Spanish architect Fernando Menis designed a series of marine-inspired installations made from recycled objects and materials left behind by children and tourists at hotels in the coastal towns of La Oliva, a municipality in Fuerteventura, in Spain's Canary Islands.

Architecture biennials showcase professional output on local, regional, and global scales. There are many such events worldwide, allowing us to discover the very best of our architectural work. In Peru, the biennial—sponsored by the College of Architects—is an opportunity to bring together different cohorts and generations, as well as to exchange ideas and experiences.

First and foremost, it must always be a professional Biennial; that is, it should call for works completed by Peruvian architects in their professional practice. That is its core purpose. I have nothing against undergraduate theses or student projects, but I do not believe this is the venue for them. Student biennials can easily be organized during national architecture student congresses. Furthermore, as this is an opportunity to showcase what is new and exceptional, I believe participation should be encouraged by charging an affordable entry fee to all Peruvian architects, whether they work in design or research, in the public or private sector.

The *smart city*, that great contemporary promise for solving urban problems, carries a history of contradictions that has culminated in a new term, an heir to concepts deeply rooted in the knowledge society: smartcitizens. Indeed, the recognition of this term highlights the need to review the impacts of the exclusively technological urban solutions that shaped early smart city proposals. Thus, the *smartcitizens* concept represents initiatives arising from collective intelligence that pave the way toward changing the socioeconomic structure of our cities, based on the capacity to stay connected, share information, and proactively engage with our environment.

*Smart cities* here, *smart cities* there, *smart cities everywhere*. For several years, we have witnessed the smart city boom, to the point where, seemingly overnight, every city is *smart*1. As a result, the popularity of the term has grown exponentially, eclipsing other, more comprehensive prior concepts such as the "sustainable city"2, or others that aligned more closely with the networked era and its resulting socioeconomic relationships, such as the "knowledge city"3.

Historically relegated to the private sphere, it was only in the 20th century that women truly began to exercise their right to the city and its dynamics. Even today, however, this claiming of space remains restricted. According to a survey by the Locomotiva Institute this year, eight out of 10 Brazilian women are afraid of walking alone at night.

In addition to the threat of violence, other barriers to women's sense of belonging, mobility, and free use of public space include the lack of policies designed to address their urgent needs, as well as their identities and perspectives.

As part of International Habitat and Architect Week in Mozambique, the exhibition opened and the winners of the First Architecture Photography Competition - Perspectivas were announced on October 1 in Maputo, during the event A Cidade Desejada, organized by the Association of Architects of Mozambique - ARCHIMOZ.

ByFutura is an integrated, transdisciplinary firm led by Iván García that began 10 years ago in Monterrey. Originally founded as a design studio focused on branding, this path opened doors through various projects, leading them to design everything from a coffee cup to an entire space.

One of their first projects was Taquería Canalla, where this vision was first reflected. "It was here that we took on the comprehensive responsibility of designing a space for the first time. We asked for help from architect friends and realized that architecture was a fundamental piece of our design, as it opened many doors for us," comments Iván García.

These types of projects remind us that architecture is so vast that it can be approached from different starting points. Today, ByFutura consists of 13 people dedicated to design and architecture. The firm has established itself on the global design and architecture scene, handling national and international projects, 80% of which are completed outside of Mexico.

Jaime Sanz Haro, from the ARKRIT Collective, invites us to reflect—in an article originally titled "Regulations, the New Architectural Treatise: Vitruvius, Alberti, Palladio, and the General Plan"—on the role and consequences of regulatory frameworks in urban planning.

Escola Sem Muros (School Without Walls) emerges from a desire for other possible practices and alternative ways of learning and relating: with one another, with the walls of the city, and with the learning potential inherent in each territory and individual. It brings together people who have joined for a common purpose: to go beyond physical, social, and political barriers, and to open cracks in both urban brutality and the educational formats that segregate worlds. Its methodology is based on engagement (valuing local identity), construction (the building site as a learning platform), and care (shared management of public spaces and care structures), proposing a process of holistic education.

In this post, the Arquia Foundation Blog, together with architect Carlos Cámara, invites us to reflect on learning digital tools in architecture, a recurring topic of debate in the training of new architects, given that the use of different software seems to grow more valuable by the day. Based on this reality, which is increasingly distant from the pencil, the questions in this article arise... How are these new technologies being taught to students? Are they tools that foster dependent consumption? Are these tools conditioning the design creativity of future architects?

The practice and work of Fausto Banderas Vela stood out significantly within a generation of architects working since the 1960s, forging new paths in Ecuadorian architecture. His projects do not go unnoticed; into them, he poured research, reflection, and experience. He embraced the complex dimension of architecture, conscious of the need to transcend an individual vision and focus in order to emphasize the confluence of multiple contributions.

“Architecture is a complex and collective endeavor. To my understanding, there is no possibility of confronting the subject individually; not in design, where dialogue and mutual contribution are required, nor, obviously, in construction, since a work of architecture only begins to exist when it transitions from graphic and written documents into a material reality”¹. He pointed out that architecture only truly exists when materialized. Thinking, designing, and constructing it are stages of the process embraced by Fausto Banderas, enabling him to achieve coherence and quality.

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Arquideas is a community of students and young professionals from the architecture and design world. Its main objective is to showcase the talent and creativity of these young designers and help bridge the gap between the academic and professional spheres of architecture and design.

With this in mind, they once again launched a competition titled Bay Book House (BaBH) San Francisco, which challenged participants to propose a cultural exchange space to activate one or more of the abandoned piers in San Francisco's historic port.

Given its prime location, the proposed space was envisioned as a meeting point and an international benchmark for students, researchers, culture lovers, and the general public. It aims to offer outdoor reading, research, and technological innovation as key attractions for both residents and visitors. In a city already full of globally iconic landmarks, this new space must be designed to become San Francisco's new cultural landmark—the flagship of a vibrant, rapidly developing waterfront.

After 70 years of setbacks, the Bogotá Metro is finally beginning to take shape. Last September, it secured partial state funding for its construction, and in April, the 16 stations of the first line were presented. Consequently, building a new transit system for a city of 8 million people has sparked widespread debate, capturing the attention of residents who long for a project that would solve one of the major mobility crises currently facing the Colombian capital.

Darío Hidalgo, director of integrated transport at the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, and Carlos Carrillo, an industrial designer from the National University of Colombia, recently participated in the Observatorio de Gobierno Urbano program on UN Radio, where they compared the routes and costs of an elevated metro versus an underground one.

Westbank is a developer of high-end luxury residential properties and Canada's premier hotel developer—its portfolio includes Vancouver House, designed by BIG, which has become one of the world's most high-profile urban developments. The Avior is situated in Minami-Aoyama, a prestigious neighborhood near Tokyo’s renowned Omotesando shopping district. The area is a hub of architectural landmarks, home to Jun Aoki's Louis Vuitton Maison, Toyo Ito's Tod’s, Kengo Kuma’s LVMH Japan headquarters, and Tadao Ando's Omotesando Hills, among others.

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As part of the 30th National Meeting of Architecture Students (ENEA), the Association of Architecture Teaching Institutions (ASINEA) invited the country's most prestigious architecture schools to participate in this event organized by Universidad de La Salle México. The meeting took place at La Salle Cuernavaca in March 2018, bringing together the highest-performing students.

The exercises focused on the theme proposed by La Salle México, "Architecture and Design for Urban Emergencies," which arose from the events of September 19, 2017, and the urgent need to raise awareness within the profession about the importance of preparing for social disasters caused by natural phenomena.

Conventional, spiral, curved, U-shaped, ship's ladder... there are various models and possibilities for designing stairs in projects, depending on space constraints and design intent. But what unique characteristics does the Santos Dumont staircase possess compared to others? Named after its creator, the inventor and pioneer of Brazilian aviation, this model serves as a middle ground between a typical inclined staircase and a vertical ladder. Its slope is much steeper than that of a conventional staircase, and its steps feature alternating cutouts for the left and right foot, reducing its footprint and saving space.

Around 19,000 architects and urban planners from Rio de Janeiro state now have access to a shared office space in downtown Rio de Janeiro. Featuring 20 workstations and two meeting rooms, the space allows professionals to work and host client meetings.

The Council's goal is to bring greater vitality to the use of its headquarters—located at Av. República do Chile, 230, 23rd floor—while strengthening ties with professionals and providing access to an infrastructure that architects and urban planners help maintain. By the end of this year, CAU/RJ expects to increase the number of available workstations and meeting rooms.

Designed by Ignacio Lira Montes, the Ruta Memorial Selk'nam project was selected as one of the 10 winners in the Thesis Projects category of the Concurso Arquitectura Caliente 2018 (CAC 2018), a Chilean competition organized by Grupo Arquitectura Caliente and funded by the Ministry of Cultures, Arts, and Heritage.

The project stems from research on the Selk’nam people of Tierra del Fuego and how this ethnic group was exterminated by the owners of the Magellanic ranches. Studying Selk'nam cosmogony and visiting the site determined the design approach to this theme.

In Santa Cruz de la Sierra, more than 150 students from 15 countries kicked off the 2018 Latin American Encounter of Architecture Students (ELEA), organized by the Latin American Coordinator of Architecture Students (CLEA) together with IBEA (Bolivian Integration of Architecture Students). As is now tradition, they joined forces with various public and private entities, architecture collectives, workshop leaders, educators, and members of civil society to think, design, and build across different points of the city under the theme "identity crisis?". 

Over four days, the public space of Pontevedra, Spain, was transformed by urban interventions designed to foster imagination and play. This marked the inaugural edition of Experimenta Pontevedra, held from June 21 to 24, 2018, in the Spanish city.

Pontevedra, which received the UN-Habitat Award for its pedestrian-friendly urban model, has become a benchmark for many cities in recent years, having achieved a milestone where over 70% of urban trips are made on foot or by bicycle within a 15-year period. Accordingly, as the organizers explain, Experimenta Pontevedra is part of this urban development strategy. With the pedestrianization of the city center now fully established, the initiative seeks to foster public spaces that stimulate the imagination and playfulness of their users.

Sometimes, we cover projects so innovative and futuristic that they seem unlikely to ever leave the drawing board. Fortunately, we are occasionally proven wrong. This is the case with Ecocapsule, a micro-home that generates all the energy it needs and can be taken anywhere in the world, which has just made its international debut.

An initial run of 50 units has been launched for clients in the United States, Japan, Australia, and the European Union. From the outside, one would never guess that these tiny homes pack so many features: the exterior is covered in photovoltaic panels, equipped with a small wind turbine, and capable of collecting and filtering its own water.

Single-Family Residential Housing

AS Arquitectura, Xavier Abreu Sacramento, Alejandra Abreu Sacramento, and Efraín Góngora
First Place in Category and Grand Prize of the XII Yucatecan Architecture Biennial 2018
Casa del Árbol

As part of the events of the XXVI Colombian Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism, the winning projects and publications have been announced.

Divided into 8 categories, the 283 submitted projects were evaluated by an international jury comprising Iñaqui Carnicero (Spain), Alejandro Beals (Chile), and Fabián Farfán (Bolivia), alongside local architects Germán Fonseca, Julián Rincón, Sara Giraldo, and Diego Aguilera.

[Developing story] The winning projects are:

Access to open public spaces is important for increasing leisure-time physical activity in high-income countries, as studies show, but evidence remains limited in middle-income countries. Moreover, in countries like Brazil and Colombia, for instance, leisure-time physical activity is still lower than in high-income countries like the United States—a situation that has not changed in recent years.

As 2018 draws to a close, it leaves us with a particularly interesting realization. Given its visual nature, Instagram has become a highly important tool for the dissemination of architecture in the digital era.

On our account, we share the various projects published on the site and keep track of the photographs with the most engagement. Do you know which images were our most popular on Instagram in 2018?