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Turning Point: Radical Positions for a Changing World

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"We are at a historic moment. Everything is changing—the way we relate, work, and build. The boundaries between the physical and the digital, the local and the global, are blurring as we move toward an uncertain horizon shaped by the climate emergency and social inequalities. In this context, the role of architecture, design, and urban planning is fundamental."

These are the opening words of a new documentary produced by the Arquia Foundation—the first in a series profiling different Spanish cities—directed by Javier Peña. The film explores Barcelona's most radical architecture through the lens of a generation of architects who emerged in 2008 in the midst of the financial crisis. It features contributions from Anna and Eugeni Bach, Maio, David Steegmann, Adrià Escolano, Vora Arquitectura, Bonell + Dòriga, Raúl Sánchez, Arquitectura G, FLEXO Arquitectura, Carles Enrich, La Col: cooperativa de arquitectos, and Harquitectes.

SIAA Arquitetos Wins Competition for the São Paulo Water Museum

São Paulo-based firm SIAA Arquitetos has been named the winner of the national competition organized by AESabesp for the new São Paulo Water Museum, which involves the restoration and expansion of the former water and sewage department (RAE), currently the França Pinto reservation center.

Below, discover the winning proposal, accompanied by the project description written by the SIAA Arquitetos team.

Decolonial practice: other ways of designing are possible

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This article is part of a collaboration with the website coolhuntermx, and was originally published under the title "Decolonial Practice in Design."

If you have not read “Decolonizing Design: Towards an Inclusive Practice” by Ashby Solano, I recommend starting there to engage with a discussion that is gaining increasing resonance—though still not enough—across various design circles. But what exactly is decolonial thinking in design? Can we believe in the decolonization of design in Mexico and Latin America when its professionalization was established under the dogma of Eurocentric thought? In other words, we were taught what correct design is, what good design is, and what deserved to be professionalized.

The winning projects of the 2020 Wood Week architecture competition

The winners of the 2020 Wood Week Competition have been announced. The multidisciplinary open call invited participants to submit wood-focused projects in seven categories: Architecture, Design, Engineering and Construction, Innovation, Wood Startup Challenge, Built Works, and Photography. Wood Week (Semana de la Madera) is an annual event organized by Madera21, an association founded in 2001 by the Chilean Wood Corporation to promote and raise awareness about the use of this material in Chile.

Reversible Architecture in Japan: The Houses of Shirakawa-go

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Figure 1. Sasaki House. Nouka nanushi. Declared an "Important Cultural Property of Japan". Originally built in Sakuho, Nagano, in 1731. Currently located at Nihon Minkaen: Japan Open-Air Folk Museum, Kawasaki. Source: author's own report (November 2014).. Image via Revista rita_

This article by Paula Jaén Caparrós and Enrique Azpilicueta Astarloa was originally published in the 7th issue of rita magazine under the title "Reversible Architectures of Japan: The Houses of Shirakawa-go" as part of a joint publishing collaboration. The following text invites reflection on the design and construction principles found in these traditional Japanese houses, which could be recovered and applied to contemporary proposals that integrate disassembly, recovery, and relocation of the entire built object as key elements of sustainable architectural design.

PALMA: "Quality in housing spaces is not only a human right, but a basic necessity"

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The National Social Distancing Campaign (Jornada de Sana Distancia) in Mexico began on March 23, 2020, but a couple of weeks prior—even as the Federal Government recommended continuing normal activities—social media users were already opting to replicate the European model and self-isolate. Right away, some architecture firms made the decision to close their physical offices and transition to a remote work model, while others took a few more weeks to do so. However, this period of social and physical (spatial) distancing is experienced differently in every household. Over the months that this pandemic has unfolded, it has exposed not only the inequality regarding basic needs in dense urban areas, but also the fragility of our established social order. Whether at a macro or micro scale, all these experiences occur within and are influenced by the built environment, making architecture both arbiter and active participant in this equation.

How did European building traditions filter into South American train stations?

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In contemporary train stations, architectural pursuits associated with innovation and modernity tend to predominate. We often glorify designs with clean lines and gleaming glass buildings that showcase advancements in technology and engineering. Yet, classicism and styles that endure the passage of time—with their solid materials and sculptural details—possess a certain allure. Within their familiar forms, defined by order and symmetry, lies something that allows us to connect with the past.

Architecture in Mexico: Projects to Understand the Territory of Tulum

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Tulum is a region located in southeastern Mexico, within the geographic boundaries of the state of Quintana Roo. Situated along the Caribbean coast, it forms part of the Riviera Maya. Historically, Tulum was a walled city, which is the origin of its name—meaning "wall" in Mayan, a term coined when the settlement was already in ruins.

Architecture in Mexico: Projects to Understand the Territory of Guanajuato

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The state of Guanajuato is located in the north-central region of Mexico, bordering the states of Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, Michoacán, and Jalisco. Covering an area of 30,607 km², it is one of the country's most populous regions. Its most prominent municipalities include León, Irapuato, Celaya, Salamanca, and San Miguel de Allende. The latter, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, is characterized by its Baroque and Spanish architecture. Additionally, this city is home to the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel, built from the region's characteristic pink cantera stone.

Rural Wooden Houses in Colombia

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Wood is a noble material that has been used in construction since time immemorial, across all regions of the world where it is available. Although this material can be applied to almost any use, we have focused this article specifically on residential projects previously published on our site and located in Colombia.

Exposed Materials: Trend or Necessity?

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Have you ever had to convince your friends or family that an exposed brick wall can be more appealing than a plastered, white-painted one? Or that exposed building systems can offer significant advantages when it comes to maintenance? Do we connect better with a smooth backdrop for hanging art than with the textures of exposed materials?

Architecture in Mexico: Projects to Understand the Territory of Tepoztlán

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Tepoztlán is a region located in the state of Morelos, in the south-central part of the country, bordered by the states of Guerrero, Puebla, the State of Mexico, and Mexico City. Spanning an area of 242.646 square kilometers, it is one of the 111 Pueblos Mágicos (Magical Towns) designated to boost tourism by highlighting the unique attributes of each destination.

Casa da Arquitectura Interviews Alvaro Puntoni

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Critic Jorge Figueira interviews Brazilian architect Alvaro Puntoni in the second episode of Studio Casa, an interview series produced by Casa da Arquitectura - Portuguese Center for Architecture.

The best graduation projects in Central America and the Caribbean completed in 2019. Submit yours!

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We believe that the creative output of universities in Central America and the Caribbean is immense yet often overlooked. Therefore, we feel it is essential to launch a call for submissions to showcase the best graduation projects coming out of these institutions.

Academic proposals can be profound intellectual and critical works. This call aims to prevent them from remaining tucked away, gathering dust on shelves, and losing the opportunity to spark real change in our cities and in how we live and think.

If you believe your 2019 graduation project is compelling enough to be featured on our site, and that your hard work deserves recognition from the wider community, do not hesitate to submit it using the form at the end of this article.

The 118 Selected Projects for the XXVII Colombian Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism

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Colombia's most prestigious architectural event has announced the results of this year's selection. The Colombian Society of Architects (SCA) has nominated 118 entries across 9 distinct categories for the XXVII Colombian Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism: Interior and Ephemeral Architecture, Urban Design and Landscape, Publications and Dissemination, Social Habitat, Heritage Intervention, Research and Criticism, Urban and Territorial Planning, Architectural Design, and Single-Family, Duplex, or Triplex Housing. The jury, comprising Enrique Norten, Adib Cure, Gloria Serna, Hernando Vargas Caicedo, Ricardo Navarrete, Hildelgard Vásquez, Alberto Saldarriaga, Gilma Mosquera, and Doris Tarchopulos, will select a winner for each category, from which the National Architecture Prize will be awarded.

The best graduation projects of 2020

Every year, we host a call for graduation projects open to our audience in all Portuguese-speaking countries. Through this, we aim to select the most interesting projects to present inspiring visions and debates for the fields of architecture and urbanism.

The 2019 Obra del Año Awards were presented in Santiago, Chile.

For the eleventh consecutive year, ArchDaily celebrated the best of Latin American architecture, presenting the Building of the Year award to architects Barclay & Crousse (Peru), Felipe Assadi (Chile), and Natura Futura + Frontera Sur Arquitectura (Ecuador). This year, the ceremony took place at the Pablo Neruda Lookout on San Cristóbal Hill, bringing together the architectural community and ArchDaily's main partners.

Argentine Solidarity Architecture: Award-winning projects reflecting on inclusion and solidarity

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The winning and distinguished entries have been announced for the "Arquitectura Argentina Solidaria" (Solidarity Argentine Architecture) competition. Organized by the Central Architects' Society (SCA) and the Professional Council of Architecture and Urbanism (CPAU), this national call invited architects and collaborative teams from across the country to submit ideas, initiatives, proposals, projects, works, and research completed over the last ten years centered on solidarity and inclusion. Bringing together the collective knowledge and reflections of professionals nationwide, the primary goal of this call was to address the emerging needs of society's most vulnerable sectors, now further exacerbated by the pandemic.

27 Architecture Office Visits at Open House Madrid 2020

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The sixth edition of the international architecture and city festival Open House Madrid was held from September 25 to 27, featuring a special edition organized to comply with necessary health measures and ensure the safety of all participants. The event offered visits to 27 renowned architecture studios across the city—some in virtual formats, others in person, and some in both.

May 1968, the Torres del Parque Rise in Bogotá: A Conversation About the Inner Workings of Rogelio Salmona's Project

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This interview by Tatiana Urrea Uyabán (Universidad Nacional de Colombia) with Colombian architect Urbano Ripoll was originally published in issue 24 of Dearq journal on 01/01/2019 under the title "May '68, the Torres del Parque Rise in Bogotá: A Conversation on the Inner Workings of Rogelio Salmona's Project" (https://doi.org/10.18389/dearq25.2019.08) and is part of a joint dissemination partnership.

Estudio Territorios designs the new headquarters for the San Cristóbal Town Hall in Bogotá

The San Cristóbal local town hall, located in southeastern Bogotá, is currently situated in a mixed-use area of the San Blas neighborhood. It sits in close proximity to a school, a parish church, a community development center, residential complexes, and the local Metropolitan Park.

Despite its privileged location relative to surrounding properties, the town hall building is a designated heritage site. Participants in the public design competition for the new headquarters, organized by the SCA (Sociedad Colombiana de Arquitectos), had to consider all these aspects in developing their proposals. Estudio Territorios was awarded first place, followed by FP Arquitectura in second, and EMS Arquitectura in third. Below, we take a closer look at their proposals.

Imagen Subliminal: Architectural photography needs to remain open to new forms of representation

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A glance at the portfolio of Miguel De Guzmán and Rocío Romero reveals a duo that successfully captures the breadth of architectural spaces while conveying the underlying concepts. Together, they founded the Madrid- and New York-based photography and film studio Imagen Subliminal , documenting the latest developments in global architecture to allow viewers to experience the energy and creativity driving these projects.

On World Photography Day, we spoke with the duo about the evolution of their work and the role photography plays in both the current and future architectural landscape.

The Ideal Minimal House for a Couple in Isolation: The Winners of the "A Place for Quarantine" Competition

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The winners of the International Preliminary Design Competition "A Place for Quarantine" have been announced. Organized by Architecture Eyes and sponsored by Revista Trama, the competition invited architects to design an "ideal" minimal house for two people to inhabit during the period of social isolation, rethinking the ways we relate to space, others, and ourselves.

China's Urbanization: Social Control and Economic Freedom

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Hundreds of towers repeat across a hazy horizon. Traditional buildings crumble, while others have been rebuilt into tourist shops. Colorful Lamborghinis share sluggish traffic with old taxis, laborers' tricycles, and executives riding yellow bikes from Ofo, the world's largest dockless bike-sharing company. Some pedestrians wear masks to filter the polluted air, others carry shopping bags, others spit on the ground or walk the streets in pajamas. Street vendors are extremely rare, in contrast to the police and military personnel seen on almost every corner.

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