This guide covers a workflow that moves from project parameters to generated floor plans, 3D perspective views, exterior design exploration, and site context visualization, using AI tools in place of preliminary CAD and rendering work.

With the emergence of COVID-19, we have had to adapt to living differently than we were used to, which has been directly reflected in our working style. Where and how do we work today? A large portion of the workforce has transitioned to working from home, where feasible. While comfortable for many, for others it has meant a radical shift, bringing new spatial and resource requirements. For architects, engineers, builders, and contractors, this challenge has been particularly complex, as much of their work involves handling large, high-cost devices.

In this article, we present 3 innovative solutions that replace the traditional, bulky plotter, allowing us to print in large formats from our own homes.

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Historically, architecture is a discipline that for many years was a male-dominated territory, until in 1939, María Luisa Dehesa became the first Mexican female architect. Yet, despite the perception that gender parity has been achieved in the education of architects in Mexico, the concept of masculinity (which can be exercised by both men and women) continues to permeate architecture. This is reflected in design processes, in the figure of the "unreachable architect," in a sense of competitiveness, in hierarchical structures, and, in the most unfortunate cases, in the notion that women design interiors while men design *real* architecture.

Street safety goes far beyond policing and lighting. While these factors may be important in certain contexts, community engagement and building social capital are key to making cities safer. “Feeling safe is crucial for people to embrace urban space,” says Jan Gehl.

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The city of Puebla, located in the central highlands of Mexico, is particularly well-known for its street layout and its predominantly Baroque architecture. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, it hosts a broad cultural dynamic centered on the preservation of built heritage and its appreciation from afar, as if it were a museum piece. Consequently, on our daily commutes, we notice the monumentality of its facades, while most often overlooking what lies behind the large wooden doors: what we have called “the heart of the Poblano home.”

FRAM arquitectos is an Argentine architecture firm founded in 2011 in the city of Buenos Aires. With a body of work focused on small- and medium-scale single-family homes designed and built in both Buenos Aires and the province of Río Negro, they have explored the complexities of domestic living, engaged in material research of various kinds, and tackled challenging commissions with minimal dimensions and tight budgets. Alongside this, they have actively participated in consecutive provincial and national competitions, seeking to expand their design scope and deepen their study of larger-scale programs.

Architect Gabriela de Matos, creator of the Arquitetas Negras project, was named Architect of the Year by the Rio de Janeiro Department of the Institute of Architects of Brazil (IAB-RJ). Alongside her, IAB-RJ also honored the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) during an online event held this week to announce the winners of the 58th Annual Awards and the 37th Architect of Tomorrow Award.

Dedicated to exploring the intersection of race, gender, architecture, and the city, Gabriela highlighted in her speech the importance of recognizing that "although the field of architecture and urbanism is still elitist and racist, it is precisely the training of architects and urban planners who view architecture as a social tool that can help bridge the gaps and inequalities in our society."

Following the decision of a jury comprising leading figures in national architecture, combined with the public vote, the winners of the 2020 Best Brick Architecture Award were announced. The award aims to recognize outstanding national architecture projects featuring exposed brick, highlighting the architectural value of a material central to Chilean identity.

There are many ways to define BIM methodology. One of them describes it as a set of processes that help us combine a project's geometry with the data required to complete its entire lifecycle. We could say that modeling in BIM is like virtually executing the construction process.

Another key aspect is that it allows us to work in a collaborative environment, helping to simplify the flow of information among different stakeholders and providing greater control over our projects. 

Medellín-based firm Taller Síntesis shares the following article emphasizing the importance of recognizing the rural built environment—which accounts for most of the country's territory but not most of its architectural practice—in order to raise awareness of how architecture is directed and recognized in Colombia. Read on below.

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The Post_Arq student collective of the Leopoldo Rother Architecture Museum at the National University of Colombia shared with us the interview series titled "Siete Imaginarios, Siete Arquitectos" (Seven Imaginaries, Seven Architects). The interviewees include prominent figures such as Sebastián Serna, Santiago Pradilla, Leonardo Álvarez Yepes, and Lorenzo Castro, among others.

Below, you can explore the interviews conducted with these renowned figures of the Colombian architectural scene, several of whom were winners or received honorable mentions at the XXVII BICAU.

Colombia boasts an immense variety of thermal zones that create breathtaking landscapes and dreamlike natural environments. Its flora and fauna vary distinctly depending on region, altitude, and humidity. For architectural practices designing Colombian homes, the natural context is a constant source of inspiration, ranging from incorporating vegetation as interior architectural elements to framing nearby landscapes. When designing spatial perception—whether from within or without—nature is an undeniable component of these projects.

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Croquis CDMX is an initiative led by Héctor López, founded eight years ago to foster and strengthen the connections between the eye, the brain, and the hand. The project seeks to portray life in Mexico City through freehand sketches. While architectural education is geared toward training professionals to design and construct buildings, Héctor—who studied at the Faculty of Architecture of the National Autonomous University of Mexico—views university education as “the axis of all elements: I already knew how to draw, and in school I became interested in construction, history, and theory. That was where drawing became disciplined. I would encourage students to draw, regardless of whether they think they can or not, because you discover things that you don't understand when drawing with software.”

Alarcia Ferrer is an Argentine architecture firm based in Córdoba, founded in 2009. Focused on medium-scale private residential projects in suburban and rural settings, they have worked for over a decade in close dialogue with the province's landscape, constantly reflecting on the tensions and interactions between nature and artifice. Each project can be read as the result of a material and spatial exercise that serves as a prompt to rethink deeper issues such as permanence, authenticity, and simplicity.

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Vacío is a temporary intervention that seeks to redefine the boundaries and experience of the space in which it is located. It is crucial to understand the environmental impact of ephemeral projects. 
To construct this void, we used four floating curtains made of repurposed sheets of paper collected from other architecture firms, bathed in indigo to erase the drawings, texts, and prints of their previous life. 
The installation's lightness allows the airflow to constantly reshape the defined geometry of the prism. Inside, the space mutates and interacts with visitors, almost compelling them to move as the floating sheets seem to breathe.  

For the first time, the Colombian Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism, organized by the Colombian Society of Architects (SCA), will be held virtually. In its 27th edition, over ten days, more than 60 lectures, 9 panels, and 4 forums will be available. Explore the full schedule of the main room below. Meanwhile, the parallel room will showcase the Biennial's finalist projects.

Jointly developed by China Resources Land and Shanghai Land Group, with architectural design by KPF, the Lujiazui Riverfront Center is nearing completion. Located along the Huangpu River within Shanghai's Lujiazui waterfront district, the project spans a total gross floor area of 200,000 square meters. Eight small-scale, standalone commercial buildings run parallel to the shoreline, reshaping the waterfront skyline with staggered heights. Inside the cluster, a network of pedestrian paths and axes links the internal plazas and surrounding buildings, integrating with neighboring historic structures to establish a strong dialogue with the broader urban design.

Characterized by its low-density layout, the development features specialty retail, shared conference spaces, sunken plazas, and rooftop gardens. By connecting with nearby luxury hotels, art venues, and high-end residences—all within walking distance—it creates a 24-hour elite lifestyle hub, establishing Shanghai's first workplace that seamlessly integrates garden-style offices with the Lujiazui CBD. Additionally, the project features a generous 4.5-meter floor-to-floor height, yielding a clear height of 3 meters for standard floors and 3.5 meters for executive floors. In terms of floor plate design, the column-free interior spaces offer unobstructed, panoramic views of the Huangpu River.

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"Traveling Without Leaving Home" is a project by artist and designer Jorge Cejudo, also known as “Cejas.” Over the course of seven months, he shared a pandemic-born series of over 200 drawings on his Instagram account @soyelcejas, reconnecting with his followers after the emergency lockdown by inviting them to join him in imagining journeys through various cities around the world.

Earlier this month, the Observatory of Innovations for Sustainable Cities was launched. The project aims to gather information, proposals, and concrete examples of municipal initiatives and public policies that help improve people's quality of life and strengthen the environment. The initiative is a partnership between the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovations (MCTI), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the Center for Strategic Studies and Management (CGEE).

As part of an initiative by ArchDaily and the Abierto Mexicano de Diseño, a call for entries was launched this year, inviting architects, urban planners, landscape designers, industrial designers, graphic designers, floral designers, and any creative discipline that understands public space as a place for fostering collaborative encounters in cities. Published in September, the call sought unpublished or previously published projects in the form of written essays, research papers, visual essays, lectures, or other digital communication formats that offered a personal or collective reflection aligned with the theme 'Public Space.'

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As part of the 2020 program, and inspired by MUTEK Montreal’s Edition 21—which aligned two network cities in a simultaneous edition and used virtual convergence to expand activities and connect global digital art communities—comes the joint MUTEK MX & MUTEK JP Edition 17+5, featuring a series of hybrid events.

In a year marked by physical distancing, social media took on an even greater dimension in the ways we connect and stay informed. Our Instagram has expanded its reach, bringing our audience the best of what we publish on our website: projects, articles, interviews, and news from the architectural world, inspiring new ideas and tools for a better future.

Choosing high-performance BIM software is key to developing efficient projects by automating tasks unrelated to core design, such as documentation, calculations, and other tedious processes. This reduces the time spent on these critical details, minimizing errors that lead to project delays or cost overruns.

On Tuesday, December 1, 2020, during the inaugural session of the new National Board elected by members in the 2020 CA Elections, the new Executive Committee and officers of the College of Architects of Chile were selected for the 2020–2022 term.

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CCPM is an architecture studio founded in 2017 in Buenos Aires. With a body of work initially focused on small- and medium-scale projects—particularly renovations and additions to existing PHs—they have developed their own reflections on domestic living and urban densification, exploring various technological and material inquiries. In parallel, they have also undertaken socio-territorial research centered on water and technology, conceiving urbanity from a hybrid perspective that blurs the boundary between nature and the city.