The first “Urban Life Competition: Ideas for Sustainable Urban Transformation” was launched as part of an initiative by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) in collaboration with the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), under the framework of the LAIF City Life initiative and with the support of the European Commission. On June 15, 2022, the appointed jury announced the winning ideas, selected from over 90 proposals from 15 Latin American countries.
To honor the life and work of architect Armando Franco—who passed away last June at the age of 100—Clásicos Mexicanos presents the book Armando Franco COLECCIÓN COFRAN (1955-2022). This publication, the result of extensive research by the Clásicos Mexicanos team, brings together biographical data, plans, sketches, designs, and photographs of the most iconic works from the career of Franco, one of the most original and enigmatic Mexican modern architects of the 20th century.
Doreen Adengo, architect from Kampala, Uganda has passed away, as reported by African Futures Institute’s Instagram Account, after a long battle with cancer. Founder of Adengo Architecture in 2015, a research-based multi-disciplinary practice operating out of her hometown Kampala, Doreen, a registered architect in the United States and Uganda, had earned her undergraduate at the Catholic University (Bachelor of Science in Architecture) and graduate studies at Yale (Masters of Architecture). She has taught at The New School and Pratt Institute in New York, the University of Johannesburg’s Graduate School of Architecture, and was currently teaching at Uganda Martyrs University. In celebration of International Women’s Day 2022, Doreen Adengo was recognized by ArchDaily as one of the established practitioners implicated in change.
The expression "a perfect storm" refers to an event (typically an unfortunate one) which is exacerbated due to a confluence of negative or unpredictable factors. It is widely used when describing meteorological phenomena, but can also be applied to other contexts, such as the economy. The analogy can also be used to describe the relationship between the climate crisis and the world's dependence on concrete. As demonstrated in the Chatham House report, while cement (an essential element for concrete manufacturing) is extremely detrimental to the greenhouse effect and climate crisis –representing about 8% of global CO2 emissions–, its global production is nevertheless expected to increase over the next 30 years. It is said that this increase will stem from the demand for rapid urbanization in regions such as Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, the last IPCC report warned that we only have 11 years to reduce emissions and prevent irreversible damage due to climate change. In other words, the cement industry is facing a significant expansion at a time when emissions need to fall rapidly – a perfect storm.
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has unveiled a dynamic, user-controlled headquarters for Chinese multinational technology company Alibaba's Xuhui District campus in Shanghai. Located in one of the city's premiere arts and innovation districts, the new workplace transforms the typical headquarters building “inside out”, highlighting the company’s "collaboration and creativity". The building's architecture is designed to resemble a cloud, symbolizing the company's digital presence in the Cloud, as well as the technology industry’s shifting skies of innovation.
The municipality of Milan has announced the results of the competition to design the new European Library of Information and Culture (BEIC) in Milan, Italy. The winning team is composed of Onsite Studio, baukuh, Yellow Office, SCE Project, Studio Mistretta, Starching, Stain Engineering, Dotdotdot, (ab)Normal, Atmos Lab. The new building, situated in the Porta Vittoria area of Milan, aims to go beyond the traditional functions of a library to become a laboratory for the tools necessary to create contemporary culture.
During the first decades of the twentieth century, when a traditional architectural outlook of classical languages and order still ruled, the architect Luis Miró Quesada Garland (1914-1994) was a fundamental precursor to the change of mentality that would lead Peru towards a contemporary and modern architecture.
Throughout history, humans have always craved a sense of thrill and an affinity for different forms of entertainment and attraction at all different scales and sizes. Theme parks have continuously evolved, as society redefines what it means to be entertained, and have transformed from evening strolls into physics-defying twists and turns on state-of-the-art rollercoasters.
In collective housing projects, apartments, and residential complexes, design intentions regarding spatial qualities and atmospheres typically focus on the spaces where residents spend most of their time: the interiors of the housing units and, when available, common areas like gyms or multipurpose rooms. Circulation spaces, by contrast, are often treated merely as “transitional areas,” meaning they frequently address functional requirements rather than spatial experiences.
Born in Quito in 1947, Guadalupe Ibarra settled in Cuenca during her adolescence due to her father's military career. It was there that she decided to study architecture, enrolling at the University of Cuenca in 1963. An outstanding student, Ibarra earned her degree in 1970, becoming the first Ecuadorian woman to graduate as an architect in the country.
As engines of the economy and production, cities are home to the largest masses of people and it is estimated that by 2050, they will be home to 70% of the world's population. In this context, architects are incorporating the articulation of mixed uses in their buildings on a daily basis, seeking to encourage diversification and avoid mono-functionalisation.
The primary function of architecture, and possibly the most important and basic, is to protect against the weather. Whereas our ancestors would stack tree trunks and animal skins to create rudimentary shelters against the sun and rain, the emergence of architecture took on impressive proportions, creating temples and captivating spaces that fulfill many other functions. The purpose of sheltering people from the outdoors, however, remains an important one and can turn an outdoor area into a functional and engaging space. With all the innovations that currently exist, there are also numerous improvements emerging for their mechanisms and functions.
Gensler, in partnership with Avon Lake Environmental Redevelopment Group (ALERG), City of Avon Lake, and Avison Young, have presented initial redevelopment plans for the environmental remediation and sustainable redevelopment of the historic Avon Lake Generating Station in Avon Lake, Ohio. The redevelopment scheme will serve as an opportunity to reframe the former coal-fired powerplant site into a regional attraction while restoring the lakefront ecosystem.
Design and innovation office CRA - Carlo Ratti Associati unveils the result of its Urban Vision and Urban Program for Manifesta 14, the European Nomadic Biennial in Prishtina, Kosovo, between July 22 and October 30, 2022. CRA’s project proposes a new methodology for reclaiming public space in the city. It starts with a series of open-ended design interventions to encourage citizen participation and foster feedback loops to create long-term effects on the built environment. During the 20th century, regime changes and political clashes brought considerable turbulence to Kosovo and its cities. As a result, Prishtina currently suffers from a substantial shortage of public space, but a large group of disenfranchised residents is eager to reverse this situation.
Breaking out of architectural bubbles and popularizing this field of knowledge so that more people engage with the subject is highly beneficial to society. Utilizing audiovisual media as a tool to disseminate this culture is exactly what several professionals have done in recent years, with documentaries such as Paisagem Concreta, about Álvaro Siza, which has just premiered on the Arte 1 channel.
Depending on the aesthetics of a space, the economy of the materials or even their long-term maintenance, there are various types of ceilings that are capable of meeting the technical and functional needs of architectural projects. Regardless of their manufacturing method, whether industrialised or handcrafted, ceilings represent a constructive element that constitutes the finish or interior cladding of roofs.
Extreme natural events are becoming increasingly frequent all over the world. Numerous studies indicate that floods, storms, and sea-level rise could affect more than 800 million people worldwide, ultimately costing cities $1 trillion per year by the middle of the century. This suggests that urban survival depends on addressing urban vulnerability as a matter of urgency to protect the city and the population.
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 are joined by Jonathan Feldman, Architect, and Founding Partner and CEO of Feldman Architecture to discuss studying astronomy and English prior to architecture; taking on new clients; his office’s beginnings and evolution; key ideas for implementing sustainable design; and more.
Cooperative housing, or co-housing, is a residential model that promotes access to housing in cities. This model first developed in countries like Denmark and Uruguay, and it is becoming increasingly popular throughout Europe. Indeed, it arrived in Barcelona several years ago and has since steadily expanded throughout the region, spreading beyond the boundaries of the Catalan capital. Below, we explore the cooperative housing model in Barcelona and how it contributes to a more democratic architecture for its citizens.
After a two-year suspension due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize has announced that 10 projects designed by emerging practices in the Americas have been shortlisted for the 2022 MCHAP.emerge.
The MCHAP.emerge acknowledges the best architectural project in the Americas by practices within its first ten years of operation: Pezo von Ellrichausen's Poli House won the inaugural MCHAP.emerge in 2014. Two years later, Mexican office PRODUCTORA was awarded for their design for the Pavilion for the Culture Fair at the Zocalo in Mexico City. In the latest cycle held in 2018, Rozana Montiel's Common Unity was chosen as the winner—the design of public space in a housing complex in Mexico City.
In Peru, communal kitchens (ollas comunes) are self-managed neighborhood initiatives located in vulnerable areas. Driven by the food and educational insecurity triggered by the pandemic, these spaces have assumed a vital role in child development, transforming themselves into neighborhood schools. Within this context, "DIT: Building a Space for Children" emerged—a project selected for the XII Ibero-American Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism. Through this initiative, architects Gian Franco Pedreschi, Sergio Iván Puch, and Jhordano Zabanick, together with the community of the AA.HH. Horacio Zevallos, intervened in the public space adjacent to a communal kitchen in the Rímac district, improving the residents' quality of life.
The DNA Paris Design Awards have announced the winners of the 2022 edition in the categories of architectural design, interior design, landscape design, product design, and graphic design. The results were announced at the end of June, and the awards ceremony will take place in Paris in September 2022.
Although the design and layout of bathrooms we use nowadays date back millennia, they are still considered as one of the most difficult to design and renovate. During the earliest stages of planning a bathroom, there are plenty of rules of thumb to follow, especially since it involves a lot of association and "pre-planning" with plumbing, electrical circuits, angular or uniquely-shaped fittings, and small floor areas. We will explore the basics of bathroom plumbing and where to allocate each fixture to optimize the bathroom's layout, facilitating your DIY remodel project or creating the space from scratch.
“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.” – Anthony Bourdain
The late Anthony Bourdain’s quote can easily apply to working on an overseas architectural project. There is a steep learning curve. Risks and rewards. How do you educate yourself? A great resource can be found in AIA Contract Documents’ recently updated B161 - Agreement Between Client and Consultant for design consulting services where the Project is located outside the United States, which was first published in 2002. Provided below is a brief introduction to the newly revised document available at aiacontracts.org.
