No País dos Arquitectos is a podcast created by Sara Nunes, who also runs the architectural film production company Building Pictures. The project aims to introduce the professionals, projects, and stories behind leading contemporary Portuguese architecture. With just over 10 million inhabitants, Portugal is a highly intriguing country in this professional field, with an architectural output that punches far above its weight in relation to its population or territorial scale.

In this episode, Sara talks with architect Pedro Guimarães, from the office Barbosa & Guimarães Arquitectos, about the design of the Gouveia Courthouse (Palácio da Justiça de Gouveia). Listen to the full interview and read an excerpt of the transcript below:

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Converting the 18th-century Bodmin Jail into a modern hotel presented architects with significant design challenges, as the historic infrastructure imposed strict physical constraints. Listed buildings are subject to rigorous preservation guidelines regarding heritage protection, building character, thermal comfort, and the integration of natural light.

Such design challenges often complicate architectural planning, particularly in adaptive reuse projects. Common obstacles include sourcing materials that match or replicate the existing historic fabric. During the planning phase, spatial layout, occupant comfort, and the integration of modern technology must be carefully balanced with contemporary design principles. For the Bodmin Jail Hotel, a key requirement was integrating skylights into the existing, iconic pitched roof.

The CA Awards and Honors are among the most prestigious recognitions for architects in Chile, honoring 12 registered members for their work and contribution to the country's architectural field. Coinciding with the closing of Architecture Month and the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Colegio de Arquitectos de Chile, the award ceremony will take place on Thursday, August 25, at 6:00 PM. The event will also be broadcast via FB Live and on the YouTube channel of the Colegio de Arquitectos.

Registration is now open for the 24th IABsp Awards 2022—a traditional and prestigious award in the field of architecture and urbanism organized by the Institute of Architects of Brazil, an institution with over a century of history. “This edition seeks to consolidate the advances of the national edition held in 2021, aligning the categories and subcategories with the reality of our profession.” Hannah Machado, Co-president of IABsp

Until November 21, architects and urban planners can register for free through the website. Participation is limited to IAB members from any of the state departments across the country with works and proposals executed in the state of São Paulo since January 2017. Fortunately, applicants can also join the institute during the registration period.

"Domingos Libro" is hosted by Carmelo from Enorme Studio, delving into forgotten architectural publications, books, and architecture magazines from the '60s, '70s, and '80s that hold some of the most fascinating backstories.

After a hiatus in 2022, the series returned with episode 19, titled “Siempre Joven” (Forever Young). It focuses on Ettore Sottsass Jr. and how, at 62—when mere mortals would be contemplating retirement—he founded a studio alongside four twenty-somethings that would change the history of design.

Valode & Pistre (VP) is one of Europe's top ten architecture firms and the largest in France. Founded in 1980 by Denis Valode and Jean Pistre, the firm is headquartered in Paris, with branch offices in Beijing, Moscow, and Dubai. Their portfolio spans 35 countries and regions worldwide, encompassing a diverse range of typologies and scales. Widely acclaimed internationally, the practice has also received the Équerre d'Argent, France's highest architectural honor.

Their built portfolio focuses primarily on large-scale public buildings, commercial complexes, and residential developments, including office buildings, international exhibition and convention centers, mixed-use commercial centers, research facilities, hospitality venues, museums, universities, hospitals, and high-end residential projects.

In China, the firm's landmark projects include the Liaoning Cultural Venues, Sanya Haitang Bay International Duty-Free Shopping Mall, Haikou International Duty-Free City, Hangzhou Grand Exhibition Center, Jinan International Convention and Exhibition Center, Wuhan International Exhibition Center, and the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center—currently one of the largest single-structure buildings in the world. Committed to bringing top-tier French expertise to local Chinese projects, the practice delivers tailor-made designs that emphasize physical realization and human scale, ensuring satisfaction for clients and end-users alike.

“Our cities are patriarchies written in stone, brick, glass, and concrete.” The words of British feminist geographer Jane Darke lay bare an undeniable fact: urban development across the globe has always been the work of men. In executive roles, “the majority makes choices ranging from economic policy to housing planning, from the location of schools to bus seats, without realizing how these decisions affect women, let alone worrying about it,” says Canadian Leslie Kern, a geographer with a PhD in women’s studies from York University.

As part of a new initiative led by Francesca Borgonovo and Luis Young in Mexico City, "Preludio"—the inaugural exhibition of BY Galería—was presented from August 25 to September 3 at Proyecto Público Prim. This space arises from the question: "Is it possible to materialize architectural thought?"

The word "architect" can be deconstructed into three parts: "Arch," the architectural "arch" which etymologically denotes "the highest, strongest, and greatest"; "I" in the middle, representing the self; and "Tect," meaning "technical tool." Historically, the very origin of the architect's identity is rooted in this definition: "to execute the ultimate construction using technical tools guided by one's own subjective consciousness."

Throughout history, the architect's ultimate pursuit ("Arch"), subjective viewpoint ("I"), and technical means of realization ("Tect") have evolved alongside shifting eras and social landscapes. Yet, the core essence of these three elements and their symbiotic relationship have remained fundamentally unchanged.

Over the past two to three decades, accelerating technological breakthroughs have driven architects to invent and reconfigure new "tech" tools for architectural design and construction, striving to keep pace with the information age. Now, with a new wave of technologies like artificial intelligence, big data, and cloud computing driving us further into a digital and intelligent era, the definitions and relationships of "Arch," "I," and "Tect" must evolve. Only then can architects truly break free from the constraints of traditional production relations.

The architect's "I" is no longer the sole agent of design and construction. Instead, by integrating "I" with "Tect," a hybrid consciousness emerges from the fusion of human and machine intelligence, ultimately shaping our destination: "Arch." Architects' cognitive methods and workflows are shifting, as a paradigm of collective collaboration ushers in new professional models.

What is the difference in this shift of agency?
It is the difference between individual architectural decision-making and collaborative human-computer decision-making.

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 fascinating country within this professional field, and its architectural output is disproportionately significant compared to its population or territorial scale.

In this episode, Sara talks with Rui Dinis and Henrique Marques from the studio spaceworkers about the Romanesque Interpretation Center in Lousada. Listen to the full interview and read an excerpt of the transcript below:

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Arturo Arrieta

The new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) paints a troubling picture: climate change is already affecting every corner of the world, and far more severe impacts lie ahead if we fail to halve greenhouse gas emissions this decade and immediately scale up adaptation measures.

Within the framework of the project "Inclusive Preparation, Effective Response: Strengthening community preparedness and protection systems through an inclusive and gender-sensitive approach in the communities of the Cantagallo area in Lima," developed by the consortium of Plan International, COOPI - Cooperazione Internazionale, and Humanity Inclusion, the studio Arquitectura del Medio, led by Alejandro Merino and Gianella Díaz, seeks to implement a demonstration project in the Shipibo-Konibo Community of Cantagallo in the district of Rímac, Lima, taking environmental considerations and replicability into account.

The desire to simplify and find new ways to bring more greenery to buildings and cities motivated agricultural engineer Sérgio Rocha to create Kaatop, a hydroponic roof tile designed for cultivating various plant species. The inspiration for the tile came from his professional experience developing green roofs and suspended gardens. Working in the field for over a decade, Rocha noticed that existing market systems and techniques struggled to gain traction in construction projects.

"Domingos Libro" is presented by Carmelo of Enorme Studio, delving into forgotten architectural publications, books, and architecture magazines from the '60s, '70s, and '80s that harbor the most fascinating backstories.

Architecture is a broad field offering diverse opportunities for practice. Increasingly, young architects are striving to carve out new paths and explore alternative professional domains. Ephemeral architecture, with its experimental and artistic nature, plays a significant role in this pursuit, prompting practitioners to observe and discuss urban, social, landscape, and environmental issues. Here, we present examples of temporary installations that highlight these concerns and transform their surroundings. 

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Browsing ArchDaily's 3D printing tag reveals the incredible progress this technology has made over recent years. While once considered a distant, futuristic concept or a tool limited to small-scale objects, 3D printing has matured to produce increasingly complex spaces and even fully printed buildings. More recently, researchers have been experimenting with concrete and other construction materials, though developing a highly efficient 3D printing technology viable for widespread adoption remains a challenge. The 3D-printed pavilion by Huizenprinters serves as a compelling case study.

Sponsored by the Argentine Federation of Architects' Associations (FADEA), the College of Architects of the Province of Buenos Aires District 5 (CAPBA D5) organized the National Preliminary Design Competition for the renovation, expansion, and restoration of the CAPBA D5 delegation headquarters in the city of Lobos, province of Buenos Aires. As a binding competition, the first-prize winner will develop the executive project and oversee construction supervision under separate contracts.

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 introduce 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 small population or territorial scale might suggest.

In this week's episode, which closes the second season of interviews, Sara talks with architect Manuel Aires Mateus about his design for the EDP Headquarters in Lisbon. Listen to the interview and read the transcript of the conversation below:

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Following nearly 50 years of rapid urbanization, urban renewal has transitioned from an era of incremental growth to one of existing stock. Urban planning has shifted from expansion toward the high-quality renovation of existing assets to reactivate spaces. Looking back at recent adaptive reuse projects by Pritzker Prize laureates, we examine how these masters respond to today's challenges of urban stock renewal.

The layout of the Heliópolis neighborhood is the result of a history of informal settlements and complex urbanization. Over the last few decades, public authorities have taken varied approaches to the area, yet they have been unable to overcome the territory's informal nature, particularly regarding the complete, coordinated implementation of urban infrastructure. It was to address this context that the firm Vigliecca & Associados was invited to design the housing complexes for Glebas A and H, developed in 2004 and 2013, respectively.

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Is it possible to photograph time through transformations in urban space? To accumulate past and present in a single image, inviting the viewer into a visual and archaeological investigation? The Betoneira Podcast spoke with German photographer Michael Wesely about photography and cities. A pioneer of long-exposure photography, Wesely developed a technique that allows a single negative to be exposed for hours, days, or even years. The result is the condensation of the entire exposure period into a single photograph, producing poetic images of profound visual impact.

During the conversation, Michael explains that his interest in long-exposure photography began early, just as he started his studies. In his view, photography is closer to invention than to truth. His goal is not to produce a faithful record of reality, but rather to capture the movement and transformation brought about by the passage of time. Early in his career, Wesely quickly abandoned the concept of the “decisive moment” to focus his research on long-exposure photography.

In the early twentieth century, artist Luigi Russolo presented his work “Dinamismo di une Automobile” (Dynamism of an Automobile), which depicted the power and force of automotive speed. Russolo was an enthusiast of the future and a leading voice of Futurism, an artistic avant-garde that celebrated technological development and innovation.

Santander, Hábitat Futuro is a model made by the city for the city. Designed during 2022 based on a public citizen consultation conducted in 2020, "it is not a general urban development plan, but rather its preliminary draft, a necessary step prior to its preparation."

Bringing together citizens' aspirations and providing a technical response, this new model for Santander in northern Spain, projected toward the year 2055, was drafted by the architecture and planning offices Landlab and Paisaje Transversal after winning the 2021 ideas competition for the project.

Below, the authors present this new model in detail, grounded in regenerative urbanism and built on inclusion, connectivity, prosperity, and resilience.