As critical as I am of the impact of shopping malls on urban life in São Paulo, I still cannot avoid them completely. Whether it is because I am short on time but need to stop by the supermarket and buy a birthday present; or because the movie I want to see is only playing at that specific time in that particular mall; or because my children love the play area on the rooftop of Shopping Pátio Higienópolis and, since I really need to buy new sneakers, we end up going there.
An experimental barrier to collect floating trash at Prainha on Ilha do Fundão, located on the coast of Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro, was installed in early June by the Orla Sem Lixo (Trash-Free Shoreline) Project. The initiative aims to find a sustainable alternative for managing floating waste in coastal and adjacent marine areas, fostering a knowledge exchange between the local fishing community and researchers.
Although the architecture and construction industry has been making strides in new fields like artificial intelligence (AI), parametric modeling, virtual reality (VR), and other cutting-edge tools for years, their implementation and integration into daily design workflows remain slow. In an increasingly connected and constantly evolving world, digital tools and emerging technologies are revolutionizing how architects design and build—changing the rules of the game and expanding creative horizons. Consequently, there is an ongoing need to discuss how these technologies are being incorporated and how their use within the discipline can be further enhanced.
ArchDaily featured the topic of Design Process in July, and we didn't want to miss the opportunity to open the discussion with an invitation. We believe in the power of dialogue and the exchange of ideas. We want to hear about your experiences, learn from your successes, challenges, and mistakes—and explore together how these new tools are transforming the way you practice architecture.
A close look at the building facades in many Brazilian cities, such as São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, and Rio de Janeiro, reveals that the use of aluminum frames is highly common and popular in Brazil. Adopted across a wide range of building typologies, including residential and commercial projects, and in various formats such as doors, windows, and railings, these versatile structures are widely used in construction, representing about 80% of the total volume of aluminum consumed by the sector in the country. But why, after all, have aluminum frames become so widely used in Brazilian cities?
In Mexico City, the federal government has launched its final major cultural project of this administration, after allocating most of the sector's investment funds to improvements in Chapultepec Forest. On June 15, the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature (INBAL) issued the first call for bids for the "La Mariscala" project, which aims to develop seven vacant lots totaling 5,043 square meters in the Historic Center, located between the Palacio de Bellas Artes and Garibaldi.
In its infancy, architecture relied exclusively on orientation, sunlight, and the natural elements influencing it. At the time, manipulating physical phenomena like electricity was not even considered. Over time, scientific advancements—such as the discovery of electrical energy and its future applications in buildings—became integrated into our way of life and the way we inhabit and experience space. Today, it is impossible to conceive of architecture without systems for ventilation, heating, or simply power. However, with the rapid growth of cities in recent years, rising demand for electricity, and the increasing sophistication of electrical systems, power surges (sudden increases in voltage) have emerged as a modern challenge we must address.
Many of these surges are transient, representing one of the primary threats to the integrity of electrical/electronic devices and overall electrical continuity in buildings. As electronic equipment becomes increasingly sensitive, the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors rely more heavily on control and communication systems, making them more susceptible to transient surges. In response to these events, ABB has developed a wide range of surge protective devices (SPDs).
The Royal Academy has honored Shane de Blacam at the 2023 Royal Academy Architecture Awards, alongside announcing the finalists for the Royal Academy Dorfman Award—an accolade that celebrates global architecture, looking toward the future of the discipline and architectural practice. The finalists are COMUNAL (Mexico), Taller Gabriela Carrillo (Mexico), H Arquitectes (Spain), and Tropical Space (Vietnam).
Navarre-based architecture firm Vaillo + Irigaray Architects has won the design competition for the Navarre Security and Emergency Coordination Center (CCSE) to be located in Mutilva, in the municipality of Valle de Aranguren. Led by Antonio Vaillo, Juan Luis Irigaray, and Yago Vaillo, the firm has developed projects both nationally and internationally. They currently have several projects under construction, including the Faculty of Tourism in Malaga, the Basque Ethnographic Museum in Bilbao, the Cultural Center of Letters for the Barcelona City Council in Barcelona, and the World Car Center in Vigo.
The era when Le Corbusier's Modulor—the perfect man—was the only one “allowed” to occupy our cities and architecture is long gone. Decades ago, it became clear that environments were being designed as ideological representations that failed to reflect actual demand and its rich diversity of social class, gender, race, age group, and sexual orientation, among other factors. Planning and design were often disguised as “neutral” concepts, while in reality they reproduced the perspective of a middle-class white man. Ultimately, the time has come for the city to move past this flawed assumption of universal appropriation and instead materialize in its spaces the specific needs of every citizen.
A popular saying goes, "Mexico is many Mexicos," a reality that manifests in various ways. The country's multiculturalism is highly pronounced; since pre-Columbian times, it has been clear that while there were commonalities linked to general human traits, material availability, and regional influence, architectural discourse and needs varied distinctly according to the geographical conditions of where it was built.
Pigmented concrete is created by adding pigments that provide a specific color to traditional concrete. From subtle touches to more intense hues, this approach allows architecture to play with surfaces and structures across a wide range of shades and finishes. Unlike surface coatings, pigmented concrete is integrated directly into the mix composition, preventing it from fading or wearing over time. Through its diverse aesthetic possibilities, pigmented concrete is a versatile and attractive alternative for adding color to architecture and design.
How can this material be applied in architecture? To achieve optimal and long-lasting results with pigmented concrete from Melón Hormigones, it is essential to correctly follow its application process, whether on walls, interior floors, exterior pavements, sculptures, or urban furniture. Below, we share a series of key recommendations for the proper use of pigmented concrete, from product selection to post-application care.
The Municipality of Miramar de Ansenuza, along with the Association of Architects of the Province of Córdoba, launched a National Ideas Competition for the creation of the Coastal Urban Park of Barrio 105 in Miramar de Ansenuza, Córdoba, Argentina. The objective was to gather ideas and proposals to integrate the park into the local public space network, creating high-quality environments that facilitate socializing, recreation, leisure, and outdoor activities.
From July 11 to 16, the La Fuente Pavilion is open to the public in Balmaceda Park in Santiago, Chile. This new public space installation, designed by architect Camilo Palma (Abarca+Palma), invites visitors to engage in "contemplation and tranquility around the stimuli and sensations of water." The structure, composed of mass-produced, prefabricated building elements, sits atop the original 1931 fountain designed by Oscar Prager, Sergio Larraín, and Jorge Arteaga.
To experience the public space firsthand, ArchDaily visited the installation on a rainy day.
From July 7 to September 2, 2023, the exhibition “Nicolás Campodonico: Muros” is on display at the Bisman Ediciones Architecture Gallery and Residence, located on the Buenos Aires corner that houses the “Casa de Estudios para Artistas”, a 20th-century housing masterpiece in Argentina designed by Antonio Bonet, Abel López Chas, and Horacio Vera Barros.
The José A. Balseiro Foundation, along with the Association of Architects of the Province of Río Negro District III (CARN District III) and the Argentine Federation of Associations of Architects (FADEA), launched the National Ideas and Preliminary Project Competition for the "Las Golondrinas" Academic Meeting Complex of the José A. Balseiro Foundation in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina. Aiming to strengthen the dialogue among the sciences, culture, education, and the business world, the complex seeks to establish itself as a reference center that positions science as a key driver in generating content and shaping societal decisions.
Tactical urbanism is a type of urban intervention that has gained prominence and sparked widespread discussion in recent years. It is based on the premise that low-cost, small-scale civic actions can have a significant impact on the urban environment, improving its dynamics and people's daily lives. Yet, starting as localized, temporary, or small-scale interventions, once accepted and recognized, many of these initiatives have transcended their initial ambitions. They have become catalysts for broader urban processes, triggering new actions that involve other stakeholders, spheres, and even the public administration itself.
Seeking more accessible school routes and initiatives that integrate children into urban mobility, the Cidade Ativa collective, in partnership with IDOM, has developed an action plan based on the assessment of two case studies in the city of São Paulo. Available online for free, this material serves as inspiration for other cities aiming to make their urban spaces safer and more accessible.
Out of a total of 576 submissions, the 2023 FAD Awards have announced the list of finalist and selected projects, which will be on display from October 5, 2023, to January 7, 2024, during the exhibition "The Best Design of the Year" at the Disseny Hub Barcelona.
July 11th marks World Population Day, an annual event established by the United Nations Development Programme in 1990 to raise awareness of global demographic issues. This is a highly pressing issue today; not only is the global population projected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050, but the latest UN-Habitat reports estimate that two-thirds of us will live in cities by then. Furthermore, this year is particularly notable because India has become the world's most populous country, reaching 1.4286 billion people—a milestone that naturally raises the question of what it means to build for billions.
World Population Review annually tracks urban growth and metropolitan populations to understand global development trends. Although the list of the 20 most populous cities in the world features familiar Asian hubs such as Tokyo in Japan, Delhi in India, and Shanghai in China, it also includes several Latin American giants. Among them are São Paulo, Mexico City and Buenos Aires, which recorded year-over-year growth rates of 0.85%, 0.89%, and 0.78%, respectively.
El Salvador was founded by the Andes Mining Copper Company in 1959, [1] in the southern area of the Despoblado de Atacama. It originated as a new copper company town [2] designed to fulfill residential and labor functions related to copper mining, based on a project by American architect Raymond Olson of Anaconda-Jurden Associates, Inc. It operates the underground Inca mine, as well as the Campamento Antiguo and Damiana Norte open-pit mines. It complements the smelter located in the company town of Potrerillos, 72 km away. El Salvador was first "Chileanized," later "nationalized," [3] and finally integrated into the Chilean state company CODELCO during the 1980s.
As part of the cultural program of the Centro Cultural España en México, the exhibition "Copias del abandono" is presented as a collaboration between Mexican artist Sandra Calvo and migrant communities from Tlaxcala. It is an investigation that began in 2016 comprising a film, archives, architectural plans, and testimonials. This research—which was presented at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale in 2021—reflects on an architecture born from migratory processes between Mexico and the United States, focusing on the architectural parallels between the houses where migrants work in the US and the homes they build with remittances in their hometowns.
Despite apparent progress and setbacks, migration in North America continues to unfold under conditions of inequality and violence. To this day, the Mexican population continues to make up the largest percentage of migrants residing in the United States, and the cultural bridges between communities are increasingly evident.
The year was 1969. Lina Bo Bardi wandered through the São Paulo neighborhood of Bixiga, which at the time resembled a war zone. The clearings and piles of rubble were the result of a violent urbanization cutting through the region in the shape of São Paulo's East-West expressway complex.
Against this backdrop, Lina collected personal objects found in the debris, picking up "the most sordid items," as Zé Celso, director and creator of Teatro Oficina, stated in an interview. There was a clear reason for this undertaking: to compose the set for the play In the Jungle of Cities (Na selva das cidades), designed by the architect herself. In it, a stage shaped like a boxing ring was fashioned from the rubble of the demolitions taking place around the theater. The play was divided into 11 rounds, in each of which an institution is destroyed until the ring itself is demolished. At the end, the actors remove even the theater floor to reach the bare earth.
Environmental issues have been the defining theme in architecture for several years now. The imminent scarcity of natural resources and growing awareness of the environmental damage caused by the construction industry have forced the profession to take a stand and develop solutions that mitigate its impact on the planet. While developing new technologies that enable more sustainable materials is essential, this impetus can—and must—originate at the very beginning of architectural practice: the design phase.
Have you ever considered the possibility of a world with no more people experiencing homelessness? The United States did, and countries like Canada, Spain, Portugal, France, and Denmark followed suit, incorporating the Housing First methodology into their national strategies to address the issue.
The formula consists of providing exactly what they lack: housing and connection. The results are consistent and, moreover, beneficial to public coffers. In Brazil, Projeto RUAS is testing the model and seeking resources to expand it. The NGO's goal is to understand how it adapts to our reality and, in the future, propose it to public authorities.
