On January 23, 2019, during the opening of the exhibition showcasing the 20 selected projects out of 127 entries from 16 Brazilian states and the Federal District, the three winners of the 1st Instituto Tomie Ohtake Leroy Merlin Design Award and one honorable mention were announced.

Bioconstruction refers to a building process utilizing materials and techniques with low environmental impact, alongside adapting architecture to local conditions and managing waste during the building's lifecycle. Consequently, building according to these principles does not necessarily mean using so-called sustainable materials—which often must be transported over long distances or undergo prefabrication before use—but rather utilizing local materials, techniques, and labor, drawing on vernacular strategies that address these very factors.

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Walking is the simplest, most lightweight, economical, and low-impact way to travel in urban areas, especially for trips under two kilometers. More people walking means a better quality of life for residents and their cities, resulting in reduced government spending on public health. These concepts are universally accepted by urban planners and other contemporary thinkers.

With hundreds of projects published every month, it is easy to imagine that some of this archive remains buried deep in our database, out of our readers' sight. Knowing this, we regularly publish articles that serve as lists, compilations, or curated selections from the vast collection of works on our platform, focusing on specific design features. Within this context, one of our most popular series is Brazilian Houses, which brings together residential projects built in Brazil, grouped by various architectural aspects.

This biweekly episode discusses the SESCTV series "A cidade no Brasil" [The City in Brazil], inspired by the publication of the same name by anthropologist, historian, poet, and essayist Antônio Risério. The series is directed by sociologist and filmmaker Isa Grinspum Ferraz, who joins us as one of our guests. Her previous work includes the documentary series "O povo brasileiro" [The Brazilian People], based on the work of Darcy Ribeiro, and the 2012 documentary "Marighella." Rounding out our guest panel, architect and urbanist Álvaro Gianninni shares his perspective as an enthusiastic viewer of the channel's programming.

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Following the massive success of the last edition, which recorded 32,000 visits, the dates for the 5th Open House Porto (OHP) have been set. On June 29 and 30, a wide range of spaces in Matosinhos, Porto, and Vila Nova de Gaia will open their doors for free, showcasing the excellence of the architectural heritage of the three cities. This itinerary features 70 spaces, 60 percent of which are new additions opening to the public for the first time. Since its first edition in 2015, OHP has welcomed nearly 100,000 visits.

Imagine a setting worthy of Mad Max, but filled with high-tech art installations. This is what the landscape of Burning Man looks like, the American art and counterculture festival that every year builds—and immediately afterward destroys—an entire city in the middle of the Nevada desert to host the event. Now, however, Brazil is joining the lineup, hosting its own annual edition of the festival: Tropical Burn.

The latest Global Status Report on Road Safety from the World Health Organization (WHO) showed that over the last 15 years, the traffic mortality rate has remained stable relative to the world's population. While the fact that these numbers have not increased might sound positive, it is important to remember that this still represents the death of 1.35 million people annually, alongside 50 million injuries.

The Instituto Tomie Ohtake Leroy Merlin Design Award has opened registrations for its second edition, launching with a debate on Contemporary Design. The event features Marta Porto, journalist and specialist in communication, art, and culture policies, as well as an exhibition and art project curator; Ricardo Abramovay, professor in the Department of Economics at FEA and author of "Muito Além da Economia Verde"; and Raquel Rolnik, architect, urbanist, and former National Secretary of Urban Programs at the Ministry of Cities. The discussion will be moderated by Priscyla Gomes, curator at the Instituto Tomie Ohtake.

In recent years, we have witnessed a steady increase in the number of registered architects and urban planners across professional regulatory bodies. Within this significant pool, young architects and urban planners—meaning professionals up to 40 years old—represent a substantial share and hold a strong presence in the market. Against this backdrop, we have followed the creation of awards dedicated specifically to this demographic, and, most notably, their active participation in biennials and triennials—events aimed at driving discussions on the future of architecture.

On March 1, 2019, MAM’19 - Maia Architecture Month - Fast Forward will open, curated by Portuguese architect Andreia Garcia. The event aims to envision the territory 100 years from now and will feature eight emerging architecture practices and four architecture critics. As part of a partnership between ArchDaily and MAM'19, we will publish a series of articles by guest critics in the coming days. See below for Andreia Garcia's introduction to the event.

After graduating in 1960, Ruy Ohtake has practiced architecture for over five decades, having worked alongside other major names in Brazilian architecture, such as Vilanova Artigas and Paulo Mendes da Rocha. Until the mid-1980s, his work was characterized by projects closely aligned with what was being produced in São Paulo at the time—a highly Brutalist architecture, defined by a limited material palette and a well-defined vocabulary.

The New Urban Agenda, a document adopted in October 2016 at the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development - Habitat III, was recently launched in Portuguese by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) office in Brazil.

Since 2017, the extraction and sale of asbestos has been banned in Brazil by the Supreme Federal Court (STF). However, this ruling did not prevent the state of Goiás from authorizing the extraction of chrysotile asbestos last Tuesday (16). The law stipulates that the extracted material must be used exclusively for export.

Throughout the entire construction process—from the conception of the architectural design to its physical realization—the job site is perhaps where most issues arise. Varying widely in nature, construction setbacks become less frequent the more time is dedicated to the design and planning stages; in other words, the more time invested off-site, the lower the likelihood of major disruptions during construction. 

The City of São Paulo has begun the first phase of interventions to revitalize Largo do Arouche, a busy area in the city's central district. The project includes paving and leveling the square's promenade and installing new street furniture, including benches, bike racks, drinking fountains, bollards, and guardrails.

Over the course of a building's history, it may take on functions other than those for which it was originally designed. This is the case, for example, with houses that have become museums—either because they became architectural icons or because they eventually lost their original purpose and underwent renovation to host an exhibition space.

Salvador is a city defined by a geological fault that divides it into two parts: the upper city (Cidade Alta) and the lower city (Cidade Baixa). Since the beginning of its colonization, this elevation change of approximately 80 meters has shaped distinct land-use patterns across the territory, which have evolved alongside the city's growth and expansion. The local landscape, however, is not only defined by this geological fault but also serves as an expression of different layers of history. Brazil's first capital, which celebrated its 470th anniversary this year, has historically embraced diverse architectural styles and movements, including Neocolonial, Baroque, Neoclassical, Eclectic, Modern, and Contemporary.

From revitalizing degraded green spaces to hosting collaborative games, events, and workshops, there are numerous volunteer initiatives capable of transforming a city's landscape and the lives of its residents.

In addition to serving as vital forms of social participation, community collectives and volunteer-driven initiatives facilitate dialogue between public authorities and local communities. This collaboration yields numerous benefits, particularly in reshaping how we interact with our cities.

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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.

The firm Bloco B arquitetura, led by architects Camilla Ghisleni, Gabriela Favero, and Júlia De Fáveri, in partnership with Laura Rotter's landscape architecture firm Giz de Terra, has won the national competition organized by the municipality of Veranópolis (Rio Grande do Sul) for the urban redevelopment of a stretch of Júlio de Castilhos Street. The objective of the competition was to select "the most appropriate proposal addressing the necessary infrastructure and the improvement of the urban space." Discover the winning proposal below.

AtelierVivo is a design-build collective resulting from a partnership between O Norte – Oficina de Criação and architects Michael Philips and Natan Nigro. Since 2014, the collective has developed various educational initiatives through urban interventions and courses taught by experienced professionals in architecture, design, fine arts, and construction. Our most recent challenge was the creation, documentation, and physical realization of an architectural prototype named Cubito©.

Architects, urbanists, and students in the field have much to learn from the construction models of the first inhabitants of the Brazilian territory, who have long built shelters adapted to their local contexts. Establishing a common set of characteristics for indigenous architectural solutions proves to be a highly superficial approach, as the shapes and dimensions of indigenous ocas or malocas vary depending on the community and the number of people living there. However, by studying the diverse examples of indigenous architecture, it is possible to rethink the notion of “advanced technology” and assimilate sustainable solutions adapted to environmental conditions.

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For its 31st competition, organized in partnership with the Associação Parque Minhocão, the Projetar.org portal invited students and young professionals to envision what the Minhocão Park could be. In total, 310 students participated, representing 74 cities, 13 states, and 51 universities.