At the end of each year, we launch a call for submissions for graduation thesis projects from our readers in Portuguese-speaking countries. Through this, we aim to select the projects we find most interesting in order to share inspiring perspectives and discussions with our entire audience.

In this edition, we received 333 proposals from all over Brazil and several Portuguese cities. The selection of these projects is based on those we consider best presented, visually compelling, and whose theme we find thought-provoking and timely for a graduation thesis. More than simply delivering a satisfactory design, we believe that a final graduation project—by condensing the student's efforts during a transition period from academia to professional life (while, it is important to note, still being part of the academic journey)—must raise questions and spark discussion about the proposed theme.

It is worth noting that several submissions did not follow the guidelines and were either disqualified or provided insufficient material for evaluation.

Below is our selection* of the 32 best final graduation projects from Portuguese-speaking countries, accompanied by descriptions provided by their authors.

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Energy-efficient projects are becoming increasingly relevant in the fight against climate change, especially considering that the building sector accounts for more than 40% of all electricity consumed in Brazil. While designing with bioclimatic strategies can be a challenge, LabEEE/UFSC, in partnership with the federal government, addressed the question of "how to achieve lower energy consumption and greater indoor comfort for users" by creating a free platform that offers various passive strategies tailored to the characteristics of each Brazilian city.

An Italian architect who adopted Brazil, broke down hierarchies between the arts, and shaped a new language of modernism—merging her own radical vision with references from Brazilian culture—will be the subject of an exhibition this April at MASP. In 2020, the show will travel to Mexico and the US.

The Unidos da Tijuca samba school has announced the theme for its 2020 Carnival parade at Marquês de Sapucaí: "Architecture and Urbanism." The choice was inspired by Rio de Janeiro's designation as the first World Capital of Architecture by UNESCO, as well as the city's selection to host the World Congress of Architects, an event organized by the International Union of Architects (UIA) that is expected to attract around 15,000 professionals and will take place in July next year.

Conceived by Tatiane Gonzalez from Ateliê Digital Analógico, "Incerteza Invisível" is a large-scale technological urban intervention in the form of projection mapping, created by an all-female group.

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"Tijolo por Tijolo" is a web series about Sesc Pompeia, Lina Bo Bardi's masterpiece. Through very short videos, viewers can explore the history of the Pompeia neighborhood and learn more about the factory that operated on the site before Sesc opened. Additionally, the series covers the repurposing and revitalization of the area and interesting details about the project designed by the Italian-Brazilian architect. In total, there are 11 episodes with exclusive content about the "Citadel of Liberty," containing historical facts, quotes from the architect, and rare photos. Watch all the videos from the series below:

The debate over materiality and how it shapes the spaces housing our entire social dimension lies at the core of architectural discourse. Although architects define a concept, a *parti*, and adhere to a program that can even influence urban life, ultimately it is everyday life and each individual's cultural repertoire that dictate how a place is experienced. The understanding that there are multiple layers in society capable of building invisible walls—which dissolve architectural poetics and unfold into other issues crucial to understanding the system in which we are embedded—is one of the reflections proposed by Nova República, a project created by anthropologist Hélio Menezes and the architects of Cape Town-based Wolff Architects for the São Paulo International Architecture Biennial.

Like the rest of ArchDaily, the ArchDaily Brasil team holds an annual call for graduation projects—or final theses—among students from Lusophone countries, namely Portuguese-speaking nations. With this open call, the editorial team seeks to highlight projects that showcase inspiring ideas and spark discussions for our global audience.

+ 26

Elevating a building off the ground using pilotis frees up the ground floor for pedestrian circulation. This solution, identified by Le Corbusier as one of the five points of modern architecture, creates an open area that fosters a stronger connection between the public space of the street and the private space of the building. Today, contemporary projects adopt various strategies to design active ground floors that engage with the city and generously share their plots with the public.

+ 23

The connection between interior and exterior is almost always cited in architectural projects. After all, bringing glimpses of the outdoor space into a building is one of the most widely used devices when thinking about the well-being of its inhabitants. In addition to contact with the surrounding landscape, an important factor of this strategy is allowing natural light into the space, as it can convey a visual message that transforms spatial perception.

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Cars remain one of the primary modes of transportation and a major contributor to the climate crisis, as the vast majority consume fossil fuels and generate emissions—particularly carbon dioxide, which intensifies the greenhouse effect and, consequently, global warming. As such, World Car-Free Day is celebrated internationally on September 22 to encourage people to spend a day without their cars and reflect on car dependency. To offer new perspectives on this issue, we highlight the work of Latvian architect Oto Ozols, who envisions cities designed for people rather than cars through videos that demonstrate how public space can be improved from this perspective. 

+ 26

In 2020, the amount of time we spent inside our own homes increased significantly, and these changes undoubtedly impacted how we experience residential space. Reevaluating the quality of these places became essential, adding an extra layer of complexity to apartment design. Ensuring comfort in every room, expanding the sense of space in small areas, or making the home more versatile are some of the challenges imposed and solved in various ways.

Brazilian architect Carol Bueno, born in 1975 and co-founder of the French-Brazilian firm Triptyque Architecture, passed away early Monday morning after battling brain cancer for the past year.

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+ 2

The Government of São Paulo has announced the start of construction on Pinacoteca Contemporânea, the new building of the Pinacoteca de São Paulo. Combined with the Pinacoteca Luz—a building that earned several awards for Paulo Mendes da Rocha—and Pinacoteca Estação, the Pinacoteca de São Paulo complex will become, in terms of area and visitor capacity, one of the largest art museums in Latin America.

+ 26

The pandemic highlighted the importance of open spaces with good natural ventilation. Despite their controversial name, elevated plazas and hanging gardens offer spatial solutions that improve thermal comfort and provide social spaces for residents—and, in some cases, the general public—alongside spectacular views.

+ 6

Dedicated to creating environments for a wide range of human activities, Armando de Holanda practiced as an architect in Northeast Brazil. Unsettled by the persistence of European building traditions that proved ill-suited to the region, he developed a set of strategies for designing and building with a focus on performance tailored to the tropical environment, prioritizing the presence of nature, light, and climate. 

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The documentary Vilanova Artigas: The Architect and the Light, written by Laura Artigas and co-directed with Pedro Gorski, was produced to mark the architect's centennial and released in 2015. The film won the "Lusophony Award" at the Portuguese film festival Arquiteturas Film Festival Lisboa 2015 and is now available online to watch from home.

+ 52

Housing is a fundamental architectural inquiry. How we interact with the spaces we inhabit daily, and the lifestyles we cultivate within them, are constant subjects of debate in the discipline—discussions aimed at achieving a higher quality of life and discovering new ways of living. Beyond this, other contemporary factors—such as real estate speculation, high density in urban centers, the desire for a nomadic lifestyle, or even simply following current trends—have made the discourse around small-scale living increasingly relevant and urgent. Consequently, we must ask ourselves: what is the absolute minimum space we actually need to live?