For two hundred years, New York City has been the largest metropolis in the United States and continues to outpace its competitors. The city is one of the oldest and most prosperous in the country. Its metropolitan area produces goods and services equivalent in monetary terms to half of Brazil's total GDP. Its urban structure, productive capacity, and high per capita income reflect its privileged global standing. One of the keys to understanding its rise lies in the very beginning of its history and its long developmental path. In 1624, the land of Manhattan Island was purchased from the indigenous Lenape people by Dutchman Peter Minuit of the Dutch West India Company, who founded New Amsterdam. The island is an extensive, flat 59-square-kilometer area situated at the mouth of the Hudson and East rivers. The bay allowed large ships to anchor and offered a strategic, easily defensible position.
Cities occupy just 3% of the Earth's land surface, yet they account for most of the world's energy consumption and carbon emissions. Many are also highly vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters due to their high population densities and interconnected infrastructure. To prevent the worst impacts of climate change—including human, social, and economic losses—making cities more resilient and prepared for a changing climate is crucial. Yet, recent studies indicate we are still far from achieving this.
Bringing together current scientific research, a new climate science report by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was approved and released following intense negotiations between the world's leading scientists and governments. Comprising 37 pages, the IPCC Sixth Assessment Synthesis Report (AR6) compiles six in-depth scientific and policy reports, and is primarily aimed at policymakers.
Relaunch of the Minha Casa Minha Vida program will take place during Lula's trip to Bahia, with new rules for the inclusion of low-income families.| Photo: Ubirajara Machado/MDS / Agência Senado
Among the updates to the new Minha Casa, Minha Vida (MCMV) program, recently launched by the Brazilian Federal Government, is the inclusion of a "housing improvement" modality. This is a necessary addition, as it addresses historically underserved populations—precisely those most vulnerable to the increasingly frequent and severe impacts of climate change. A new path toward sustainable, equitable, inclusive, and low-carbon development must be established. This transition depends not only on access to quality housing, but also on infrastructure and public services.
https://www.archdaily.com/1136464/new-minha-casa-minha-vida-opens-opportunities-to-upgrade-precarious-territories-with-shared-governanceSimone Gatti e Henrique Evers
A boat navigates the Amazon rainforest between Macapá and Belém, Brazil. Forests managed by Brazil's Indigenous communities sequester large amounts of carbon, playing a critical role in curbing climate change. Photo: otorongo/Shutterstock
Around the world, forests play a fundamental role in combating or helping to contain climate change. Standing, healthy forests sequester more carbon from the atmosphere than they emit, functioning as a carbon sink; conversely, degraded and deforested areas release their stored carbon back into the atmosphere, becoming a carbon source.
https://www.archdaily.com/1136467/forests-on-indigenous-lands-are-among-the-last-carbon-sinks-in-the-amazonPeter Veit, David Gibbs e Katie Reytar
Nearly three years ago, the platform arquitectas.mx was launched as an initiative by Mexican architects Mónica Suberville and Laura A. Gómez. Born from the desire to find ways to support, mobilize, and bring visibility to women in architecture, the platform offers a gathering space for professionals across different practices within the field, aiming to steer the profession toward inclusion, equity, and the improvement of cities through a gender perspective.
No País dos Arquitectos is a podcast created by Sara Nunes, who also heads the architectural film production company Building Pictures. The podcast aims to profile the professionals, projects, and stories behind leading contemporary Portuguese architecture. With just over 10 million inhabitants, Portugal is a highly fascinating country within this professional field, and its architectural output punches far outstrips what its population or territorial scale might suggest.
In this episode of the sixth season, Sara talks with architects Matilde Cabral and Francisco Adão da Fonseca, from the firm Pedrêz, about the studio's experimental practice. Listen to the conversation and read an excerpt of the interview below.
In this interview episode, Arquicast sits down with the founder of Sotero Arquitetos, architect Adriano Mascarenhas. A graduate of the Federal University of Bahia, his work spans a highly diverse range of scales and programs.
Arquicast sits down with Gustavo Utrabo, a Brazilian architect whose work stands out for its capacity for continuous experimentation and research. Having graduated in Paraná, his career includes academic and professional experiences at Harvard, MIT, Hong Kong, and Escola da Cidade. The episode covers his communication experience on the "Entre Mundos" podcast, the initial challenges of establishing an independent practice, the dynamics and structure of his current office, and notable projects like the Canuanã Children's Village. It also explores his vision for the future of the profession and a discussion on the role of social media.
In this episode, Arquicast talks with the jury of the 9th Tomie Ohtake Akzonobel Architecture Prize about the behind-the-scenes of this prominent national award and the criteria used to select the projects. The conversation also explores the profile of each jury member, highlighting how their individual perspectives shaped the identity of this year's edition.
No País dos Arquitectosis a podcast created by Sara Nunes, who is also responsible for the architectural film production company Building Pictures. The podcast aims to get to know the professionals, projects, and stories behind leading contemporary Portuguese architecture. With just over 10 million inhabitants, Portugal is a fascinating country when it comes to this professional field, and its architectural output punches far above its weight relative to its population or territorial scale.
In this fifth-season episode, Sara talks with architect Tiago Rebelo de Andrade about the Náutico Building. Listen to the conversation and read part of the interview below.
Agencia Social de Paisaje is a Mexico City-based practice driven by the conviction that landscape is a vital tool for designing new horizons. Drawing on logical and natural systems, they create coherent, functional, and holistic environments that foster a deep connection to place and its inhabitants. They are part of ArchDaily's Best New Practices of 2023.
Neuroarchitecture is a discipline that has gained prominence in architecture and interior design circles in recent years. It seeks to bridge the fields of architecture and neuroscience, with the goal of creating spaces that positively impact our well-being and behavior. Arquicast invited two experts in the field, Nicole Ferrer and Lori Crizel, to discuss the concept of neuroarchitecture, current trends in professional training, its scientific foundation, and the ethical and future implications of this approach.
No País dos Arquitectosis a podcast created by Sara Nunes, who is also responsible for the architectural film production company Building Pictures. The podcast aims to profile the professionals, projects, and stories behind leading contemporary Portuguese architecture. With just over 10 million inhabitants, Portugal is a highly compelling country in this professional field, and its architectural output far exceeds its population or territorial scale.
In the first episode of the sixth season, Sara talks with Manuel Aires Mateus of the firm Aires Mateus about the House in Monsaraz. Listen to the conversation and read part of the interview below.
Episode 75 of Betoneira featured Otavio Zarvos, founder of the São Paulo-based real estate development firm Idea!Zarvos. In the interview, he spoke about his first project built in the Vila Madalena neighborhood, and how he attracted other investors, acquired surrounding properties, and began what would become one of the city's most prominent developers. His background in business administration helped him plan and run the numbers necessary for the venture to succeed.
Max and Helen Gurvich Residence, in Seattle (1964). Built by Lionel H. Pries, architect and professor at the University of Washington Department of Architecture, who was fired from the institution for being gay
The Arquitetura Bicha collective emerged during the pandemic, driven by an interest in reading materials on gender and sexuality in architecture. Its members began meeting weekly to debate and investigate the bibliography suggested by each of them. Books on queer theory, feminism, and architecture inspired the collective, which launched an Instagram profile to share their discussions.
In the world of architecture, there is much more than drawing plans and constructing buildings. Architecture school offers a comprehensive education that goes beyond the specific technical skills of the profession. In this episode, we explore some of the valuable skills that architecture students learn throughout their academic journey — presented in the article 13 Non-Architecture Skills You Learn in Architecture School — and how these skills can be applied to various areas of life.
No País dos Arquitectosis a podcast created by Sara Nunes, who also runs the architectural film production company Building Pictures. The podcast aims to profile the professionals, projects, and stories behind landmark contemporary Portuguese architecture. With just over 10 million inhabitants, Portugal is a highly compelling country in this professional field, producing architecture that punches far above its weight relative to its population and territorial scale.
In this episode of the fifth season, Sara talks with architect Paulo Moreira about the Kapalanga School in Luanda, Angola. Listen to the conversation and read an excerpt of the interview below.
The topic of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become ubiquitous across the news, spanning both entertainment and the workplace. This phenomenon also extends to the fields of architecture and urbanism. The emergence of ChatGPT highlighted the transformative potential of this technology, especially regarding language, raising concerns about its potential impact on how we work today.
No País dos Arquitectos is a podcast created by Sara Nunes, who is also responsible for the architectural film production company Building Pictures. The podcast aims to get to know the professionals, projects, and stories behind benchmark contemporary Portuguese architecture. With just over 10 million inhabitants, Portugal is a highly intriguing country within this professional field, and its architectural output far exceeds what its population or territorial scale would suggest.
Cities worldwide face growing challenges in urban planning and the creation of sustainable, engaging public spaces such as green areas. In response, new approaches have emerged to integrate green landscapes into municipal public spaces. These sites play a fundamental role in the development and transformation of cities; for a long time, they have served as the stage for social interaction, cultural expression, and the exchange of ideas.
Photo by Diego Baravelli. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Major cities like Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Belo Horizonte have been transforming their downtown areas into more residential zones, reclaiming a past of greater vitality. Rio de Janeiro pioneered this trend with the launch of its Reviver Centro program in 2021. More recently, São Paulo launched Todos pelo Centro, which also aims to “promote transformative actions in downtown São Paulo, bringing new life alongside the city's memories and history.”
Preschool is more than just a place to leave young children; it is a space that allows them to connect with their imagination and senses through the colors, textures, and layout of their environment. In Chile, many architects have committed to translating these learning opportunities into the architecture itself.
From the recently built Golondrina Preschool and Nursery in Valparaíso to the renowned Bambú Preschool in Santiago,we present a selection of outstanding projects that leverage these attributes, enabling both children and educators to engage in their activities in dynamic and creative ways.
There is no doubt that architectural models are among the oldest forms of architectural representation. In the first episode of the year, Arquicast discusses this theme within the context of publications and debates on the training of new professionals. After all, models are ubiquitous: they are found in architecture exhibitions (often built exclusively for them), in museums as part of the exhibits, and in architecture offices, where they are typically finalized for the big presentation day.
