This week's podcast tackles a topic that, as the saying goes, offers plenty of food for thought. For architects, representing a project is not only a form of artistic expression but also requires mastering a series of tools that must graphically translate the information needed to bring a building concept to life. In this sense, the history of architectural representation is deeply intertwined with the history of design itself, remaining a constant subject of reflection and evolution in our field. 

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The Proyectar a Conciencia competition aims to energetically modernize existing buildings through non-intrusive passive solutions, such as EIFS continuous exterior insulation technologies. This fourth edition was particularly special, adding the Chilean Chamber of Construction as a co-sponsor, tripling its prizes, and expanding the call for entries to the professional sphere.

Carlos Hevia Riera is a Chilean architect and photographer driven by highlighting the value of daily life in rural and isolated territories. In this context, his latest project, 'Esto también pasará. Taccone città effimera' (This Too Shall Pass: Taccone, Ephemeral City), is the result of his artistic residency in Taccone, in the municipality of Irsina, from August to October 2019. This residency enabled him not only to build a temporary museum made of straw bales but also to uncover a surprising and little-known history.

In the following interview, he shares an in-depth look at his work, from his initial impressions to each of the steps behind this collective construction of memory.

Archivo de Ideas Recibidas is an interdisciplinary research and dissemination project that seeks to document and connect the ideas of individuals contributing to the contemporary creative ecosystem through art, design, and architecture. It is built upon conversations between the team and various creators, exploring topics related to memory, academia, cultural context, key influences, and working methodologies. This time, they share an interview on cinema and architecture with Mauricio Freyre (Estudio Rien).

From September 8 to 10, the sixth edition of the International Architecture Congress, titled "The City We Want," will take place. For the first time, the event can be followed live via the Architecture and Society Foundation's YouTube channel.

The Spanish Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism BEAU 2021 has announced the finalists for its 'Research Exhibition', 'Thesis Projects Exhibition', and 'Photography Exhibition' categories. The winners will be announced on July 2, coinciding with the opening of the event at the Patio Herreriano in Valladolid.

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Querétaro is a state located in the north-central region of Mexico, bordering the states of Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo, the State of Mexico, and Michoacán. Covering an area of 11,684 km², it is the fifth-smallest state in the country. Its capital and largest city is Santiago de Querétaro; other notable localities include Tequisquiapan, Cadereyta, Jalpan de Serra, San Joaquín, and Bernal.

Ad Urbis is a Cuban collective that navigates the unique challenges of integrating contemporary architecture into highly valuable heritage contexts—such as the capital city of Havana—by promoting architectural research, theory, and practice at the intersection of design and education.

We interviewed the group to discuss their reflections, design workflows, the relationship between professional practice and academia, their upcoming projects, and their outlook on the future of Cuban architecture.

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Since its inception, Chapman Taylor has grown from a London-based practice into a multi-award-winning international group operating globally, maintaining a steady pace of progressive growth. While adapting to changing times, the practice has refined its founding principles while upholding traditional standards—a philosophy that has driven continuous business expansion and sustained the firm through several challenging periods.

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In late May 2021, Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, hosted the inaugural edition of MDF Mexico Design Fair, an emerging platform born out of a desire to discuss, exhibit, and celebrate the Mexican design scene. Its primary objective is to promote the acquisition of contemporary Mexican design, strengthening its position by understanding and transcending the goals of the international market.

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Argentine architect Daniel Silberfaden, founder of Estudio Silberfaden, passed away on October 29 at the age of 66, according to local media reports.

Solutions that improve usability while also being sustainable always deserve to be highlighted. Klabin, a Brazilian paper and packaging company, has developed the market's first cement packaging that can be integrated directly into the concrete mixing process. The water-dispersible packaging is made of 100% dispersible paper, meaning it can be incorporated during concrete preparation, streamlining production through direct use in a horizontal shaft concrete mixer. Simply place the closed packaging into the mixer, add sand, gravel, and water, and mix until it disperses and integrates into the final product, preserving the concrete's quality. This new packaging guarantees high performance and easy handling.

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As part of the annual collaborative efforts of the Design Week team in Mexico City, the "Inédito" exhibition opened on October 14 at the Espacio CDMX Arquitectura y Diseño gallery. This showcase is part of the seventh consecutive edition of the open call, which aims to support, promote, and disseminate utilitarian design projects in the categories of social impact, environmental impact, innovation, function, aesthetics, concept, user experience, materials, and processes. Divided into three categories—professional, student, and limited edition—the exhibition, rather than fostering competition, opens up opportunities in both the domestic and international markets for exceptional design with commercial and production viability.

The detection of gravitational waves is one of the most important recent discoveries. It is revolutionizing the way we observe and study the universe. 

El Equipo Mazzanti in association with Lino Cabras, Fabrizio Pusceddu, Eugenio Coccia, Massimo Faiferri, and Michele Punturo, designed an installation that showcases the latest projects on the subject. Titled 'Gravitational Wave Architecture', the exhibition is housed within the Italian Pavilion, curated by Alessandro Melis, at the Venice Biennale 2021.

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The project “Tequiocalco. Campa tlachializtli mozcalializtli in totlamatiliz huan toyuhcatiliz” –located in the state of Tlaxcala, Mexico– which translates to Spanish as the Autonomous Center for Research and Revitalization of Community Knowledge (CAIRSCO), is the “place where our wisdom and culture, ways of being, or what is lived in the community are observed, researched, and revitalized.”

What happens when more than 100 architectural proposals are called upon to support the residents affected by Hurricane Iota on the Caribbean islands of Providencia and Santa Catalina? The Colombian Society of Architects, through its Center for Innovation and Productivity (CIPSCA), selected 8 finalist projects for the housing typology architectural design competition—a comprehensive guide to repairing damage from an architectural design perspective.

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Since 2015, the Taller Vertical Proyectos de Incidencia (Vertical Workshop for Impact Projects) at the Department of Architecture of the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico—coordinated by Juan M. Casillas in collaboration with Daniela Luján and Karen Poulain—has operated as an academic space for reflection and action regarding the role of architects in today's context. This initiative will be part of the projects presented at the Mexican Pavilion during the 17th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale 2021.

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Architecture firm Sordo Madaleno Arquitectos (now SOMA) has unveiled the design for the new Park Hyatt mixed-use development in Mexico City's Polanco district. Comprising a luxury hotel, residences, and offices, the project marks Hyatt Hotels Corporation's first such complex in the country.

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The following article is a contribution from Juan Pablo Aschner, PhD, architect, founding dean, and tenured professor at the new Facultad de Creación at Universidad del Rosario in Colombia, which offers undergraduate degrees in architecture, arts, creation, design, and musical theater. Below, the text explores the contribution of transdisciplinary creativity, accompanied by illustrations created for the school by Antoine Cosse, under the art direction of Tangrama.

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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. 

The popular architecture festival 48h Open House BCN invites us this October 23 and 24 to explore Barcelona through a specific theme: Mediterranean architecture. In the words of its organizers, this represents "a vernacular, anonymous architectural tradition with popular roots that has been interpreted and adapted to new realities."

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March 9 marks the birth anniversary of one of the most globally significant Mexican architects, a pioneer of the Modern Movement in Mexico whose work has transcended geographical boundaries to be studied by generations of architects who have rewritten his teachings to make them their own. Luis Barragán, the Guadalajara-born architect and 1980 Pritzker Prize laureate, left a timeless legacy that continues to pave the way for new research and discoveries today.

Studio Zhu-Pei was founded in Beijing in 2005 by Zhu Pei. The practice has consistently focused on the exploration and practice of cultural architecture, driven by an artistic and experimental creative ethos. To date, the studio has completed 18 art museums and cultural projects, with another 17 currently under construction or in the design phase. Design Philosophy: "Nature Architecture" is neither landscape architecture nor green architecture. Rather than referring to nature in a narrow sense, it represents a natural attitude—an exploration of the natural tectonic laws behind architecture. It seeks to uncover the sensory roots defined by one's own culture, establishing a deep-seated connection between architecture and local culture, geography, and climate.

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The history of architectural visualization has undergone numerous shifts over the centuries. Its intrinsic relationship with architecture itself has sparked expressions and critiques that, beyond serving as a tool for representing the inhabited world, directly influence how we perceive it and shape the production of the built environment. Every form of architectural representation—whether showcasing the final product or revealing the design process—is directly tied to a specific understanding of quality, class, interpretation, intention, and meaning. While certain trends may seem linked to specific artistic movements, each possesses its own biases, preferences, cultures, and economic, cultural, and personal impulses.