The Institute of Architects of Brazil – São Paulo Department has reactivated its educational platform. In line with the 2020-2022 administration's program, particularly regarding the promotion and consolidation of a space for debate on pressing issues in the training of architects and urban planners, the Institute has undergone a complete restructuring that deepens and strengthens the democratizing spirit of past experiences.
With seven years of professional practice, the Rio de Janeiro-based firm Gru.a Arquitetos has built works and interventions in different parts of the world. These architectural, urban, and art installation projects collectively set the group's work apart from traditional practice.
During a talk at Escola da Cidade, as part of the Seminar on Contemporary Culture and Reality course coordinated by Professor José Guilherme Pereira Leite, philosopher, sociologist, and playwright José Fernando Peixoto draws on two events from 1968—the murder of high school student Edson Luís in Rio de Janeiro and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.—to discuss logics surrounding the Black body and how they manifest in urban dynamics of control and oppression.
The interfaces establishing the relationship between inside and outside in architectural design play a fundamental role in reinforcing or denying the potential degrees of this connection. To this end, a central factor in facade design is the opacity of its materials, which can create vastly different conditions regarding light, views, and atmospheric quality within a space. Translucent materials and elements offer a compelling strategy for mediating between interior and exterior. They evoke a diaphanous, ethereal effect, introducing a touch of mystery through surfaces that allow light to filter through while obscuring any sharp, distinct images for the observer.
While modern metropolises have verticalized our way of life, creative solutions are continually emerging to reclaim and redefine urban space. Rooftops are already widely used for events and leisure, and now, growing plants and crops on them is becoming increasingly common. In Paris, a massive 14,000 m² urban farm has just opened on a building's rooftop. Although cultivation does not yet cover the entire area, once fully completed, it will be considered the largest in Europe and, perhaps, the world.
The Instituto Tomie Ohtake and AkzoNobel have announced the 13 projects selected for the seventh edition of the Instituto Tomie Ohtake AkzoNobel Architecture Prize. The finalists include works located in Amazonas, Bahia, Ceará, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina, São Paulo, and King George Island in Antarctica. The selection was made by a jury comprising architects Diego Mauro, Elisabete França, Fernando Túlio, Juliana Braga, and Pedro Varella.
The inequality that shapes our society is reflected in urban space. Consequently, fully experiencing the city is a reality for only a fraction of the population, challenging the notion of public space as a genuinely democratic realm.
This reflection underscores the urgent need to introduce proposals for more welcoming cities into contemporary architectural and urban planning debates.
Warsaw, Poland, has become the second city to receive public art projects that, in addition to beautifying the landscape, clean the air. Painted by local artists, the massive mural uses special, sun-activated pigments capable of filtering the air.
The mural was produced with titanium dioxide, which attracts pollutants and transforms them into harmless nitrates thanks to a sun-activated chemical process. Through this process, the artwork can purify its surrounding air, an action equivalent to the work of 720 trees.
Earth, straw, and wood are some of the construction materials used by a rural community in the Republic of Cameroon. Beyond being low-cost, the project's main asset is its respect for the local landscape, building homes in harmony with their surroundings.
Called Warka Village, the hamlet is based on vernacular architecture. This means traditional construction techniques and locally available materials, such as stone, bamboo, and natural fibers, are used.
In architecture, when designing physical and tangible spaces, ephemeral and intangible aspects are essential considerations in the design process. One of the most important elements in this regard is natural light, which is crucial for ensuring comfort, quality of life, and health for its occupants.
The workshop will be held online from August 31 to September 12, 2020. Its primary objective is to examine the challenges surrounding the Pampulha Lagoon, a UNESCO World Heritage site defined by the works of Oscar Niemeyer.
Cities have been implementing temporary bike lanes to enable safe commuting during the COVID-19 pandemic and prevent public transit users from switching to cars and motorcycles. Gradually, this practice is gaining ground across Latin America, including Brazil. This represents a golden opportunity to boost bicycle urban mobility—but to succeed, emergency interventions must incorporate road safety best practices.
Dia a dia is a three-part mid-length film miniseries developed by the Urban Policy Commission (CPU) of CAU/RJ. Each episode is dedicated to one of the three pillars proposed within the theme of the right to the city—sanitation, mobility, and housing—through the perspectives and daily lives of three women living in completely different areas of Rio de Janeiro: Realengo, Barra da Tijuca, and the Santo Amaro community (Catete). The first episode, which premiered on August 21 and addresses housing, is available online.
Many factors influence people's well-being, but few have power as great as the quality of sleep. Adults spend, on average, a third of their day (and their life) sleeping. In the case of young children, this proportion is even higher. According to a study published by the WHO in 2019, babies (4 to 11 months) should sleep between 12 and 16 hours/day; and children up to 4 years old should sleep between 10 and 13 hours/day.
Quality sleep acts directly on the child's brain development, especially during his first and second childhood (from birth to 12 years old). During the rest period, the body releases the hormones necessary for growth and learning, and this is directly related to physical, motor, emotional, and cognitive development. It is also known that the environment where one sleeps interferes with the quality of that sleep, and some important aspects must be considered when designing sleeping spaces for children and babies.
Hollow elements such as cobogós and mashrabiyas are commonly used to protect a building's interior spaces from direct solar radiation without blocking ventilation—a particularly favorable feature in predominantly tropical climates like Brazil. While their use in interiors is less common, in these cases, hollow elements offer flexibility in dividing indoor spaces without completely isolating them.
CAU/RJ has launched the eighth edition of its Cultural Sponsorship Program. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year the program will only consider projects featuring remote activities. Applications will also be submitted virtually.
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.jpg?1598540198 "Villa Deca / Studio Guilherme Torres. Image © Denilson Machado – MCA Estúdio")
