The quality of streets and sidewalks is a widely debated topic in Brazil, and the coronavirus pandemic has added another layer of complexity—public health—prompting us to question whether it is actually possible for pedestrians to practice social distancing. This concern led architecture student Conrado Freire to develop a map of sidewalk widths in São Paulo.

Adapted from Meli Harvey's Sidewalk Widths NYC project on New York City sidewalks, Largura do Passeio uses sidewalk data provided by the GeoSampa portal to visually synthesize information about São Paulo's pedestrian pathways that is not typically accessible to the general public. Based on the open-source code released by Harvey—which has also been adapted for cities like Toronto, Washington, Berlin, and Milan—Freire creates a visual mapping of what is often only felt by pedestrians moving through São Paulo's urban space.

Since its founding in 1937, and despite recent controversies surrounding its administration and leadership, the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (Iphan) has built one of Brazil's largest bibliographical, documentary, and iconographic collections. In total, 13 interconnected libraries house over 500,000 books and periodicals, which are also linked to the country's main libraries. A significant portion of this rich material is available online—free of charge—on the Institute's online platform.

The Institute of Architects of Brazil – São Paulo Department has reactivated its educational platform. In line with the 2020-2022 administration's program, particularly regarding the promotion and consolidation of a space for debate on pressing issues in the training of architects and urban planners, the Institute has undergone a complete restructuring that deepens and strengthens the democratizing spirit of past experiences.

The 13th São Paulo International Architecture Biennial has adopted reconstruction as the central theme for its 2022 edition. As a preparatory activity for the co-curatorship competition, IABsp organized three debates that promote a discussion on the very essence of art and architecture exhibitions, while also inviting us to reflect on the role of architects, urban planners, and many other professionals in building more just and democratic cities.

The Instituto Tomie Ohtake and AkzoNobel have announced the 13 projects selected for the seventh edition of the Instituto Tomie Ohtake AkzoNobel Architecture Prize. The finalists include works located in Amazonas, Bahia, Ceará, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina, São Paulo, and King George Island in Antarctica. The selection was made by a jury comprising architects Diego Mauro, Elisabete França, Fernando Túlio, Juliana Braga, and Pedro Varella.

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Confirmed as a keynote speaker for UIA2021RIO, Tatiana Bilbao, one of Mexico's most prominent architects today, shared some of her thoughts on current challenges. Tatiana was interviewed by the co-president of IAB-RJ, Tainá de Paula, on the UIA2021RIO YouTube channel.

Videos

In one of the country's hardest-hit cities by the Covid-19 pandemic – São Paulo – and in the face of the suffocating socio-environmental crisis plaguing our world and our time, how can architects and urban planners take a stand and effectively act against widespread asphyxiation and for the fundamental right to breathe, to exist, and to inhabit the Earth?

As part of our partnership with the 27th World Congress of Architects, we are sharing here an interview with architect Francis Kéré, a speaker confirmed for the UIA2021RIO, conducted by architect Miguel Pinto Guimarães.

The Council of Architecture and Urbanism of Goiás (CAU/GO) has announced the results of the National Design Competition for Social Interest Housing, which aimed to select the best proposal for constructing homes for low-income families as part of the housing projects of the Goiana Housing Agency (AGEHAB).

The 13th São Paulo International Architecture Biennial has established reconstruction as the core theme of its 2022 edition. As a preparatory activity for the co-curatorship competition, the IABsp organized three debates to discuss the very essence of art and architecture exhibitions, while also calling on us to reflect on the role of architects, urban planners, and many other professionals in building fairer and more democratic cities.

Arqguia Colorir is a digital coloring book that invites everyone to visually reinterpret the main architectural landmarks of Rio de Janeiro. Available for free download in both English and Portuguese, the drawings feature QR codes providing direct access to descriptions of each work on the online architecture guide ArqGuia Rio.

In 2003, João Filgueiras Lima, known as Lelé, visited Escola da Cidade for a five-lecture series. The institution is broadcasting the fourth session, in which he discusses the industrialization of reinforced concrete in the urbanization of Salvador's favelas, as well as his partnership with Lina Bo Bardi.

Videos

The Lisbon Architecture Triennale published on Vimeo the series of debates Talk, Talk, Talk held during its 5th edition, which was curated by Éric Lapierre. Divided into five major exhibitions, the Triennale addressed in one of them the issue of economy of means, discussed in the debates below.

Architects and urban planners seeking new sources of income during this period can find job opportunities across various regions in Brazil. For example, the City, Housing, and Health competition, organized by CAU/RJ, will award R$ 10,000 to the two best ATHIS (Technical Assistance for Social Interest Housing) proposals addressing housing and health in the era of Covid-19. Meanwhile, the Healthy House – Healthy City competition, hosted by CAU/RS, challenges participants to propose architectural solutions under different themes and will distribute R$ 100,000 in prizes.

Escola da Cidade is broadcasting, for the first time, the inaugural lecture of the Seminar on Culture and Contemporary Reality, delivered in 2002 by Aziz Ab’saber, one of Brazil's most respected and renowned geographers and scientists.

The IABsp has made records of the discussions and reflections from all past editions of the São Paulo International Architecture Biennial, held since 1973, available on its website, including posters, catalogs, exhibition layouts, and photographs.

The São Paulo International Architecture Biennial is the most significant project organized by the IABsp. Since its inaugural edition in 1973, the event has sought to review, discuss, explore, and expand access to issues surrounding territorial occupation and society.

Postponed to July 2021, the 27th World Congress of Architects will host virtual debates as part of an open, collaborative platform to gather insights and proposals for addressing contemporary urban challenges.

The countdown to the event begins this week with the release of special content on the social media channels of UIA2021RIO. This includes video testimonials and interviews with speakers, collaborators, and partners discussing post-pandemic urban transformations and the role architects and urban planners should play in society.

The IAB has announced the selection of Brazilian works qualified to participate in the 3rd edition of the Oscar Niemeyer Award. Out of 33 submissions that met the open call requirements, 20 were selected by the evaluation committee. The "Oscar Niemeyer" Award for Latin American Architecture (ON Prize) is an initiative of the Latin American Network of Architecture Biennials (REDBAAL), founded in 2012 at the Pan-American Architecture Biennial of Quito.

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