The future has always been impossible to predict with absolute certainty. While various films, books, and theories have attempted to decipher it—and many have come close—we continue to be surprised by what actually emerges. Take, for instance, artificial intelligence tools. As we wrap up 2023 and head into 2024, does this dynamic remain the same? Can these tools also drive social change?

They say that it doesn’t matter what happens, but how you see it. They also say that literature does not reproduce reality, but rather creates another. It all starts with an idea. Just an idea. Image and imagination go hand in hand, meaning they constitute the mechanism of human perception, thought, language, and memory. And in essence, architecture is nothing more than organizing ideas. The question is: how do we organize these ideas? Or rather, how do you see things? Is there really perception without social and cultural context? The short answer is no. The long answer involves interpretive anthropology, a bit of theory, and a great deal of criticism.

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Since March 2018, when a 2.5-magnitude tremor on the Richter scale startled the residents of Maceió, the population of the Alagoas state capital has become aware of—and gradually had to grapple with—the consequences of a tragedy that would soon fully unfold. Following the appearance of a series of cracks and sinkholes across various neighborhoods, geological analyses identified the primary cause of the ground subsidence: the extraction of rock salt—a mineral used in the manufacturing of caustic soda and PVC—which had been carried out in Maceió for over 40 years by the petrochemical company Braskem.

With new tremors in November 2023 and the imminent risk of the mines collapsing, Maceió's crisis returned to the Brazilian headlines, shedding light on a range of complex urban issues tied to the tragedy. From physical damage to city infrastructure and forced displacement to inflation and real estate speculation, the unfolding disaster reveals painful scenes of what is already being called one of the worst urban tragedies in the world. Immersed in this crisis, the city's population suffers from incalculable damage: "The cracks weren't just in the buildings; they were in us, in our souls."

The interaction between architecture and human well-being is a field drawing increasing interest in the contemporary world. The role of architecture in daily life extends far beyond its aesthetic or practical functions; it directly shapes the experience and well-being of those who interact with built spaces. This fundamental link between architectural space and human well-being is being increasingly explored by researchers and practitioners seeking to understand and optimize the impact of the built environment on people's health and quality of life.

Mexico City- and Guadalajara-based firm Estudio AMA debuts with its "Riviera Ka’an Residencias" project, located in Xpu Ha, a town in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico, situated south of Playa del Carmen and north of Tulum on the Caribbean coast. Estudio AMA presents itself as a creative space encompassing all fields of design: architecture, interiors, graphic design, and art.

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The following text contributes to the debate on a topic crucial to understanding the Portuguese presence in the world: urbanization processes. Focusing on the landscape of Cochin as a case study, we seek to build alternative pathways for thinking about “Portuguese” cities around the globe and their relations with the diverse agents and cultures with whom the Portuguese interacted during their overseas activities across practically the entire planet. Amid this sea of options, the choice of Cochin is guided by two main aspects.

First, Cochin was the first location where the Portuguese established a solid foothold in the Indian Ocean, in the early sixteenth century. While the Portuguese had previously accumulated a wealth of experience on the West African coast and the Atlantic islands, the same could not be said of the Indian Ocean: Cochin served as the first permanent laboratory of the Portuguese experience on Asian shores. In this context, the case allows us to analyze how the Portuguese accommodated themselves to an unfamiliar environment, as well as to debate their strategies and instruments.

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In a revealing use of big data, Raj Chetty and his colleagues at the Equality of Opportunity Project used anonymous tax records to track the childhood-to-adulthood income of individuals who grew up in the United States. The results show that the neighborhoods and metropolitan areas where these individuals were raised have a major impact on their lifelong economic prospects.

Surprisingly, children from low-income families who grow up in certain neighborhoods—particularly those with mixed-income demographics and lower levels of racial segregation—fare much better economically.

During the week celebrating Architects and Urbanists Day, TV Cultura will broadcast the documentary Social Housing: A Matter of Public Health. Premiering on national television, the production shows how the COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the country's chronic social housing crisis to all of society. Directed by Paulo Markun and Marcelo Amiky and hosted by Adriana Couto, the mid-length film will air this Wednesday (12/16) at 10:45 PM.

Founded by Filipe Paixão in 2014, Corpo Atelier is an architecture and art studio based in Faro, Portugal, dedicated to exploring and expanding architectural anatomy through a practice rooted in the tradition of hand drawing. With projects spanning the rehabilitation of existing structures, new buildings, product design, writing, and book editing, the studio views this diversity as a natural extension of architectural practice—"conceptual processes that are exactly the same."

Following the studio's selection for ArchDaily's Best New Practices of 2020, we had the opportunity to speak with Filipe Paixão about the studio's design approaches, their interdisciplinary vision, and their affinity for the work of artist Gordon Matta-Clark. Read the interview below:

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Simpler to build, yet less common than traditional gable roofs, single-pitch roofs—or meia água, as they are known in some parts of Brazil—are formed by a single inclined plane responsible for shedding rainwater.

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Today is National Architect and Urban Planner Day in Brazil. Since 2018, Law 13,627/2018 has officially established this date on the Brazilian calendar. The day was chosen to honor architect Oscar Niemeyer on his birthday, and also commemorates the founding of the Council of Architecture and Urbanism (CAU).

As the venues of social life, public spaces are key elements of individual and collective well-being. They comprise a network of open areas such as streets, plazas, and parks, as well as sheltered spaces like public libraries and museums. This network serves multiple roles in cities, including recreation, social interaction, environmental conservation, circulation, and economic exchange. Despite their vital role in urban life, public spaces in Brazilian cities are, as a rule, poorly maintained, featuring insufficient lighting, broken sidewalks, and deteriorated street furniture—conditions that actively discourage use and result in social and economic losses that are commonly underestimated by both public authorities and the population itself. 

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The firm Bloco B arquitetura, led by architects Júlia De Fáveri, Camilla Ghisleni, and Gabriela Fávero, was awarded second place in the competition for the renovation of the CAU/SC headquarters building. The competition sought solutions for the building's primary areas, such as the atrium, reception, and facade, in an effort by the Council to "welcome all architects and urban planners, connect with society, engage with the street, and practice the commitment to making the city more human."

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In the context of contemporary design, glass partitions have gained prominence in the world of interior design due to their versatility in harmoniously combining elegance, functionality, natural light, and spaciousness. One of their primary advantages is transparency, which allows for spatial division without obstructing natural light, offering a sense of openness and connectivity between areas. This is particularly beneficial in small spaces where light can make a significant difference in the interior atmosphere.

At the same time, construction methods are simplified by the clean and rapid installation of glass walls and doors, as well as their multiple mounting options, which adapt to structural conditions and construction sequencing. Moreover, while transparency is a key feature, glass partitions can also incorporate options to ensure privacy when necessary, utilizing various types of glass with digital printing, silkscreening, or satin finishes.

The IABsp has just registered its new Bylaws, approved by the Superior Council of the IAB (Cosu) in September of this year, enacting the first major statutory restructuring since 1957. The newly effective bylaws were approved during a general assembly of the IABsp in August, with unanimous support from the 80 members in attendance. The changes aim to increase transparency and representation, while streamlining management and governance within the São Paulo department, strengthening its institutional role.