Jean Pierre Crousse and Sandra Barclay have just won the Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize –the highest architectural distinction in the Americas– with the recently completed Edificio E at the Universidad de Piura. Through their work, Barclay & Crousse has approached the Peruvian territory and landscape from different perspectives and at different scales, complementing this approach with research and teaching at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, where they explore the transdisciplinary and multiscalar dimensions of architecture.
In this interview, we delve into their relationship with teaching, the Peruvian territory, and the role of architecture today in countries like Peru.
What is the difference between sustainable architecture and bioclimatic architecture? Both terms are frequently used within the profession, though their underlying principles were discovered centuries ago (referring to the vernacular tradition of architecture) and the terms themselves were derived from the concept of “sustainable development,” first proposed by Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Brundtland at the 42nd session of the United Nations in 1987:
But what is the difference between the two? They are highly similar concepts, varying only according to the intentions of the architect using them. To clarify: terms like sustainable architecture, green architecture, eco-architecture, or environmentally conscious architecture are often used by architects attempting to reflect a basic climatic awareness in their work, but whose actual “gestures” have little impact on energy efficiency. Their primary focus often ends up being to make the building appear “eco-friendly” through a green facade or a green roof. In most cases, these designs lack a real climatic foundation. By contrast, the second term, bioclimatic architecture (without any qualifiers), bases its entire raison d'être on the climate. The building's final appearance is secondary, as all design decisions stem from a preliminary study of the climate—treating it as a fundamental tool—and aim to understand and leverage it.
This gives rise to the concept of the “healthy building,” recently proposed by Harvard University's prestigious school of public health, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Focused on “building healthier communities around the world,” the school has launched the Healthy Buildings program at the Harvard Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment (C-CHANGE). One of its main goals has been to synthesize 30 years of public health science to identify what makes a building “healthy.” The result: the 9 Foundations of a Healthy Building. This 36-page study identifies key factors and details how they relate to human health. In addition to defining these factors, the study provides simple recommendations for each, including the regular assessment of both the factors and occupant needs. In short, it is a straightforward study—still far from frameworks like the Well Building Standard—but well-targeted and a step in the right direction.
This discrepancy was highlighted in a petition on Change.org addressed to Jordi Ludevid, then-president of the CSCAE, in which the signing architects called for greater active participation of women at all stages of the process, seeking equal representation with their male colleagues.
https://www.archdaily.com/1113704/women-architects-in-spain-join-forces-to-create-their-own-association-amaeJavier García Librero
The year 2018 marks the centennial of artist Athos Bulcão. In celebration of the life and work of one of Brazil's most influential 20th-century painters, sculptors, and muralists, the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (Iphan) has launched an updated version of the inventory of his work.
Titled Inventário da Obra de Athos Bulcão em Brasília (Inventory of the Work of Athos Bulcão in Brasília), the book builds upon an initial study conducted by the institute between 2008 and 2009 and published in 2010. That first edition documented 261 works, revealing the sensitivity, versatility, and richness of the artist's creative universe. Officially launched on July 30, the new edition spans over 200 pages, featuring a conceptually expanded and revised content alongside a playful and inventive graphic design.
Every now and then, it is inevitable to pause, set everything aside, and simply think about the future. This necessary imaginative exercise—performed countless times throughout the history of fiction—allows us, among other things, to recognize where we stand and understand where we are going. As such, it becomes a relevant and compelling practice to apply to our own transformative and visionary discipline. We proposed this challenge to several Chilean architects, inviting them to speculate not just on the near future—already difficult to navigate in today's liquid modernity—but on a more distant horizon, framed by the question: what will be the role of architects in Chile over the next 25 years?
Their opinions and commentary, emphasizing different facets of architectural practice, share several common threads by connecting current issues and questions relevant to the 21st-century city: the human dimension—the ethical, the collective, the common—and the urban realm, in their relationships and forms of organization.
Removal of the overpass block and clearing of the area at Eixão Sul. Photo: Pedro Ventura/Agência Brasília
The Federal District office of Iphan did not approve the project submitted by the Federal District Department of Roads (DER-DF) for the reconstruction of the section of the Eixão Sul that collapsed in February of this year, burying two cars and the tables of a restaurant.
The agency responsible for Brazil's artistic and cultural heritage blocked the proposal, claiming that the DER-DF/Novacap project "significantly alters the original architecture and compromises the architectural and urban integrity and, by extension, that of the Plataforma Rodoviária complex and complementary road system."
Campo de Magadoz . Image Cortesía de Colectivo ARKRIT
Architects Rafael Pina and Nicolás Maruri, from the ARKRIT Collective, reflect on the soccer fields nestled within the adobe and rammed earth settlements of Morocco's High Atlas. Having barely altered the territory, these spaces integrate and merge into the topography through minimal modifications and actions for a single, simple purpose: to play.
Construction requires mobilizing material resources and human labor, inevitably transforming the territory. Building with what is readily available is a stance that can be driven by ethics, but also by necessity. In either case, the outcome is usually economical and fitting. Resource consumption is kept to a minimum, and adaptation to the environment becomes a natural consequence.
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Detalle prototipo. Image Cortesía de BASE studio
BASE Studio, a design and research practice focused on innovative architectural systems, has designed "Flocking Tejas," a pavilion made of handcrafted clay tiles. The installation emerges as an architectural system that expands the possibilities of handmade materials and adaptive systems, ultimately creating an intervention designed to spark the curiosity of its users.
The project was a finalist in the YAP_Constructo 8 competition, directed by architects Marcelo Sarovic and Jeannette Plaut.
Historic center of the city of Antonina. The site was listed as a heritage site by Iphan in 2012. Photo: Archive/Gazeta do Povo
Cities are living testaments to the cultural, social, economic, and political transformations of society. In a state of constant evolution, superficial traces of the past fade away, while deeper scars overlap with the multiple layers of the present that unfold across cities over decades and centuries.
Throughout history, a combination of factors has allowed some cities to remain better preserved, offering vivid glimpses of colonial Brazil. In contrast, in other cities, the traces of early urbanization have been erased or swallowed by subsequent eras.
For many years, Mexico City has been what many authors call a "living organism," built day by day and choreographed in diverse ways. Santiago Arau's work portrays a city where time passes, shaped by its inhabitants—ranging from sweeping aerial views to the daily gaze of a commuter on public transit. Don't miss this time-lapse, which will allow you to imagine (or remember) what it is like to experience Mexico City in just one minute.
Featuring references to his career, projects, and travels, the Ocupação Paulo Mendes da Rocha celebrates the 90th birthday, on October 25, of Brazil's most important living architect. Through sketches, technical drawings, models, and other materials selected from Mendes da Rocha’s personal archive, curator Guilherme Wisnik reveals some of the architect’s most radical ideas, which use ideology and technique to challenge and subvert colonial mindsets that still echo in Brazilian architectural design.
To encourage the use of bicycles as a non-motorized mode of transportation, BKT Mobiliario Urbano has developed the Ciclopuerto CP-009; a geometric piece made of recycled aluminum and rubber that accommodates two bicycles per rack. The unit consists of a metal structure clad in recycled aluminum on its lower section to increase durability, and rubber on its upper section to protect bicycles from scratches and other damage.
After two editions at the Parque Cultural de Valparaíso, the Chilean Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism will return to Santiago in 2019. On Wednesday, June 6, the Mayor of Santiago, Felipe Alessandri, and the President of the Chilean Association of Architects, Humberto Eliash, signed the official agreement during a ceremony at the Mercado Matadero Franklin, which was attended by city council members, Minister of Housing and Urban Development Cristián Monckeberg, undersecretaries, regional authorities, and other officials.
During the ceremony, organizers confirmed that the 21st Biennial will take place in October 2019, with both the Mercado Matadero Franklin and the Teatro Huemul serving as the main venues for the country's premier architectural event.
Studio davidpompa is a project founded in 2013, dedicated to creating contemporary objects with a strong commitment to Mexican identity and craftsmanship, using specific materials transformed into innovative shapes to create simple, elegant objects.
Based in the heart of Mexico City with a showroom in Roma Norte—a neighborhood built primarily in the early 20th century featuring French-style buildings—they have reinvented themselves to create a new space.
On March 8 and 9, 2018, Barcelona hosted the European BIM Summit, an annual international congress on Building Information Modeling (BIM). The event focused on promoting best practices in BIM use, sharing methodologies, and fostering international alignment.
During the summit, Ana Rojo, Director General of Production and Engineering at Ineco, announced that public building construction projects in Spain must use BIM methodology by the end of 2018. Ineco is part of the European Public Administration Group and has been commissioned to draft the Manual of Common Practices for BIM implementation. Along with the es.BIM commission, the organization is responsible for implementing this methodology across all processes carried out by Spain's Ministry of Development.
https://www.archdaily.com/1113795/bim-will-be-mandatory-for-public-works-in-spain-this-2018Javier García Librero
The IABsp Awards, one of the most anticipated and competitive honors in Brazilian architecture, revealed yesterday, December 7, the 2018 winners across 14 categories. Over the years, since its first edition in 1968, the IABsp awards have established themselves as an important platform for critique, recognition, and dissemination of national architecture and urbanism, promoting the exchange of ideas and new solutions among Brazilian architects.
In addition to the category awards, the Rino Levi Prize was awarded for lifetime achievement. This year, the honor went to Rosa Kliass for her lifetime body of work in landscape architecture.
James Wright retraces the steps of Walter Gropius in the new documentary Konstruktion Argentina. The film explores various Argentine architectural works, revealing their German influence.
Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, and Berlin are some of the settings where the journey takes place.
During the Real Estate Show 2018—an event bringing together leading national and international industry figures, and a premier showcase for iconic, cutting-edge architectural projects—La Mexicana park, in Santa Fe, Mexico City, was awarded first place by the Association of Real Estate Developers (ADI) during the sixth edition of the event.
Today, it is estimated that in Brazil alone, 30 million tons of waste are deposited annually in landfills, with São Paulo alone sending 14,000 tons of solid waste to these sites every day. [1] Unsurprisingly, landfills occupy vast tracts of land that continue to expand, posing a critical challenge for nearly every city. But what can be done once landfills reach capacity and close? Is it possible to breathe new life into these mountains of waste? What are the possibilities and necessary precautions?
Since its inaugural edition, the European Landscape Biennial has sought to deepen the discussion on landscape intervention, from both landscape architecture and other disciplines related to its study and evolution. As part of its tenth edition, the awards ceremony for the 10th International Landscape Biennial and the Rosa Barba Prizes was held in Barcelona on Friday, September 28. Over 300 projects were submitted to this edition, resulting in nine outstanding finalists from around the world.
Our team is proud to introduce a new editorial partner for ArchDaily en Español: Paisaje Transversal, a Spanish urban innovation firm. Operating with its own proprietary methodologies, the firm specializes in urban regeneration through initiatives like Sustainable Urban Development (DUS) and currently serves as the National URBACT Point in Spain.
Through this partnership, ArchDaily's Spanish-language network will publish articles authored by the Spanish firm, bringing the ongoing dialogue around urban challenges directly to our readers. Citizen participation, turistification, smart cities, public space, mobility, urban negotiation, and urban planning tools are among the topics we will cover weekly across our Spanish-language sites.
On January 24, 2018, Schmidt Hammer Lassen (SHL), one of the world’s leading architecture practices, formally joined the global design firm Perkins+Will in Shanghai. The strategic partnership will expand SHL’s presence in China and reinforce Perkins+Will's commitment to sustainability and design excellence, combining the strengths of both firms to jointly develop the Chinese architecture market.
Harrison noted: “This partnership is founded on shared values between Perkins+Will and Schmidt Hammer Lassen: design excellence, sustainability, innovation, and the highest standards of client service. We also share a design philosophy, firmly believing that extraordinary architecture is always democratic and serves the greater good. We are aligned at every level.”
https://www.archdaily.com/1113805/breaking-shl-joins-perkins-plus-will-establishing-a-strategic-partnership-in-shanghai韩爽 - HAN Shuang
Now in its thirteenth edition, The New York Times has released its selection of 52 places to visit in 2018. The influential list by the American newspaper—which previously awarded the top spot to Mexico City (2016), Rio de Janeiro (2013), and Santiago (2011)—now highlights New Orleans.
The New York Times team highlights the ethnic diversity of the American city, influenced by "Europe, the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, and indigenous peoples who have turned it into a melting pot," with a clear nod to global outbreaks of racism, xenophobia, and aporophobia (fear of poverty).
Additionally, new destinations and Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America and Spain have been included in this year's list:
