In early 2015, the Regional Government of Santiago in Chile launched a public competition for the redevelopment of the Alameda-Providencia axis, an 11.3-kilometer-long avenue that serves as the most important mobility corridor in the Chilean capital.

The winning proposal was awarded in October of that same year to a team comprised of the firms Lyon Bosch, Martic Arquitectos, and Groundlab. Although construction was scheduled to begin two years later, in March 2019, the project was canceled by the administration at the time due to budget constraints. They announced that only a segment of the western end of the corridor would be renovated, though no progress has been reported since.

Three years later, on December 28, 2022, President Gabriel Boric, alongside local mayors and authorities, signed a public cooperation agreement to reactivate the recovery and transformation of the Alameda-Providencia axis in its original scope: from Pajaritos Street in the east to Plaza Baquedano, popularly known as Plaza Italia or Plaza Dignidad.

The planet is already 1.1°C warmer due to human-induced climate change, and millions of people are already facing the very real consequences of rising temperatures, sea level rise, more severe storms, and increasingly unpredictable rainfall. Rapidly reducing emissions is essential to limit temperature rise and ensure a safer future for everyone. Equally critical are investments to protect communities from the increasingly severe impacts that will continue to worsen over time.

An eco-friendly autonomous vessel will begin transporting passengers through the waterways of Rio de Janeiro in December 2022. The new urban mobility project is the result of a partnership between travel platform Hotel Urbano – Hurb and TideWise, a Latin American autonomous boat company.

The new partnership will explore several of the city's water routes to connect tourist attractions and major hubs, such as Sugarloaf Mountain and downtown Rio, as well as the Península in Barra da Tijuca and the Jardim Oceânico subway station.

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The International Competition for the Urban Design of the Core Area of Changping New Town East Zone was hosted by the People's Government of Changping District, Beijing, and the Beijing Municipal Commission of Planning and Natural Resources. Located on the east bank of the Dongsha River in Changping District, Beijing, the project encompasses a 9.1-square-kilometer planning study and ecological development plan, alongside a 1.5-square-kilometer urban design for the core area. Situated north of Beijing's city center, along the canal and at the foot of Mangshan Mountain, the East Zone of Changping New Town lies on a critical axis for northern Beijing's industrial expansion and ecological network integration. In addition to accommodating the specialized industrial clusters from southern Changping, the East Zone introduces the planning concept of "Green Spectrum," leveraging urban functions and spatial-environmental resources to maximize the synergy between ecological livability and industrial positioning.

For decades, the history of Brazilian architecture has crowned male figures as its primary representatives. In recent years, however, we have seen a growing body of work dedicated to identifying female figures in this field. “Where are the women in the history of architecture in Brazil?” was, and still is, one of the questions most frequently encountered by architectural and urban historians. Often, the answer points to Lina Bo Bardi and Carmen Portinho—fundamental references, to be sure, but we might still wonder: how many other figures built their careers in this field?

Ever since Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg renamed his company and announced a larger investment in the so-called “metaverse,” searches for the term have surged considerably. And while it is not a new concept, the technological topics surrounding the subject have exploded in recent years.

Cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and the overall creation of a virtual economy help illustrate how the metaverse is cementing its place in our daily lives. Yet, the opportunities extend far beyond financial shifts: the metaverse is also proving to be an important space for engineers and architects alike.

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As one of the most prominent economic topics on the agenda in several countries before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, legislation restricting the supply of new real estate in municipalities has negative impacts on both local growth and the population, whose options for housing, job access, and mobility are severely affected. Adopted by most Brazilian cities, zoning regulations—which establish criteria for land use, the size of developments that can be built in specific locations, and environmental preservation zones—also drive up property prices, as housing supply fails to keep pace with demand.

The FIFA World Cup is one of the world's largest events, bringing together fans of all nationalities. Having previously been hosted across various continents, this year's tournament will take place in Qatar, a country on the Arabian Peninsula with a population of about 2.7 million people, the majority of whom are Muslim. Alongside the host nation, 31 other countries will compete for the title of world champion.

Beyond its status as a sporting event, the World Cup is also an opportunity to observe, learn about, and experience other cultures—especially for the host country. Divided into eight different groups, the first to play, from Groups A and B, will be Qatar, Ecuador, England, Iran, Senegal, the Netherlands, the United States, and Wales. Below, explore some examples of architecture from these countries. 

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The centennial celebrations of the Modern Art Week have already begun. Over the past week, articles and press coverage on the subject have filled various media outlets. After all, one hundred years ago, a group of artists gathered in pursuit of an art that looked to the future and stood against the past, proposing a new way of exploring Brazilian identity in music, poetry, painting, and dance. To understand how the event shaped new directions in Brazilian culture and remains relevant today, we have compiled a guide to several spaces that celebrate the Week of '22!

A recent study revealed that, since 2014, marine heatwaves have become “the new normal.” The climate crisis is no longer a concern for the distant future. Extreme events are increasingly common; one only has to follow the news. While it may seem that public officials are being caught off guard, scientists have long warned of the need to focus on sustainable development.

Good examples are still few and far between, but they do exist. At COP26, a comprehensive guide featuring proven strategies to achieve urban cooling was launched.

During the International Union of Architects (UIA) 2020 International Forum, “Affordable Housing Activation: Removing Barriers,” the Higher Council of Spanish Architects’ Colleges (CSCAE) developed the first dynamic atlas on access to housing. The platform aggregates over 4,000 economic, urban, and development indicators into a single interface, making them easy to analyze and interpret. The data is sourced from major international organizations, including the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Health Organization.

Founded in 2013 in São Paulo, this young transdisciplinary practice focuses on architecture, urbanism, and fine arts. Influenced by visual arts, music, theater, and everyday urban life, the firm translates these lived experiences into projects across diverse scales, briefs, and contexts.

Named after a term with multiple meanings in Portuguese—in architecture, *vão* represents the void or span between structural elements, a space to be occupied and activated by social, political, artistic, and various other interactions—the firm was founded by Anna Juni, Enk te Winkel, and Gustavo Delonero. Throughout its nearly ten-year history, it has maintained a small team, alongside occasional collaborations with friends and colleagues on specific projects.

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The call for entries for the European Award for Architectural Heritage Intervention (AHI), aimed at professionals and associations linked to architectural heritage, is open until March 17, 2023. Its primary objective is to recognize high-quality interventions in built heritage across all its dimensions. In doing so, the award aims to contribute to their dissemination and establish itself as a catalyst and observatory for the new challenges that contemporary architectural globalization poses to the conservation and intervention of built heritage.

The Experimental Center for Affordable Housing (CEVE) is a research, experimentation, development, and transfer center for construction technologies and comprehensive management, focusing on the social production of habitat. Founded around 1967 by architect Horacio Berretta within the Faculty of Architecture of the Catholic University of Córdoba (UCC), CEVE is jointly affiliated with the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) and the Affordable Housing Association (AVE).

Founded in 2017, Studio 10 is an interdisciplinary design practice based in Shenzhen and Hong Kong. We are dedicated to providing highly customized, high-quality, boutique architectural, interior, product, and other creative design services. Our design and research span both the world's highest-density urban environments and low-density rural areas. As a multidisciplinary studio, we view architecture and space as the ultimate, omnipresent medium between people and their natural, social, and cultural environments. In our practice, architecture and space are not only shelters within the environment and media for perceiving our surroundings, but also catalysts and generators for rural and urban community revitalization and environmental improvement. Through constant reflection, we aim to leverage architecture and space to promote economic, cultural, and social progress, seeking an enduring balance and harmony between humanity and the environment.

To reconnect humanity with nature, we explore unorthodox treatments of form and materials in our designs, reflecting a desire to humanize architecture. By reintroducing pre-industrial and pre-digital craftsmanship into the design process, architecture and space become a hybrid of rationality and intuition. We also constantly explore recyclable, recycled, and repurposed natural and industrial materials, advocating for environmental awareness and sensitivity through their innovative and defamiliarized application.

“Libros Model” is presented in Barcelona's Plaza Reial, hosted by its curator, Ethel Baraona. Joined by Santiago Bogani, they speak with curious visitors who stop to ask about the wooden wall and table filled with architectural publications.

The installation features a selection of 90 books from various international publishers promoting and disseminating work and ideas within the architectural field—inviting reflection on the central theme of the Model. Barcelona Architectures Festival: Re-Grow.

As part of “Libros Model,” a network of bookstores and libraries across Barcelona will also present special collections reflecting on the five themes of this inaugural edition of the festival: Between-Classes, Between-Cultures, Between-Species, Between-Generations, and Between-Materials.

From 'A Bestiary of the Anthropocene' to 'Icebergs, Zombies, and the Ultra-Thin', the complete selection of books curated by Baraona is presented below.

In January of this year, a legal framework for distributed micro- and minigeneration of energy was established under Law 14,300/2022. The text ensured that the sector's previous rules would be maintained until 2045 for existing solar installations and new customers within a 12-month window. Now, with only three months left in the year, the topic is back in the spotlight, as the deadline to secure benefits like exemptions from certain tariff components is fast approaching.

GLA Design was founded in 2010 and holds a Class-A qualification in architectural engineering approved by the Ministry of Construction. Over years of development, the firm has established a diverse team of professional designers. Upholding an unwavering commitment to "the ultimate pursuit of architectural quality," GLA emphasizes full-process involvement and control over its projects. Using high-quality, highly resolved design works as its benchmark, the firm rigorously controls every design detail.

Inspired by the waters of Brazilian rivers and mangroves, the Brazil Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai invites visitors to an interactive experience immersed in an atmosphere of sounds, projections, temperatures, and textures that evoke Brazilian landscapes. Designed by architecture firms JPG.ARQ, MMBB Arquitetos, and Ben-Avid, and curated by Guilherme Wisnik and Alexandre Benoit, the project won the 2018 competition to represent the country at the event, which runs through March 2022.

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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 introduce the professionals, projects, and stories behind Portugal's leading contemporary architecture. With just over 10 million inhabitants, Portugal is a highly compelling country when it comes to this professional field, boasting an architectural output that far exceeds its demographic or territorial scale.

In this episode of the fourth season, Sara talks with architects Filipa Guerreiro and Tiago Correia about the Environmental Education and Interpretation Center of the Corno de Bico Protected Landscape. Listen to the conversation and read part of the interview below.

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Turning a space's lights on or off is a routine part of daily life. This almost automatic action is made possible by a switch, a device designed to divert or interrupt the flow of electrical current. Given its essential role in everyday life, how can we combine a switch's functionality with aesthetic appeal?

Just as current design trends integrate exposed installations and services into interior design strategies, the new range of light switches combines functionality with an aesthetic diversity tailored to the personality of each space. Adapting to different styles relies on a combination of three factors: the choice of materials, colors, and formats. Below, we look at the available options using the GIRA catalog as a guide.

No País dos Arquitectos is a podcast created by Sara Nunes, who is also behind 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 fascinating country when it comes to this professional field, and its architectural output far exceeds what its population or territorial scale might suggest.

In this episode, Sara talks with Sofia Couto and Sérgio Antunes of Aurora Arquitectos, curators of the Open House Lisboa 2022, which is themed "The Rebellion of the Invisible.” Listen to the full interview and read an excerpt of the conversation below:

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History shows that when struck by crises and disasters, cities generally recover and emerge stronger and more resilient than before. The Great Chicago Fire famously gave rise to skyscrapers. Contagious disease outbreaks contributed to public health policies and modern sanitation practices. The devastation of World War II catalyzed unprecedented investments in housing and infrastructure.

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As another year comes to a close, the ArchDaily team gathers the highlights of architecture in a series of retrospectives reflecting on the content featured over the past twelve months. As part of this effort, our curation team turns its attention to one of the most popular categories among our readers, residential architecture, selecting the projects that represent the best of a vast global architectural production, as seen through the eyes of our audience.

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