As global urbanization accelerates, the demand for forward-thinking urban development and construction strategies is more pressing than ever, with an estimated 80% of the world's population expected to live in cities by 2080—particularly in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. From 26 to 29 November, Big 5 Global, together with co-located events LiveableCitiesX, GeoWorld and Future FM, will host five strategic summits, bringing together 1,500 leaders from both government and the private sector to shape the future of urban communities.
The Félix Candela Award is an international architectural ideas competition conducted in Spanish, held in two phases. It is organized annually by the Spanish Institute of Architecture (IESARQ) and is open to students of architecture, landscape architecture, urbanism, and design, as well as young architects, landscape architects, urbanists, and designers, participating either individually or in teams of two or three.
César Oiticica_Untitled, 2016_Photo by César Oiticica Filho
As the only living artist from the Grupo Frente—a significant artistic movement established exactly 70 years ago in Rio de Janeiro and considered a landmark of the constructive movement in Brazil—César Oiticica will open the exhibition "Frente a Frente" at the Paço Imperial on November 13, 2024. Curated by Paulo Venancio Filho, the exhibition will present 20 works that are either previously unseen or have long been absent from public view. A large portion of these were created during the period when the artist was a member of the Grupo Frente, founded by Ivan Serpa (1923–1973) in 1954, which included prominent figures such as Abraham Palatnik (1928–2020), Aluísio Carvão (1920–2001), Hélio Oiticica (1937–1980), Lygia Clark (1920–1988), Lygia Pape (1927–2004), Franz Weissmann (1911–2005), and Rubem Ludolf (1932–2010), among others. The exhibition will also include recent works, providing the public with a comprehensive overview of the artist's trajectory.
Highlighted submissions. Image Courtesy of Buildner
Buildner is pleased to announce the results of its second annual Architect's Chair Competition, which received excellent ideas from around the globe. As this competition series gains traction and interest, Buildner is excited to announce the launch of the Architect's Chair Edition 3 competition with a registration deadline of January 15, 2025. Buildner has also published its first book on the topic, highlighting key ideas and outstanding projects past editions.
By now, most people in the construction industry know that addressing the carbon emissions that come from the built environment is key to solving the climate challenge. Yet, knowing where to start can be a challenge for many professionals. That's why education and upskilling across the value chain—from architects to urban planners, and real estate developers to engineers—are essential to fostering sustainable construction practices.
With a longstanding dedication to empowering designers and beautifully bringing their ideas to life, SketchUp software offers an intuitive, comprehensive 3D modeling toolset straight out of the box. Still, users can supercharge its capabilities with a range of powerful extensions.
SketchUp's Extension Warehouse features hundreds of plugins for everything from animation and urban planning to interior design and architecture. These tools eliminate repetitive tasks, improve accuracy, and streamline workflows, allowing designers to customize and enhance their SketchUp experience. But with so many extensions to choose from, diving in can feel daunting. Get started with this list of the top 11 SketchUp extensions to extend and customize your workflows.
Fresh/Salt: Design Thinking for Coastal Adaptation
Jeffrey Huber: Jeffrey Huber, FAIA, ASLA, NCARB, LEED AP, WEDG is a principal and manages the South Florida studio of Brooks + Scarpa. In addition to practice, Huber currently serves as a Professor of the School of Architecture at Florida Atlantic University. He holds master's degrees and licenses in both architecture and landscape architecture. A distinguished architect and landscape architect, Huber's work specializes in public realm projects that combine ecological, landscape, urban, and architectural design. He has advanced sustainability initiatives in soft cities, agricultural urbanism, green school design, missing-middle housing, transit-oriented development, low-impact development/green infrastructure, and adaptation/transformation design methodologies to address emerging and future climate disruptions.
Buildner has announced the results of the Kharkiv Housing Challenge, the first competition in a two-part series focused on rebuilding Ukraine. Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, has been deeply affected by the ongoing conflict, and this competition is part of a broader effort to rebuild its housing and public spaces.
Concéntrico, in its effort to initiate new formats that respond to urban transformations, presents a call for entries in collaboration with the Logroño City Council and LIF 2002 (Logroño Railway Integration), as part of the city's strategic plan to address heatwaves. The objective of this call is to create a permanent urban climate island, to be located in the vicinity of the Felipe VI Park lake on the unpaved area that forms a hexagonal plaza.
Ruins of the first school in Americana (SP), 2024.
The video art project "Ruínas" (Ruins) examines the significance of urban ruins located in the city of Americana, SP, exploring their symbolic function in times of crisis. As material remnants of political failure, economic speculation, and social decline, these ruins have become essential to many contemporary cultural narratives. The project is funded by the Paulo Gustavo Law through the Ministry of Culture, with support from the Americana City Hall, via the Secretariat of Culture and Tourism.
Over the past two decades, the Holcim Foundation Awards has committed USD 20M to spotlight transformative projects by architects, designers, and engineers who pioneer sustainable design and construction practices. To capture these stories, the Foundation launched a short film series titledWords withWinners.
This series provides an in-depth look at award-winning sustainable design projects through exclusive interviews with their creators. It includes one of the first films to showcase the BIG U, also known as the DryLine, in its built form, featuring an exclusive one-on-one with Bjarke Ingels, Creative Director and Founder of Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG).
Serapool, a leading brand in porcelain pool tiles and complementary porcelain products, has been innovating and producing sustainable design solutions for residential, spa and wellness centers, hotels, water parks, and Olympic-size pools globally for 40 years. The brand's holistic approach to pool design has led to a comprehensive porcelain collection that includes pool tiles, stair nosings, pool copings, porcelain pool grates, infinity tiles, concealed overflow handles, terrace nosings, and rain channels. With years of expertise in the industry, the company stands as a leading example of innovation, consistently delivering safe and long-lasting products.
"Migrantes" opens on November 7 at 7:00 PM at the Instituto Cervantes. Prominent Peruvian graphic artist Issa Watanabe concludes the 2024 exhibition schedule at the institute's Rio de Janeiro headquarters in Botafogo.