To mark one of Mexico's most important celebrations, architect Miguel de la Torre designs an annual installation for November 1 and 2. The celebration features cempasúchil (Mexican marigold) flowers, a plant native to Mexico that blooms in autumn. According to traditions dating back to pre-Hispanic times, the yellow and orange petals are used to guide the deceased during their visit, as they are believed to hold the light and warmth of the sun.

As part of the annual collaborative efforts of the Design Week team in Mexico City, the "Inédito" exhibition opened on October 14 at the Espacio CDMX Arquitectura y Diseño gallery. This showcase is part of the seventh consecutive edition of this open call, which aims to support, disseminate, and promote utilitarian design projects across several categories: social impact, environmental impact, innovation, function, aesthetics, concept, user experience, materials, and processes. Rather than being competitive, the exhibition—divided into professional, university, and limited-edition categories—opens up new opportunities in both national and international markets for exceptional design with commercial and production viability.

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.

Videos

As part of their latest release, architect and visual artist Erik López (IMGN) and electronic music producer and composer Edgar Mondragón have unveiled their new piece "Santuario," which is described as "a remote experience that connects with the existence of a physical space that cannot be visited." This audiovisual piece consists of a 3D model of the Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (MUAC), designed by Mexican architect Teodoro González de León for the Centro Cultural Universitario.

On November 10, Diez Company launched the fourth edition of Maison Diez Company to Mexican and international audiences. This space, dedicated to lighting design, brings together designers, creatives, architects, interior designers, business partners, lighting experts, and representatives of international brands to celebrate light.

Today, November 10, the National Academy of Architecture, through a statement issued by Arch. José F. Reygadas Valdéz (President) and Arch. Antonio Gallardo E. (Secretary General), announced the passing of Mexican architect Agustín Hernández Navarro, an Emeritus Academic of the institution.

Following the open call for the Eco Pavilion 2023, 172 entries were received from 16 Mexican states and three countries. After reviewing all first-phase portfolios, the Technical Committee announced the selection of seven teams to develop a specific project based on the guidelines of the curatorial proposal “ZERO TIME. A reflection on time, the Anthropocene, and tangential resistance,” curated by architect Gabriela Carrillo.

As part of the celebrations marking the fifth anniversary of the opening of Foro Boca, on December 2, Mexican architect Michel Rojkind was invited to give a lecture at the venue located in Boca del Río, Veracruz (Mexico). Titled "The Continuous Construction of a Public Space," the talk aimed to share with the local community the ideas and strategies that have shaped his work for over two decades.

On Thursday, January 12, 2023, Italian architect Vittorio Garatti passed away in Milan, Italy, at the age of 96. His work was highly influential in Cuba, where he designed significant buildings such as the National Art Schools of Cuba with Ricardo Porro and Roberto Gottardi.

Marta Elena Campos Newman is one of the first female architects to graduate from the school of architecture at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City. From early in her career, she specialized in interior architecture, building a professional legacy that continues to bear fruit today. Furthermore, throughout her career she has collaborated with Mexico's most prominent architecture firms of the second half of the 20th century, while her work as a professor at UNAM's Faculty of Architecture has allowed her to shape entire generations of architecture professionals.

On Wednesday, January 18, 2023, at 7:00 PM, the exhibition "Sara Topelson: Architecture and Life in Diversity" opened at the María Luisa Dehesa Gómez Farías Gallery of the Faculty of Architecture of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). The event marked the culmination of the 2022 Federico E. Mariscal Extraordinary Chair, which celebrates the outstanding career of architect Sara Topelson.

As part of the exhibition program of the Museo Experimental El Eco, the call for entries for the Eco Pavilion 2023 was launched, inviting professionals involved in architectural practice in Mexico to engage in dialogue with the museum's space. This edition marks the 13th anniversary of the Eco Pavilion, a competition initiated in partnership with Buró-Buró with the mission of offering a platform for architectural production with an emphasis on experimentation and spatial reflection.

Trained in the United States (Princeton and Cornell), young Mexican architect Isidoro Michan-Guindi established his studio in Mexico City just four years ago, in 2019. While Michan-Guindi is relatively unknown within the Mexican architectural scene, his studio is a complex laboratory home to a multitude of projects materialized through cardboard prototypes, pigmented concrete models, electro-robotic pieces, and aluminum molds; these all transform into intelligent architectural proposals ranging from everyday objects, such as doorknobs, to residential towers.

The artistic practice of Bosco Sodi has opened a new space in Mexico City that houses Sodi's new studio while serving as an extension of the Fundación Casa Wabi. This venue, named Sabino 336, was first unveiled during Art Week 2023, coinciding with Sodi's exhibition "Alabanzas" at the Galería Hilario Galguera. Curated by Dakin Hart, the exhibition showcased works from the artist's personal collection.

As part of a research project by the Gensler Research Institute, the first Gensler Mexico Workplace Survey was conducted in late 2022. The study aimed to highlight the fundamental role the office plays in facilitating face-to-face meetings with colleagues and clients. The findings presented below reveal key shortcomings in current office workspaces. Furthermore, they foster a better understanding of the characteristics that make workplaces efficient, functional, and engaging, offering insights to rethink user experience design. Ultimately, this presents a clear opportunity to enhance both individual and collaborative work.

Through a press release, Mexican firm Sordo Madaleno Arquitectos has announced that architect Javier Sordo Madaleno Bringas has been named an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC). He is one of four selected professionals, alongside David Hughes, Tokunbo Ómisorè, and Sumayya Vally, who have significantly influenced the practice of architecture worldwide, exemplifying the tremendous impact that architects have not only on the built environment but also on public life and the world around them.

As the result of a seminar-workshop organized by COMUNAL—where participants engaged in critical readings and reflections starting from texts on habitat and autonomy, the Social Production and Management of Habitat, Participatory Design, and critical pedagogy—a collective fanzine has been launched and can be downloaded for free at this link. The document emerges as a proposal to imagine and build new narratives for producing and sharing knowledge.

As part of the exhibition program of the Museo Experimental El Eco, the call for entries for the 2023 Eco Pavilion was launched, inviting professionals involved in architectural practice in Mexico to dialogue with the museum's space. This edition marks 13 years of the Eco Pavilion, a competition launched in partnership with Buró-Buró with the mission of offering a platform for architectural production focusing on experimentation and spatial reflection. The winning project belongs to the team composed of OCIO taller + Bianchi Majer + Nicolás Guzmán + Angélica M. Pena + Andrés Lira.