Walking through the city. A territory in constant motion. It is complex, shaped by an infinite tangle of yearnings. These may drive the construction of a new place—whether physical or otherwise—but also the deconstruction of others that, despite being well-established, remain burdened with past conceptions. Amidst all this, there is an inevitable need for individuals to seek spaces where they can connect with others, so that their diverse identities may find expression.
"The city is conflict, just as society is conflict, but the types of conflict that take shape and express themselves in each city reveal what each is like," says urban anthropology specialist María Cristina Cravino regarding the right to the city in Latin America. In a growing context of cities undergoing gentrification, where high land and housing prices displace working-class residents, the new Barrio Maestranza Ukamau offers a compelling example that has much to say about potential pathways to public-interest housing in Santiago, Chile.
Located on the grounds of the former San Eugenio railway workshops in central Santiago, between Santiago Watt and Exposición streets in the Estación Central district, the project was not only designed by architect Fernando Castillo Velasco in his final years and continued by his son Cristián Castillo alongside Elías Becerra and Pamela González, but also by the community of families organized through the assemblies of the Ukamau Social and Popular Movement, where they deliberated and discussed their future homes step by step. The project spans nearly 3 hectares and comprises 424 apartments.
Residents of the Brussels-Capital Region in Belgium will receive up to €900 to deregister their vehicles. The initiative is part of "Bruxell’Air," a financial support program for those looking to adopt alternative modes of transportation.
“The House Through the Dining Room: Architecture Around the Table” is a research project conducted by architect Francisco Javier Fernández García as part of the Master’s Degree in Advanced Studies in Architecture at the Barcelona School of Architecture (ETSAB). Advised by Xavier Monteys and written in the style of an “editorial essay,” the work aims to bring to the table—quite literally—the role of the dining room as a domestic space capable of reshaping our understanding of the home. Rather than simply compiling a collection of dining rooms, it features a diverse range of images in a comparative exercise, juxtaposing them to reveal shared characteristics. Discussing the dining room serves as a pretext to illuminate many other issues related to the home and the act of dwelling.
From NFTs to the metaverse and the benefits of real-time rendering, this is an opportune moment to discuss the latest trends in architectural visualization.
With this in mind, we want to open the debate and hear your thoughts on the subject. What can we learn from other related industries, such as cinema, video games, and industrial design? How can architecture contribute to and advance the world of visualization?
Pingado, carioca, espresso, drip, americano, cappuccino. Unlike in architecture, in this case, form is the least important factor when it comes to declaring a passion for coffee. A loyal companion since the college days of pulling all-nighters, and one that continues to accompany the daily creative process throughout the careers of many architects, this traditional beverage holds a special place in the profession and deserves to be celebrated. Today, March 14, is World Coffee Day. To celebrate, we feature a selection of projects where this sensory-awakening ingredient takes center stage.
One of the most talked-about films of the year is part of an acclaimed franchise that features the city as one of its main characters. While the protagonist is a well-known superhero, it is impossible to talk about Batman without talking about Gotham City. In this episode, Arquicast discusses the latest installment of the Caped Crusader's saga, following his journey to rescue Gotham from the clutches of organized crime and restore a sense of citizenship that might bring unity and hope to the city's unequal and battered population.
Who do you design a city for? Your answer is unlikely to focus on a baby or a child under the age of six—the age bracket that defines early childhood. Yet, a wide range of guidelines and actions can be taken to integrate this demographic into urban planning. After all, this is when a citizen's first interactions with urban life begin, making it essential to provide the most welcoming environment possible.
At one of Bolivia's most important architecture events, a Brazilian project took home the top prize. Sesc Parque Dom Pedro II, designed by the firm UNA Arquitetos under the coordination of Fernanda Barbara and Fabio Valentim, won the International Project category of the International Architecture Biennial of Santa Cruz 2022 (VIII BASC), held between March 25 and April 3 of this year.
With every fraction of a degree of global warming, the impacts of climate change become more intense. In the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 278 scientists from 65 countries demonstrate that to keep the 1.5°C limit established by the Paris Agreement within reach, global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions must peak within the next three years.
Municipalities, much like people, are dynamic entities, constantly evolving to keep pace with and adapt to the social, economic, and environmental shifts of their time. By the same token, the vision of how the ideal city should be planned has continually been shaped by the reality and prevailing thought of each era.
The seven main representative entities of Brazilian architects and urban planners, members of the Board of Architecture and Urbanism Entities (CEAU), launched the Open Letter to Candidates in the 2022 elections. Featuring 20 proposals, the document aims to address structural issues, economic and social development policies, and territorial planning in the country.
No País dos Arquitectos is a podcast created by Sara Nunes, who is also responsible for 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 when it comes to this professional field, and its architectural output far exceeds what its population and territorial scale would suggest.
No País dos Arquitectos is a podcast created by Sara Nunes, who is also responsible for the architectural film production company Building Pictures. The podcast aims to get to know the professionals, projects, and stories behind contemporary Portuguese architecture of reference. With just over 10 million inhabitants, Portugal is a fascinating country in this professional field, and its architectural output far exceeds what its small population or territorial scale would suggest.
The National Congress will officially discuss the proposal for the Professional Microentrepreneur (MEP), a tax category that would reduce taxes paid by architects, urban planners, and other independent professionals. The proposal, drafted by CAU in partnership with the Board of National Entities of Architects and Urban Planners (CEAU), was introduced by Federal Deputy Érica Kokay in the Chamber of Deputies as Supplementary Bill No. 55/2022.
Photography has historically been used to document architecture. Indeed, in the very first photograph, the subject captured was the estate of its inventor, Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. While commonly viewed as a mere recording of the actual work of art (the captured building), architectural photography is more than just a tool at the service of these structures; it is an art form in its own right, possessing its own language and aesthetic concerns.
Portuguese architecture firm Sastudio, in partnership with Icelandic studio Hjark and the firm Landmotun, has won the international design competition for a community center in Hornafjörður, Iceland. This marks the second competition won by the two offices; the first, for a kindergarten in Garðabær, is scheduled to begin construction in May of this year and is expected to be completed by mid-2023.
The 29 de Março community, in the Cidade Industrial de Curitiba (CIC), was one of two Brazilian regions selected by the Action Fund Brazil to receive investments to combat climate inequality. Ambiens Sociedade Cooperativa, a local cooperative, was responsible for the project — a 15-month initiative in one of the city's most vulnerable neighborhoods. The other project was implemented in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul.
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 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 population or territorial scale might suggest.
In this episode, Sara talks with Nuno Grande, from the office Pedra Líquida, about Casa do Conto and the Hotel Tipografia do Conto. Listen to the full interview and read an excerpt of the conversation below:
Cities play a fundamental role in the search for solutions and policies to mitigate the problems driving global climate change. Today, urban areas account for more than 70% of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions—one of the main causes of the greenhouse effect and its consequences for the environment and human life.
This percentage is striking, considering that municipalities occupy a mere 0.4% to 0.9% of the Earth's surface, as pointed out by the study "Effects of population or density change on urban carbon dioxide emissions," published in Nature Communications—a journal specializing in natural sciences.
In his most recent book, Survival of the City, economist Edward Glaeser diagnoses the conflicts of interest that permeate the urban debate. According to him, there is a fundamental opposition between insiders—longtime residents interested in maintaining the status quo and increasing their property values—and outsiders—new residents looking for affordable housing and new opportunities for work, consumption, and urban space.
At the end of 2021, the port city of Genoa, Italy, introduced free public transit. Following the success of the initiative, the experiment, originally scheduled to end on March 31, 2022, was extended for another four months.
Vertical transit systems (such as elevators and funiculars) will remain free seven days a week with no time restrictions, while free subway access is available during two specific windows: daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. This free access will be valid until July 31.
Just like much of popular culture, for most of the twentieth century, architectural media relied on magazines sold at newsstands and supermarkets. Through them, readers discovered what was being built, tracked technological innovations, and, to some extent, popularized architectural discourse, taking it beyond the academic and elitist confines of universities and conferences. With the rise of the internet, the format of this information shifted, finding new ways to reach the public. Social media and specialized websites became crucial channels for sharing information and services, expanding public access to architectural issues. Today, every major social network hosts profiles dedicated exclusively to architecture, tailoring their content to each specific platform.
There is no shortage of filmmakers trained in architecture, nor of architects passionate about cinema. On the Betoneira Podcast, architect and filmmaker Marcio Kogan joined hosts Marcelo Barbosa and André Scarpa, both architects and cinephiles, to discuss the films that have shaped their lives and influenced their architecture.
