We all know that architecture is a complex field requiring input from multiple disciplines to come to fruition. While design lies at the heart of every project, without technical expertise, many would never have become the structures we know today.

The 2021 National Competition for Undergraduate Projects (CNPP) and National Competition for Thesis Projects (CNPT) by Arquitectura Caliente are open competitions that seek to recognize and reward the best student projects in Chile. In this latest edition, a total of 371 registered projects were submitted, representing 29 schools across the country and 10 different cities.

Measures that reduce the vulnerability of natural and human systems to the impacts of climate change are essential for sustainable development. In cities, the increase in climate risks driven by urbanization demands planning and investment from local governments to expand climate adaptation. This challenge transcends the geographical boundaries of urban areas and is directly linked to global prosperity—after all, cities are home to 55% of the world's population and 80% of global GDP.

This week, we feature two firms currently hiring: a London-founded international practice and a studio led by a female architect with a global educational background. Both are active across diverse architectural sectors, each bringing a unique design ethos and seeking talented professionals to join their teams.

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With a century of history, the Confitería del Molino, designed by architect Francisco Gianotti—who was born in Italy in 1881 and arrived in Argentina in 1909—is one of the heritage landmarks of Argentine architecture. After remaining closed for more than 20 years, in July 2018, the National Congress took possession of the property and began restoration efforts. In Argentina in particular, where neglect or disinterest has led to the loss of a vast number of heritage works, projects of this nature invite us to reflect on the role of architecture in building a city's collective memory.

The Danta Awards are held alongside the Guatemala Architecture Biennial 2021 to recognize the hard work and innovation of Guatemalan and Central American architecture professionals and students. Over 100 projects have competed in previous editions, highlighting numerous architecture firms such as Shoarq, Piegatto, and Paredes Aleman Arquitectos.

The winners of the National Competition for the Master Plan of Ideas and Preliminary Project for the Tenth Section Los Cerros District in Mendoza have been announced. Organized by the Mendoza College of Architects (CAMZA) and sponsored by the Argentine Federation of Architecture Organizations (FADEA), the competition aimed to gather proposals for a Master Plan of Ideas and Preliminary Project to develop a privately owned, publicly accessible urban development.

Planting trees is one of the simplest and most effective ways to combat climate change, and many companies use tree planting to offset carbon emissions. However, when taking this approach, it is essential to ensure that the trees planted will effectively store sufficient amounts of carbon.

Planting location is a key factor. Trees must be planted where they can live for decades and properly absorb carbon from the air.

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As part of the 3rd Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism 2021, directed and curated by architect Dominique Perrault, Mexican firm Manuel Cervantes Estudio was invited to participate in an exhibition held at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), designed by Zaha Hadid.

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Archivo de Ideas Recibidas is an interdisciplinary research and dissemination project that aims to record and connect the ideas of individuals who contribute to the contemporary creative ecosystem through art, design, and architecture. It is built on conversations between the team and various creators, exploring themes related to memory, academia, cultural context, their primary influences, and working methodologies.

One of the greatest challenges of urban planning lies in managing city growth. Year after year, major cities see their populations increase, and it is estimated that by 2050, 70% of the world's population will live in urban areas. But how can we build sustainable, healthy, and equitable cities that foster urban diversity?

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To mark ten years of work, Manuel Cervantes Estudio presents its latest monograph, published by TC Cuadernos, alongside an exhibition in Guadalajara, Jalisco. The showcase features a series of sketches created by Mexican architect Manuel Cervantes between 2008 and 2021.

The private architectural design competition for the technical laboratories of the Bogotá Water and Sewerage Company (EAAB-ESP) was held to carry out the architectural design, the architectural and technical coordination of the studies, and the engineering designs for the laboratories. Located in Bogotá, the competition was organized by the company itself with the advisory support of the Colombian Society of Architects (SCA).

The evaluation criteria considered aspects such as integration with the urban context, public-private integration, accessibility, functionality, and spatiality of the architectural components, and the implementation of bioclimatic and sustainability criteria, including solar exposure, ventilation, and noise and/or humidity control. Out of the 17 proposals submitted, three prizes and two honorable mentions were awarded. Below, we present the winning projects.

The impact of the pandemic on urban centers has laid bare the issues we seemed to have been avoiding in recent years. Today, the historic downtown of Buenos Aires is one of the city's most affected areas. Desolate streets, absolute silence, and endless shuttered storefronts reflect the crisis currently facing the city's downtown.

"Domingos Libro" is hosted by Carmelo of Enorme Studio. Every two weeks, the series takes a deep dive into forgotten architectural publications—books and magazines from the '60s, '70s, and '80s with the most fascinating stories behind them.

In this tenth episode, titled "Demolition Man," Carmelo reviews the catalog of the 1993 exhibition on the work of architect Shin Takamatsu at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Published by Rizzoli, the catalog highlights how three of the four buildings around which the exhibition was structured have already disappeared just thirty years later. In fact, 25% of the buildings by this genius of technomorphic architecture have been demolished, making Takamatsu the Demolition Man of architecture.

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As part of an initiative by the UHPH Platform, co-organized with Habitat for Humanity, the 2021 call for entries was launched for the "Inspiring Practices" competition, held within the framework of the 4th Latin American and Caribbean Housing and Habitat Forum: "Action for Housing and Settlements Facing COVID-19." This initiative seeks to improve urban spaces and equip them with infrastructure that promotes community development.

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design, architects Rafael-Beneytez-Duran and Peter Jay Zweig have designed a dynamic, inflated structure titled AIRSCAPES #1.

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To create, express architectural language, and be universally understood, scale models translate design ideas and projects into proportions that are more accessible and easier to comprehend.

This article focuses on scale models as acts of material thought, highlighting the practice of the model-making laboratory of Miguel Forero Barbosa. Explore their work below.

The 8th edition of the Arquiteturas Film Festival explored the theme Bodies Out of Space through an exploration of the social construction of space, connected by a thread running through its own narratives of domination. These are also narratives of identity, which is often stripped away or forced to represent our bodies.

The results of the International Competition for the Design of the Las Salinas Urban Park (PULS) in Viña del Mar, Chile, have been announced. Organized by the Association of Architects' Offices of Chile (AOA) and the real estate developer Las Salinas, the call invited architecture firms from all over the world to design a multifunctional green area capable of integrating the territory and becoming a social, cultural, sports, and educational meeting space accessible to everyone.

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The Guatemala Architecture Biennale 2021 begins today, serving as a platform that will bring together the region's most prominent professionals from November 16 to 18 at the Miguel Ángel Asturias Cultural Center through symposiums, lectures, and exhibitions.

Mexican architect Fernanda Canales presents her new book "Shared Structures – Private Spaces: Housing in Mexico," which explores the relationship between rooms, people, and cities. Centered on the modern culture of dwelling in Mexico, the research is developed in two parts: a series of texts addressing housing, and an analysis of 70 collective housing projects built over the last hundred years, interwoven with a compendium of quotes from architects involved in the field during this same period, such as Luis Barragán, Juan O’Gorman, Mario Pani, Alberto Kalach, Frida Escobedo, and Mauricio Rocha.

The architectural competition for the San Juan de Dios Hospital Complex in Bogotá was organized by the Urban Renovation and Development Agency (ERU) with advisory support from the Colombian Society of Architects. The goal was to reconnect and integrate the complex with its surrounding neighborhoods and the city center. This involves upgrading both the interior green areas and the peripheral public space, designing the plazas, pedestrian pathways, and interior gardens, as well as proposing options for pedestrian corridors and internal enclosures. In turn, the intervention will integrate the southern edge of the complex with the Policarpa and Sevilla neighborhoods, the north with the San Bernardo neighborhood, and the east with Las Cruces.

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Ciudad Juárez is an industrial city located on the northern border with the United States, directly across from El Paso, Texas. Over the years, Juárez's economy has been dominated by the ‘maquiladora’ industry, and it was once considered one of the most violent cities in the world due to a wave of crime that took hold from 2008 to 2012. In 2020, the National Workers' Housing Fund Institute (Infonavit) reported that there are 17,871 abandoned homes in Ciudad Juárez, leading the country's municipal rankings and contributing to a total of 650,000 abandoned houses nationwide.