame, measuring 75 x 502 cm and spanning the three levels of a residence in La Moraleja, Madrid.
Ecosistema Urbano, one of the winners of the J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Prize, has proposed Cloudroom as part of the 2021 edition of Exhibit Columbus in Columbus, Indiana. The installation seeks to rethink public spaces for education by raising awareness about today's environmental challenges. Floating above a wooden structure on Central Middle School's lawn, this inflatable cloud creates a community space with a shaded microclimate for learning, playing, and sharing. By fostering new learning methodologies through direct experience, it offers a welcoming environment suitable for various activities bridging the school and public space.
An ecological approach and a social focus are the two pillars of Cloudroom, an installation designed in collaboration with the students and staff of Central Middle School. The project responds to the theme “NewMiddles: From Main Street To Megalopolis, What Is The Future of The Middle City?", proposed by curators Iker Gil and Mimi Zeiger.
The “Faro Verde” Provincial Ideas Competition, organized by the College of Architects of the Province of Buenos Aires / District 8 (CAPBA) and promoted by BAHMS S.A. (a member of the Faro Verde Group), sought proposals for a new mixed-use building featuring housing, offices, retail, and parking in the city of Tandil, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.
The jury awarded first prize to architects María Cristina Carasatorre and Luis Federico Risso, alongside collaborating architects Emilio Beilinson, Enrique Nakano, and Ms. María Sol Villaverde, with structural engineering consultation by engineer Alejandro Nico. Explore the project below.
From September 24 to 26, 2021, the seventh edition of Open House Madrid will take place. This international architecture festival offers free access to Madrid's architecture, featuring tours of more than 100 landmark buildings and spaces across the capital that are typically closed to the public. Under the theme "I don't even know where I live," the event aims to promote architectural culture, rediscover the city through its built environment, and provide an experience that helps people connect with and appreciate their surroundings.
Organized by the Jujuy Architects' Association and promoted by the provincial Ministry of Infrastructure, Public Services, Land, and Housing, the call for entries is now open for a competition of ideas regarding the future of the current penitentiary unit in the Gorriti neighborhood of San Salvador de Jujuy, which is set to be relocated to the town of Chalicán in the southeast of the Argentine province.
Quilmes Ruins, Tucumán, Argentina. Imagen de Guaxinim. Image via Shutterstock
One of the most advanced civilizations in Latin America, the Quilmes people inhabited what is today known as the Santa Maria Valley in the northwestern sector of the Tucumán province, in the center of the Calchaquíes Valleys. Their city contains remnants of village life from centuries ago, giving a clear view of life in the village from generations past, including the economy, religious sites, public and private spaces, and interactions with other civilizations. At its height, the Quilmes' city had 450,000 inhabitants prior to the Spanish invasion.
These settlements, built in the Calchaquíes Valleys since approximately the 10th century, are considered to be Argentina's first pre-Hispanic cities. Even though little remains of these cities, their ruins highlight a complex history of a material and spiritual culture ripe with social and economic advancements.
Currently under construction and scheduled for completion in 2022, the Smart 22@ building by GCA Architects is a project that seeks to integrate past and future while reflecting the values of modernity, sustainability, and technology. Located in Barcelona's 22@ district, the building aims to become Spain's first Smart Building, targeted to achieve LEED Platinum V4 certification with the highest score, alongside a WELL Gold certification.
“Moving Masses” is the slogan of this year's World Bicycle Forum, which will take place for the first time in Argentina. This annual international event, held in different cities around the world, is aimed at all citizens with a central objective: to promote sustainable mobility. Through its theme, the proposal aims to represent the movement of masses, people, the river, bicycles, ideas, and energy. But how can we make our cities more inclusive and equitable? What infrastructure can be implemented to foster sustainable mobility?
Curated by Spanish architect Izaskun Chinchilla Moreno, Cosmowomen. Places as constellations is an exhibition currently open at La Galleria Nazionale di Roma, Italy. Reflecting on the incorporation of women into architecture, Cosmowomen displays a series of projects developed by 65 Bartlett School of Architecture-alumni women architects from over 20 different nationalities.