Ayrson Heráclito, "O Sacudimento da Casa da Torre e o Sacudimento da Maison des Esclaves em Gorée", 2015, video installation. courtesy of the artist
Questioning the canonical history of architecture and shedding light on long-invisible spatial practices, Gabriela de Matos and Paulo Tavares propose the exhibition “Terra” [Earth], at the Brazilian pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2023. "It's our way of shaking things up," say the curators, who turn their attention to ancestral ways of dealing with the land, aiming for more fair and complete possibilities for the present and future.
Addressing "earth" in all its meanings, the curators overlay issues related to soil and territory with the planetary problems. They propose an approach to reparations and decoloniality - emerging in Brazil - with broad topics such as decarbonization and the environment, decisive in the contemporary global debate. The Brazilian Pavilion titled Terra [Earth], won the Golden Lion for Best National Participation at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale, on Saturday 20th of May, selected by a jury comprising Italian architect and curator Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli as president, Nora Akawi, Thelma Golden, Tau Tavengwa, and Izabela Wieczorek.
https://www.archdaily.com/1001311/earth-as-ancestral-and-future-technology-an-interview-with-gabriela-de-matos-and-paulo-tavares-curators-of-the-brazil-pavilion-and-winners-of-the-golden-lion-at-the-2023-venice-biennaleRomullo Baratto e Victor Delaqua
Harnessing the power of moldless manufacturing through large-scale robotic 3D printing, research at ETH Zürich in collaboration with FenX AG delves into the use of cement-free mineral foam made from recycled waste. The objective is to build wall systems that are monolithic, lightweight, and immediately insulated, minimizing material use, labor requirements, and associated costs.
Currently at 103 million, the number of people forcibly displaced from their homes is continuously growing. Many seek shelter in settlements that are meant to be temporary, but where displaced people end up living years, even decades.
The Norman Foster Foundation and Holcim, global leader in sustainable building solutions, came together to form a response to this problem based on two firm beliefs: everyone has the right to a home, and everyone should have access to sustainable building.
Cities worldwide can save thousands of lives every year through fairly simple measures: traffic calming and speed management. Readjusting vehicle speed limits on urban roads is one of the key initiatives highlighted by the UN and the WHO to help countries meet the target of halving traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030.
https://www.archdaily.com/1136225/5-myths-about-reducing-urban-traffic-speedPaula Manoela dos Santos, Andressa Ribeiro e Adriana Jakovcevic
TheCzech Republic Pavilion at EXPO 2025Osaka embodies the concept of life energy and continuous growth through its thoughtful architectural design. Created by Apropos Architects, the pavilion is centered around the motif of a spiral. Visitors experience a 260-meter-long pathway that wraps around the building, ascending gradually across four floors before culminating on the observation roof. This dynamic journey reflects the passage of time, individual development, and broader themes of personal and social progress.
Architecture involves mobilizing several aspects of the environment where the building is located: the socio-cultural, political and economic context, aesthetics, legislation, and functionality. Functionality includes use efficiency, occupancy, and comfort. Laurent Troost's work has shown the articulation between these various factors, with particular attention to comfort, especially thermal comfort. His projects prioritize natural ventilation over artificial air conditioning, which has become almost mandatory in current city models.
Environmental issues urgency and increasing temperatures on the planet are nothing new. There are many factors contributing to environmental degradation. However, two can be viewed as representative of critical points in the current world system: plastic and waste disposal, better known as garbage.
The environmental crisis cannot be attributed solely to these two examples. They are used here as examples to mobilize issues involving multiple agents, materials, and diverse methods. These issues lead to devastating consequences, increasingly irreversible.
Nearly three years ago, the platform arquitectas.mx was launched as an initiative by Mexican architects Mónica Suberville and Laura A. Gómez. Born from the desire to find ways to support, mobilize, and bring visibility to women in architecture, the platform offers a gathering space for professionals across different practices within the field, aiming to steer the profession toward inclusion, equity, and the improvement of cities through a gender perspective.
Within the realm of commercial architecture, the design of spatiality can adopt multiple approaches, conceiving proposals that achieve a balance between aesthetics and functionality. Taking into consideration that various cultural variables, social tensions, and economic interests are involved, the construction of these spaces directly involves the interaction between users, brands, and their products, participating in the experience on-site from colors and materials to lighting, climate control, sounds, aromas, and more.
The largest exhibition of Norman Foster’s work to date, hosted by the Centre Pompidou, explores six decades of the architect’s illustrious career through a host of revealing sketchbooks, drawings, images, original models, and videos. The exhibition was designed by Norman Foster and executed with Foster + Partners and the Norman Foster Foundation. A custom-made series of modular display cases was designed by Norman Foster and a team from the Norman Foster Foundation and engineered by Goppion, world leader in the manufacture and installation of museum display cases, to display the architect’s sketchbooks and transparencies.
Architectural model of the new KNMA New Delhi. Image Courtesy of Adjaye Associates and KNMA
The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) has revealed an architectural model of its new building during the 18th International Architecture Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia, as part of the Curator’s Special Projects, titled Mnemonic, presented at the Arsenale - Artiglierie in Venice. The building, designed by Ghanian-British architect Sir David Adjaye in collaboration with S. Ghosh & Associates as the local architect of record, is set to become India’s largest cultural center. The project is scheduled to open in Delhi in 2026.
Wood is the concrete of the future. As timber construction becomes increasingly popular, you have probably heard this phrase. However, we are not talking about traditional construction techniques using timber, but rather about this well-known material combined with cutting-edge technology.
The history of architects designing resorts is intertwined with the development of the hospitality industry and the concept of leisure travel. The origins can be traced back to ancient times when the Romans built luxurious villas and bathhouses as retreats for the wealthy. However, the modern notion of resorts emerged during the 19th century with industrialization and the growing middle class seeking recreational experiences.
At a very high standard of luxury, resort hotels provide an immersive and rejuvenating vacation experience. These resorts are frequently rooted in beautiful landscapes in remote locations, often containing full-service accommodations, offering escapism and complete disconnection. Architects have continued to shape the resort landscape in recent decades with their designs. Sustainability and integration with natural surroundings have gained importance as architects strive to create environmentally conscious and immersive resort experiences.
Paris, located in Île-de-France. Photo by Nil Castellví via Unsplash
Île-de-France, one of the 18 administrative regions of France, is committed to helping its residents save water. With the arrival of spring in the European country on March 20, authorities are concerned about potential water shortages. The solution? Offering up to €20,000 in subsidies to those who install rainwater harvesting systems on their properties.
The financial support is available to those who plan to install or have already installed water storage tanks within the last three months. The subsidy covers underground or above-ground installations—including the filtration collector, pump, connection kit, earthworks, and mains connection, among other components.
As world governments grapple with environmental crises, the construction industry rushes to reevaluate sustainable design and develop new ways of measuring its efficiency. Consequently, green building certification systems (GBCS) started gaining traction in the 20th century to evaluate and promote sustainable construction practices. The Global South faces distinctive challenges in building sustainable cities. Its developing nations demand an exclusive approach to designing an appropriate, economical, and inspiring architecture for their promising futures.
The Second Studio (formerly The Midnight Charette) is an explicit podcast about design, architecture, and the everyday. Hosted by Architects David Lee and Marina Bourderonnet, it features different creative professionals in unscripted conversations that allow for thoughtful takes and personal discussions.
A variety of subjects are covered with honesty and humor: some episodes are interviews, while others are tips for fellow designers, reviews of buildings and other projects, or casual explorations of everyday life and design. The Second Studio is also available on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube.
This week David and Marina, Partners at FAME Architecture & Design discuss the livability of designer homes. The two cover designing for function and aesthetics, material resilience, lifestyle changes, space efficiency, designing based on reference images, and the benefits of adapting to design-forward living environments.
https://www.archdaily.com/1001273/the-second-studio-podcast-the-livability-of-designer-homesThe Second Studio Podcast
A study by the Journal of Transport and Land Use (JTLU), published in early 2022, revealed that 37% of single-family homeowners in Sacramento, California, did not park their cars in their garages. Instead, these spaces turned into storage units or large closets, as researcher Catie Gould notes in an article for the Sightline Institute. While this represents just one city, the data aligns with findings from a series of global studies highlighting the underutilization of residential parking spaces. In San Francisco, also in California, a survey found that 49% of the 97 garages analyzed in the Mission District were not used to store vehicles, Gould points out.
https://www.archdaily.com/1136479/parking-spaces-the-enemy-of-affordable-housingSomos Cidade
Oxford plans to transform its entire city center into a Zero Emission Zone. Photo by Suad Kamardeen, via Unsplash
The need to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the transportation sector is urgent, and implementing measures to this end represents both a challenge and an opportunity for local governments. This is the case with Zero-Emission Areas (ZEAs), urban sectors where pollutant emissions are neutralized. This measure primarily benefits those who will enjoy healthier urban spaces and more vibrant commercial activities. However, ensuring its success—or at least mitigating public backlash—requires deep social engagement and effective communication with the population.
https://www.archdaily.com/1136419/everything-you-need-to-know-about-zero-emission-zonesITDP Brasil
February 20th marks a new edition of the World Day of Social Justice. The theme, "Overcoming barriers and unlocking opportunities", is a perfect occasion to reflect on the importance of equity in all areas of society - and especially from architecture and urbanism. And yes: they both have a fundamental role in building accessible cities and are important tools for addressing the challenges of economic inequality and social exclusion.
No País dos Arquitectosis 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 landmark contemporary Portuguese architecture. With just over 10 million inhabitants, Portugal is a highly compelling country in this professional field, producing architecture that punches far above its weight relative to its population and territorial scale.
In this episode of the fifth season, Sara talks with architect Paulo Moreira about the Kapalanga School in Luanda, Angola. Listen to the conversation and read an excerpt of the interview below.
With a capacity of 42,500 spectators, the first images of the new La Romareda Stadium, home of the Spanish soccer club Real Zaragoza, have been released. Spanish architecture firm IDOM is in charge of the preliminary design of the future stadium, addressing a series of factors considered key in modern sports venues today. These include creating a vibrant soccer atmosphere to enhance the spectator experience, hosting major international competitions, becoming a benchmark in sustainability, utilizing advanced safety and broadcasting technologies, and establishing a landmark for the city, consolidating a stadium for the club, Zaragoza, and the wider Aragon region.
From May 20 to 21, 2023, the Open House architecture and urbanism festival will take place in the city of Rosario, opening the doors of 98 architectural works alongside 8 urban tours to discover and rediscover the city's architecture and urban design. For its sixth edition, this year's festival aims to venture deep into the heart of the city—the home—applying an urban approach committed to the individual and collective memory of the city and its residents, merging tangible built heritage with the traces of time.
