High in the Andes, glaciers have retreated and shrunk under the effects of climate change. Around four million people depend on the glaciers for water, yet they have lost nearly a meter of thickness over the last 20 years.

On Wednesday, December 7, 2022, the Chilean Ministry of Housing and Urbanism (Minvu) announced that architect Joan MacDonald, who served as undersecretary of this ministry between 1990 and 1994, has become the first woman to win the National Urbanism Award. The award ceremony will be held in January 2023.

During the final discussions for the approval of Belo Horizonte's Master Plan in 2019, the proposed charging of the Onerous Grant of the Right to Build (OODC) sparked intense debate and emerged as the main political obstacle to its passage. Several institutions, including UN-Habitat, took a stance on the matter. Ultimately, what is the OODC and what are the effects of this planning instrument on the urban territory?

Today, it was announced that architect Emilio Tuñón has been awarded the 2022 National Architecture Prize, presented by the Ministry of Transport, Mobility, and Urban Agenda (Mitma).

The firms Gênesi and EVO Arquitetos were awarded third place in the national competition Iconicidades, organized by the Government of the State of Rio Grande do Sul and launched in April this year. The initiative sought to select the best proposals for transforming public spaces into areas that stimulate the creative economy in the cities of Pelotas, Rio Grande, Santa Maria, Cachoeirinha, and São Leopoldo.

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Founded in Shanghai in 2013, genarchitects is a full-service design practice led by three principals: Fan Beilei, Kong Rui, and Xue Zhe. The practice's design work and academic research have been widely published in leading academic journals and professional media, including Architectural Journal, World Architecture, Time + Architecture, New Architecture, and Architecture China. Their work has also been featured in numerous monographs published by prestigious international publishers such as Thames & Hudson (UK), Birkhäuser (Germany), Images Publishing (Australia), and China Architecture & Building Press. Their recently completed project, "Dingshu Adult Education School," was featured as the cover story of the May 2022 issue of Architectural Journal. Other completed projects have been exhibited at prestigious venues and events, including the Venice Biennale of Architecture, the China-Europe Architectural Invitation Exhibition, the Harvard GSD exhibition on contemporary Chinese architecture, and the Shanghai Urban Space Art Season (SUSAS).

The principals of genarchitects currently serve as guest design studio instructors at the Department of Architecture, Tongji University, teaching in the Experimental Class for Interdisciplinary and Creative Talents. They have also served as guest critics at Southeast University, Tianjin University, and the China Academy of Art, and have been invited to deliver academic lectures at renowned institutions and venues, including Tongji University, Nanjing University, the University of Hong Kong Shanghai Study Centre, TEDx, and the Power Station of Art (PSA) in Shanghai.

The finalist projects for the 2022 edition of the Mapei Award have been announced. The prize aims to promote sustainable architecture by recognizing projects that combine high architectural quality with the lowest possible environmental impact. Addressing the social and environmental challenges of the 21st century, the Mapei Award is presented to both new construction and renovation projects.

Founded in 2014, PROJECT Profile Architecture is an internationally recognized design and research collective. Currently, the team consists of over a dozen members, with studios in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. Its founders, Chang Ke and Li Wenhan, graduated from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands and the University of Applied Arts Vienna, respectively. Registered architects in the Netherlands, they practiced for several years at major design firms in Europe and China. As specialists in urban renewal and public architecture, the core philosophy of PROJECT Profile Architecture is built on "demand as context, resistance as driver, and innovation as inquiry." PROJECT Profile Architecture seeks to break the boundaries of design, crossing the limits of scale and category to define each design commission as an integrated, comprehensive "PROJECT." The firm focuses on the unique parameters of each PROJECT, strategically proposing tailored solutions and exploring new spatial programs and typologies—particularly those emerging from civil society. By connecting design with real life, they activate and channel the vitality generated by these new models, aiming to contribute to contemporary urban and rural spatial design.

PROJECT Profile Architecture provides full-process design consulting services ranging from programming, architecture, landscape, and interiors to furniture, product design, signage systems, and construction consulting. Instead of treating design as isolated cases, they use the concept of the "PROJECT" to transform design into a continuous, research-driven system with a creative core. They are committed to exploring architectural research and practice rooted in China's current socio-political landscape. The firm operates through a collaborative, research-oriented methodology where all design staff participate in project discussions and decision-making. Viewing design as a form of collective intelligence, they uncover new ideal mechanisms within reality through diverse perspectives. Integrating localized practice with civic engagement defines their current trajectory. By balancing small-to-medium-scale bespoke commissions with large-scale public architecture competition entries, PROJECT Profile Architecture strives to carve out a viable path for a localized professional architectural practice—one that bridges market demands and academic inquiry. Now, we warmly invite you to join us and forge this path together.

We are pleased to present the finalist projects for the 2022 Obra do Ano Award. After two weeks of nominations, the favorite projects have been chosen from hundreds of buildings constructed in Portuguese-speaking countries. Our expert jury, composed of our own readers, has once again done an excellent job selecting these 15 projects.

From today until March 30 at 11:59 PM (Brasília time - GMT-3), you can vote once a day for the projects you consider to be the best examples of contemporary Lusophone architecture. The results will be announced on March 31.

The 2022 Obra do Ano Award is presented by Dornbracht, a company internationally renowned for its kitchen and bathroom products.

A quick search is all it takes to realize there is no shortage of knowledge, experience, and innovation surrounding mobility within and between urban centers. Arquicast invites two experts on the subject to join the debate: architect Fernando Lima, PhD in Urbanism from UFRJ, adjunct professor at UFJF, and Visiting Professor at Pennsylvania State University; and administrator Rodrigo Tortoriello, who holds an MBA in Transportation Engineering from UFRJ and is the former Extraordinary Secretary of Urban Mobility for Porto Alegre.

The national competition for the redevelopment of Avenida 25 de Julho in Flores da Cunha, RS—organized by the municipal government in partnership with the Institute of Architects of Brazil – Rio Grande do Sul Department (IAB RS) and supported by the Council of Architecture and Urbanism of RS (CAU/RS) and the Brazilian Association of Landscape Architects (ABAP)—has announced its winning projects.

Videos

How do we actually give citizens the ability to discover and understand what is happening around their cities? This is one of the key questions raised by Eva Franch, artistic director alongside Beth Galí and José Luis de Vicente of Model - Barcelona Architectures Festival.

How do we bring these issues to the table, into public debate, and into the public sphere? One answer could lie in augmented realities—technologies that allow us to visualize parts of the real world overlaid with new information through a technological device. For this architecture event, in addition to the five temporary physical installations scattered throughout the city, five augmented reality installations were produced, reflecting the event's different themes: Between-Generations, Between-Cultures, Between-Species, Between-Classes, and Between-Materials.

Established by master plans, zoning indexes consist of a set of regulations that govern building dimensions relative to the lot on which they are built. These requirements vary according to the zone in which the land is located and are divided into three main principles: Lot Coverage, Floor Area Ratio (FAR), and Permeability Rate. Learn what each one means and how to calculate them below.

The pioneering Black feminist Gloria Jean Watkins – better known by her lowercase pseudonym bell hooks – recently passed away at the age of 69. She leaves behind countless ideas that serve as the foundation for modern critiques of race, class, and gender.

Following her death, an essay published by hooks in 1998 resurfaced on a blog she occasionally wrote for, Lion’s Roar. The piece, titled “Design: A Happening Life,” is so relevant today that it is hard to believe it was written 25 years ago.

Featuring a spectacular amorphous structure, Bloodlust Wine Bar is located in Ejido El Porvenir, in the heart of Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California, Mexico. Its origins date back to late 2019, conceived by the vision of Juliette Cheanne, Poncho Muriedas, and Yuri Muriedas—three highly creative minds with a single shared mission: to bring to life a gastronomic space that, in addition to featuring an inimitable architectural facade designed by surrealist illustrator Jaime Zuverza, would offer an immersive auditory and visual experience to all who visit.

The city of Concepción in Chile will become South America's first “lab city.” The City Science Biobío program is a partnership between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT Media Lab), the Regional Government of Biobío, Corporación Ciudades, and the Chilean Chamber of Construction (CChC). These institutions will work in collaboration with local universities, municipalities, and civic organizations. MIT professionals will also visit the area to support the studies driven by the program.

Beijing Institute of Architectural Design Co., Ltd. (BIAD) is a leading design enterprise whose business scope spans urban planning, investment consulting, large-scale public architectural design, civil architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, smart building systems engineering, engineering budgeting, low-voltage systems, decoration engineering, and engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC). Currently, the company holds numerous Grade-A (Class-A) qualifications, including Grade-A Engineering Design, Grade-A Urban and Rural Planning, Grade-A Engineering Consulting, Grade-A Engineering Cost Consulting, Grade-A Tourism Planning and Design, Grade-A Landscape Architecture Engineering Design, and Grade-A Environmental Engineering (Physical Pollution Prevention and Control).

BIAD serves a diverse clientele, including national and local government bodies, public institutions, state-owned enterprises, private corporations, and foreign and joint-venture companies. The value of our design is reflected in the success of our clients' projects. With works spanning the nation and the globe, many of our designs have become iconic landmarks for their cities and the country. BIAD is home to a distinguished cohort of architects and engineers across various disciplines, including 1 academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, 9 National Design Masters, 73 experts receiving special allowances from the State Council, 1 expert under the National "Thousand Talents Plan," 12 Outstanding Contribution Experts of Beijing, and 3 members of the Beijing Hundred-Thousand-Ten Thousand Talents Project. Among its over 4,000 employees, 620 hold senior professional titles, and 836 possess national professional registrations. The workforce includes 36 PhD holders, 995 Master's degree holders, and 86 returnees from overseas studies. BIAD has established 13 branches nationwide, with 14 wholly owned and holding subsidiaries and 9 joint-equity companies. Additionally, the institute has established cooperative educational initiatives with renowned domestic institutions, including Tsinghua University and the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA). 

Founded in 2004 by Chinese architect Ma Yansong, MAD Architects is led by Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, and Yosuke Hayano. The practice is dedicated to exploring the future of architecture, integrating Eastern philosophy into contemporary design, and creating spaces that foster a deep dialogue between humanity, nature, and the environment. Every day, across our Beijing, Los Angeles, and Rome offices, our architects channel their passion into expressing our unique vision of spatial design, crafting fluid, visionary, and technologically advanced architectural environments.

MAD Architects is a global studio of talented architects, designers, and creative thinkers. We are dedicated to impact the experience and understanding of the built space that surrounds us, and from there we develop visionary, fluid, and technologically advanced designs that embody a contemporary interpretation of the Eastern affinity for nature.

Ranging from large-scale masterplans to imaginative urban complexes, museums, opera houses, social housing, historic renovations, and art installations, MAD maintains a unique design perspective while striving to achieve a harmonious balance between humanity, the city, and the environment. Currently, MAD's global projects include the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, Shenzhen Bay Cultural Plaza, Jiaxing Railway Station, Yiwu Grand Theater, the Cloudscape of Haikou, and residential developments in Paris, Rome, and Los Angeles.

Our team of 130 works across offices in Beijing, Los Angeles, and Rome. Our projects range from large-scale urban developments and masterplans to imaginative civic, cultural, residential and hospitality buildings of varying scale. We endeavor to improve the balance between people, their built environment, and their natural surroundings.

The firm Alexandre Furcolin Paisagismo has been selected as the winner of the national design competition for the Historic Center of Casarão Gallotti in Tijucas, Santa Catarina. Organized by the Institute of Architects of Brazil – Santa Catarina Department and the Tijucas Municipal Department of Culture, Youth, and Tourism, the competition aimed to "stimulate the preservation of the landscape and urban heritage of the city" and "humanize the open spaces of the historic center."

Below, see the winning proposal, accompanied by the project description provided by the design team.

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Nature-based solutions (NBS) have become widely recognized as efficient approaches for adapting cities to the climate crisis and mitigating increasingly frequent disasters. Projects such as rain gardens, linear parks, hillside restoration, and urban agriculture help make cities more resilient to extreme weather events, while generating additional benefits for society, the economy, and the environment.

The World Cup will take place between November and December. This scheduling is due to the fact that average temperatures in the host nation, Qatar, can soar to 40 to 50°C during June and July.

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Celebrating its 35th anniversary, this edition of CasaCor brings together projects by 68 renowned professionals spread across more than 10,000 square meters inside a landmark of São Paulo modernism, the Conjunto Nacional. Under the theme “Particular Infinite,” this year's exhibition focuses on the accumulation of time, on the stories already told and those we tell about ourselves. In this universe of ways of inhabiting the world, and of the traces we leave around us—from finger marks on the walls to the dust we carry on the soles of our shoes—we are always searching for something that is ours alone, inexhaustibly our own.

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No País dos Arquitectos is 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 leading contemporary Portuguese architecture. With just over 10 million inhabitants, Portugal is a highly compelling country within this professional field, and its architectural output far exceeds what its population or territorial scale would suggest.

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Patrimonio Ilustrado is a Chilean digital and analog project created by Mario Rojas Torrejón (holding a degree in Cultural Heritage Conservation and serving as Director of the Cultural Heritage Corporation of Chile) alongside Fernando Imas of Estudio Brugmann (a practice dedicated to the research, conservation, documentation, and dissemination of Chilean heritage). Within this framework, Rojas developed this subtle, precise illustration project that recalls traditional architectural drawing techniques to highlight the facades of prominent architectural works in Chile.

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