Image of the Santos waterfront. Image via Reportagem de Altair Santos
In the 1970s, buildings along the waterfront of Santos, in São Paulo, began to tilt, sparking curiosity among residents and visitors alike. This phenomenon can be seen as the result of rapid and unregulated urbanization, manifesting as a technical issue in the buildings' construction.
Santos, one of the largest cities on the São Paulo coast, with an estimated population of over 430,000 (IBGE 2020), located in the Baixada Santista metropolitan area near the city of São Paulo, was one of the first settlements to be established after Portuguese colonization in the 16th century. Prior to this, however, its territory was dominated by the Atlantic Forest biome and inhabited by Indigenous peoples, such as the Guarani Mbya and Tupi-Guarani.
Shade and continuous ventilation are some of the benefits that an elevated roof can provide. This is a climate control strategy that provides cooling and combats humidity, which is why Brazilian architects often opt for this solution when dealing with the tropical climate.
According to the Brazilian Photovoltaic Solar Energy Association (ABSOLAR), in February 2021, Brazil reached the milestone of 500,000 distributed solar photovoltaic generation (DG) consumer units, with the majority of installations (73.6%) located in residential properties. The association points out that, of the total consumers, small businesses represent 16.6%, followed by the rural sector and industry, at 7% and 2.4%, respectively. To supply these 500,000 units, 400,000 solar systems have been installed.
Eight organizations working toward Brazil's sustainable development are joining forces to promote Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) as a strategy to mitigate the effects of climate change in cities, address urban challenges, and make cities more resilient.
The term is relatively recent and still little known to the general public in the country. However, the concept, established by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), is simple: to promote interventions inspired by healthy ecosystems to address urgent societal challenges, especially in large metropolises. Water scarcity, flooding, biodiversity loss, health issues, and rising sea levels are some of the challenges that can be tackled by viewing nature as part of the solution, generating environmental, social, and economic benefits.
Bolhão Market Rehabilitation. Courtesy of Nuno Valentim
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 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, boasting an architectural output that punches far above its population or territorial scale.
In this week's episode, Sara talks with architect Nuno Valentim about the rehabilitation of the Bolhão Market. Listen to the interview and read the transcript of the conversation below:
The relationship between mental health and architects, particularly architecture students, is not a new concern. In a world where stress is one of the greatest challenges of the century—affecting over 90% of the global population according to the World Health Organization (WHO)—the field of architecture and its practices, both academic and professional, have normalized stress and anxiety as intrinsic to the profession. However, recent student surveys reveal deep dissatisfaction with this reality, which has only been exacerbated by the pandemic. Is it time, therefore, to reassess institutional practices and push for a cultural shift?
Today, May 18, is International Museum Day, celebrated under the theme "The Future of Museums: Recover and Reimagine." Amid the pandemic landscape imposed by COVID-19, some museums have reopened with major restrictions, while many others have remained closed. Regardless, these institutions have begun to reconsider their models and redefine their role in society. In this sense, the pandemic catalyzed a shift in exhibition formats, bringing new solutions and innovations to the public, such as virtual tours.
Proposta da equipe Asa, vencedora do concurso. Image Cortesia de Prefeitura de Belo Horizonte
In 2019, to mark its founding anniversary, Belo Horizonte received a gift in the form of an architectural competition. The national contest sought preliminary technical studies for the requalification of the historic and landscape heritage of Bernardo Monteiro Avenue.
This heritage site, characterized by a dense grove of large, leafy Ficus trees, was affected by infestations of the so-called "ficus whitefly." This caused defoliation and dried branches, severely compromising many of the trees, damaging the area's historical-cultural identity and public character, and forcing the relocation of the craft, flower, food, and antique markets that once operated there.
Marcelo Ferraz, founding partner—alongside Francisco Fanucci—of Brasil Arquitetura, an office that has garnered numerous national and international awards in recognition of projects that are deeply sensitive to their site, yet essentially contemporary, is this week's guest on Arquicast.
Construction of the Campanhã Intermodal Terminal / Nuno Brandão Costa. Source: Porto.pt
With the goal of introducing the architects, projects, and stories behind landmark Portuguese architecture, Sara Nunes, from the architectural film production company Building Pictures, launched the podcastNo País dos Arquitectos, where she talks with leading figures of contemporary Portuguese architecture.
In this week's episode, Sara talks with Nuno Brandão Costa about the Campanhã Intermodal Terminal project in Porto. You can catch up on other interviews from the No País dos Arquitectos podcast and read the transcript of the interview with Costa below:
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Photo by Alessio Maffeis, via Unsplash
Everything built through human physical and intellectual labor carries meaning. It is within physical matter that we find the remains of ancient civilizations, and through these records, we understand their characteristics, the technologies involved, and their social organization. Cities and major urban centers hold layers upon layers of events recorded in their streets, buildings, plazas, and parks. Often, depending on the development of the place, this evidence is gradually erased, disregarded, and altered.
Beyond viewing the home as mere shelter and protection, there is now a much greater complexity of functions integrated into the elementary programs of dwelling. We no longer think only of spaces for sleeping, cooking, and bathing, but rather of a series of new programs that demand new spaces and configurations. Among these, leisure emerges as an activity integrated into living, in the form of backyards, swimming pools, and TV rooms.
Collage showing Lina Bo Bardi in the Bowl chair holding a copy of "Des-Habitat." Courtesy of Paulo Tavares
Between the 1950s and 1960s, Lina Bo Bardi was the editor of Habitat magazine, known for publishing articles and research on the cultural and artistic expressions of Indigenous peoples. The publication, which remained in circulation until 1965, was a pioneer of the synthesis between universal modernism and local primitivism—a central element in the mythology of Brazilian modernity. Nearly six decades later, architect and curator Paulo Tavares undertakes a sort of "un-editing" of the magazine, putting this notion of synthesis into perspective in light of contemporary debates exploring the intersection of modernity and colonialism. Recently published by n-1 edições, Des-Habitat utilizes graphic and editorial devices to create a near-facsimile of the original publication led by Bo Bardi, overlaying a new layer—critical, revisionist, and necessary—onto a discussion that continues to reveal new ramifications.
Following the themes of previous editions that addressed contemporary issues concerning the built environment, the Arquiteturas Film Festival, taking place from June 1 to 6 in Lisbon, continues to offer an open forum for discussion through personal, collective, and global audiovisual stories from around the world.
The 8th edition of Arquiteturas explores the theme Bodies Out of Space through an exploration of the social construction of space, connected by a thread running through narratives of domination. These are also narratives about an identity that is often stripped away or forced to represent our bodies. Challenging current assumptions, we view this perceptual paradigm—an epitome of the vision of our times—as fundamentally social, spatial, and bodily.
To create a cozier scale in large open-plan spaces or accommodate diverse uses under a single roof, defining areas through custom furniture design has become a highly effective solution. Serving as functional storage or even display units, shelving systems that double as room dividers can generate new perspectives, guide circulation, and foster greater permeability between different spaces.
Videos
Still from "PMR 29’: twenty-nine minutes with Paulo Mendes da Rocha".
In the early hours of May 23, Paulo Mendes da Rocha, the Capixaba architect who earned the highest honors in world architecture, passed away. Defined by a sharp, critical mind, his entire career was a profound ode to the city and a humanist perspective. Fortunately, several of his inspiring talks were recorded, and here we have selected five videos made over the last decade that offer insight into how he reflected on the field of architecture and urbanism, as well as his own work.
The Fondazione Teatro dell'architettura has announced the architecture firm Al Borde (Ecuador) as the winner of the 2024 BancaStato Swiss Architectural Award. Founded in Quito by Pascual Gangotena, David Barragán, Maríaluisa Borja, and Esteban Benavides, Al Borde conceives a collective approach to design and construction, paying special attention to climate variables, the involvement of local communities, traditional construction techniques, and innovation. As they state, Al Borde“inhabits the territory of questioning, where certainties about what architecture should or should not be are constantly under construction.”
Brussels Pavilion 1958 / Sérgio Bernardes. Image via Bernardes Arquitetura
Architecture is a discipline that connects diverse fields and practices, manifesting in the physical and theoretical conceptualization of strategies for intervening in the human environment. This spatial intervention involves applying artistic, social, and technological knowledge which, when combined, inevitably reflect a given culture or dominant ideology. In this sense, architecture is also an image that conveys meaning.
The Solar Kitchen community kitchen in Auroville, an ecovillage in southern India with a population of 3,000. Photo by Luiza Tripoli
In many ways, observing rural areas and their communities can offer valuable lessons for implementing sustainable dynamics in cities. By studying ecovillages specifically, key aspects of the relationship between humans and the biosphere become clear—particularly in a space of central importance to all of them: the kitchen.
In Western capitalist culture, the dichotomy between nature and humanity is stark. Humans shape their identity as something external to nature, and more often than not, superior to it. As a result of this conceptual rupture, spatial divides also emerge. The city is seen as a human product, where residents must seek out remnants of nature in parks or plazas to connect with it. "Voids" of human occupation, such as forests, are viewed as gaps—spaces that humanity has yet to transform.
Years ago, the construction industry was among the most technologically lagging; today, however, we can confidently say that automation is here to stay.
No País dos Arquitectos é um podcast criado por Sara Nunes, responsável também pela produtora de filmes de arquitetura Building Pictures, que tem como objetivo conhecer os profissionais, os projetos e as histórias por trás da arquitetura portuguesa contemporânea de referência. Com pouco mais de 10 milhões de habitantes, Portugal é um país muito instigante em relação a este campo profissional, e sua produção arquitetônica não faz jus à escala populacional ou territorial.
No episódio desta semana, Sara conversa com os arquitetos Cristina Veríssimo e Diogo Burnay sobre o projeto da Residência Universitária do campus da Ajuda na Universidade de Lisboa. Ouça a entrevista e leia a transcrição da conversa, a seguir:
Red House. Photo by Ethan Doyle White, via Wikipedia. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
William Morris was one of the leading figures of the 19th-century Arts and Crafts movement. Guided by his political ideals, his practice spanned architecture, decoration, and design, eventually extending to writing—always striving to foster workplaces as spaces of pleasure and contemplation.
Crises typically spark shifts in how we move. Post-war prosperity turned the automobile into a household staple and a lifestyle. The global fiscal and oil crises of the 1970s brought a short-lived bicycle boom alongside a withdrawal of municipal funds from public transit. Meanwhile, the 2008 financial crisis paved the way for Silicon Valley venture capital to surge, backing new platforms like Uber and Waze.
“Since the Industrial Revolution, assembly lines have dictated a world made of parts, framing the imagination of architects and designers who were trained to think of their projects as the result of pieces with distinct functions.” These were the words of Israeli architect and MIT Media Lab researcher Neri Oxman during her TED Talk entitled “Design at the intersection of technology and biology.”
Oxman emphasizes that our traditional way of building has remained unchanged for millennia and must be reinvented. Indeed, we have been taught to construct buildings and cities in a rationalized, piecemeal manner, without considering the whole. To this day, this logic is still taught in universities.
