On October 19, 21, and 22, Laguna in Mexico City hosted the second edition of the first design festival created by Coolhuntermx, conceived by and for projects led by cis women, trans women, and dissident communities. This festival was conceived with an inclusive, diverse, and collective approach, curated by designers Andrea Soler and Taina Campos. Following a first edition filled with key learnings and shared knowledge, the objective remains the same: to serve as an inclusive platform for design proposals and other creative expressions seeking alternative dialogues to those taking place during Design Month. This year, various forums were held to address topics such as "Social and Community Impact," "Representation and Decision-Making," "Activism for Transformation," and "Design of Care." In addition, the "Voces Estudiantiles" (Student Voices) exhibition showcased posters addressing various contemporary topics being explored in universities. Similarly, a mural by Artsynonym and Flaminguettes captured some of the core concepts and guiding principles of the festival. The event also featured 'Mujeres de la Tierra' (Women of the Earth), a collective of Indigenous women who defend the land and their lives against violence: "we stand in solidarity with the struggle by planting, cooking, and sharing knowledge." Attendance and participation during the event were highly diverse, enriching the panels to foster a horizontal dialogue addressing specific concerns. It is increasingly necessary to create these spaces to bring visibility to the collective struggles resisting day-to-day dynamics. Therefore, if you were unable to attend, the full talks are available below on coolhuntermx's Twitch channel; simply click on the link for each session. DAY 1
Panel: Social and Community Impact
WATCH THE RECORDING HERE
The panel featured Alessandra Cireddu (Moderator): National Director of the Architecture Program, Tecnológico de Monterrey (@alitac); Talachas Girl (Speaker): EXCLUSIVE SERVICE FOR WOMEN AND LGBTQ+. Remodeling, interior design, recycling, savings, construction, and creation (@talachas.girl); CACEH. Marcelina Bautista (Speaker): Domestic worker for 22 years, currently director of CACEH, a civil society organization that empowers and professionalizes domestic workers (@caceh_nacional); and Colectiva Argamasa (Speaker): A women's collective seeking to coordinate the presence of women in spaces through cross-cutting architectural interventions (@colectiva_argamasa). Panel: Representation and Decision-Making
WATCH THE RECORDING OF THE TALK HERE
The panel featured Vulvísima, Avelina Fonseca (Moderator): Feminist activist, B.A. in Political Science from UNAM, specializing in emancipatory feminist economics and the social organization of care. Creator of Vulvísima (@vulvisima); Ashby Solano (Speaker): Creative Direction. Digital Fabrication Jedi. Multidimensional creative being (@ashbysolano); GirlUp (Speaker): Passionate advocates for gender equality, sexual and reproductive rights, climate action, mental health, and other social injustice issues (@girlupmx); Marbella Figueroa (Speaker): Co-creator and collaborator of Afrochingonas, a self-managed project addressing and problematizing Afro-descent and racism in Mexico (@marbellabrilhinho); and Astra Lem (Speaker): Graphic designer and trans activism (@astra.lem). DAY 2
Panel: Activism for Transformation
WATCH THE RECORDING OF THE TALK HERE
The panel featured Dora Bartiloti (Moderator): Multimedia artist. She explores the material qualities of textiles and electronics as tactical mediums for feminist activism and collective action (@dorabartilotti); Zines por Morras (Speaker): The project aims to share experiences of harassment against lesbian and bisexual women in Mexico City (@zinespormorras); Alina Kiliwa (Speaker): "As a lettering artist, I seek to reclaim the sign-painting tradition and revalue the practice through participatory processes" (@alinakiliwa); Mi calle Nuestra Calle (Speaker): Urban laboratory of participatory futures [futures + feminist urbanism + community art] (@micalle_nuestracalle); and MOFA (Speaker): Feminist collective of young women from the urbanism, landscape, architecture, and industrial design programs at the Faculty of Architecture, UNAM (@mujeres_organizadas_fa). Panel: Design of Care
WATCH THE RECORDING OF THE TALK HERE
The panel featured Sofía Probert (Moderator): Illustrator. Through her work, she invites political and philosophical questioning around socio-environmental issues (@sofia.probert); Jovenas Comuneras de Milpa Alta. Daniela Moreno (Speaker): "We are a space for meeting and constructing action-participation to defend and care for our territories, land, and our existence within them" (@jovenascomuneras); Eli Caballero (Speaker): Environmental care and support for ADHD (@hazcompitas); Madres desobedientes (Speaker): Mothers parenting and transforming the world. Disseminating women's artistic projects and supporting feminist parenting (@madresdesobedientes); and Mariana Robles (Speaker): Gynecologist with a feminist perspective. Non-conscientious objector. Health at Every Size. Mom of two (@dra.mariana.robles). For more information, visit Diseña Mexicana.

On October 13, Design House opened in Mexico City. As it does every year, the event showcases a series of installations integrating disciplines such as design, architecture, and interior design. Over the course of ten years, across various properties, it has presented cutting-edge proposals from more than one hundred participating firms in collaboration with the showrooms of the Ruta del Diseño (Design Route), which provide the pieces and accessories that bring the diverse spaces to life.

As part of an initiative to recognize the architecture of northern Mexico, the exhibition “Levantamiento. Prácticas de arquitectura del Norte” is on display at the Nave Generadores in the Centro de las Artes (Fundidora Park) in Monterrey, Nuevo León, through November 13, 2022. The venue brings together the work of some of the region's most prominent architects. Curated by Brenda Fernández and Edgar Castro, the project is an invitation to establish a shared platform to disseminate, discuss, and foster new creative discourses in Mexico.

On October 19, 21, and 22, Mexico City will host the first design festival created by Coolhuntermx, conceived by and for projects led by cisgender women, transgender people, and dissident communities. Curated by designers Andrea Soler and Taina Campos, the event offers an inclusive, diverse, and collective space. Following an inaugural edition marked by significant shared learning and insights, the festival maintains its core objective: to serve as an integrative platform for design proposals and creative expressions that seek to foster dialogues alternative to those typically seen during design month.

Climate is one of the key factors to take into consideration when designing a space. Of course, this can present a challenge, especially when dealing with extreme climates and the need for insulating materials that are able to adapt to a wide range of conditions. Luckily, for architects operating in Mexico, the country's privileged climate facilitates the creation of microclimates and spaces that blur the line between interior and exterior.   

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As part of the World Habitat Day celebrations, the platform SPACE10 has launched "Urbanismo Comunitario," a 20-minute documentary on informal settlements in Medellín, Colombia. Amid rapid urbanization and forced displacement, the number of people living in informal settlements is growing. The UN estimates that by 2030, three billion people will be living in these territories. The documentary examines new alternatives for housing construction in informal settlements, based on community collaboration, material innovation, and the co-development of solutions in partnership with communities.

LIGA, Espacio para arquitectura is a non-profit institution dedicated to promoting emerging Latin American architecture through a public program of exhibitions, lectures, and publications. On September 23, 2022, the institution celebrated 10 years of work at its headquarters on Calle Doctor Erazo 176, in Colonia Doctores, Mexico City. The anniversary also honored the work of three prominent women whose contributions have been crucial to Latin American architecture: Tatiana Bilbao (Mexico), Marta Moreira (Brazil), and Florencia Román (Argentina).

Over the years, interior design has evolved according to the needs that arise, but above all, according to the experiences it seeks to evoke in the user. In the last two years, we have witnessed a radical change and a particular interest in this subject because the pandemic forced us to pay specific attention to the configuration of the places we inhabit. This brought about much more holistic designs that seek to address the user's wellbeing, combining colors, sensory experiences, technology, and natural elements that promote health.

As part of a free event organized by ArchDaily in partnership with Obra Blanca Expo on October 12 at 10:30 AM, Carlos Manuel González Baute will present in Mexico City to discuss the work of his firm, Albor Arquitectos, where he is currently a partner alongside Alain Rodríguez Sosa, Camilo José Cabrera Pérez, and Merlyn González García. Their work is based in Cienfuegos, a city on the southern coast of Cuba known for its colonial-era buildings.

Today, October 7, 2022, news of the passing of Mexican architect Fernando González Gortázar was announced on social media. Born in Mexico City, he spent most of his life in Guadalajara, where he earned his degree in 1966 and developed a keen interest in sculpture through workshops with master Olivier Seguin.

For the eighth time, the MEXTRÓPOLI Architecture and City Festival held the Arquine No. 24 | MEXTRÓPOLI 2022 Pavilion competition, a platform where architecture, urban planning, and art meet to contemplate and celebrate Mexico City. The event also aims to engage citizens by occupying public space with architectural installations that can be activated by visitors. Celebrating public spaces or offering a fresh perspective on everyday routes is the driving force behind MEXTRÓPOLI’s exhibition of these ephemeral architectural installations.

Initiated by Patio Efímero—a collective of young creatives—the open call for the "Patio 3 Competition: Encounter of Ephemeral Interventions" was launched in early 2022. Organized in collaboration with the National System of Art Creators of the Federal Ministry of Culture, the Puebla State Ministry of Culture, Museos Puebla, the Municipal Institute of Art and Culture of Puebla, the Municipal Ministry of Economy and Tourism of Puebla, and the Historic Center and Cultural Heritage Management Office of the Municipality of Puebla, the call invited established and emerging graphic, visual, and multidisciplinary artists, as well as architects, to participate in the third edition of Patio Efímero.

The Federation of Colleges of Architects of the Republic of Mexico, A.C., invited all Mexican architects to participate in the XVII National and International Biennial of Mexican Architecture 2022. This event sought to identify the country's best architectural works, as well as publications, research, and theses, recognizing their authors and promoting the most outstanding projects to foster, through analysis and critique, a reflection on responsible contemporary architecture and sustainable solutions. In this biennial, a single Gold Medal was awarded, and the projects were classified into 23 categories, featuring various Honorable Mentions and Silver Medals. Read on to discover the winners.

María Luisa Dehesa Gómez Farías (1912–2009) was a Mexican architect from Xalapa, Veracruz, who became the first woman in Mexico to earn a degree in architecture. Her professional training began in 1933 when she entered the Royal Academy of San Carlos. This required her to relocate to Mexico City—renting a rooftop room in Coyoacán from which she commuted by streetcar—to join a class of 113 students, only five of whom were women.

Each year, TIME publishes TIME100 Next, a list, inspired by its flagship TIME100, seeking to recognize 100 people from all industries around the world whose careers are on the rise. As a result, the 2022 TIME100 Next list features high-profile musicians and medical professionals, government officials, movement leaders and whistleblowers along with top CEOs, all selected by TIME journalists. However, in this year's list it is possible to recognize the only professional that represents the guild: the Mexican architect Frida Escobedo.

Videos

As part of his recent releases over the past few months, the globally renowned reggaeton artist Bad Bunny debuted his new music video for the song "El Apagón," a track from his latest album "Un verano sin ti." Although the song was already streaming across various platforms, few anticipated that the video's release would serve as a powerful political stance on the current situation in Puerto Rico.

As part of a Tec de Monterrey initiative, this year the First Prize of the 213th Traditional Tec Draw is being held with a work by the Chilean architect who won the 2016 Pritzker Prize, Alejandro Aravena. Elemental House, is the second of the Houses of the 75th Anniversary of Sorteos Tec, which is celebrated this year.

The Mexican firm Faci Leboreiro, led by Carlos Faci and Marina Leboreiro, has been recognized at the Grands Prix du Design in Quebec, Canada, for the interior design of their project Estudio Basalto, receiving the Gold Certification in the Office category. The fifteenth edition of the competition—which celebrates international excellence and exemplary practice among architects and designers—was held at the Théâtre Le Capitole before a jury of prominent professionals and academics.