Cities are at the center of the crisis caused by Covid-19, once again exposing issues such as the lack of access to housing, transportation, infrastructure, and quality services—especially among low-income populations. The effects of the climate emergency on urban centers are also highly visible and increasingly frequent, as made clear by new evidence in the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Brazil currently faces a water and energy crisis, having also recently suffered from torrential rains, floods, and landslides, some of which resulted in fatalities. In the medium and long term, coastal cities will be affected by rising sea levels.

Expressways are limited-access highways in populated areas, designed to allow high-speed motorized traffic over long distances. Some run through city centers, while others encircle the urban core.

Once considered the pinnacle of transportation design in the 1950s, these projects are now as obsolete as floppy disks. Walking, cycling, and public transit are more sustainable, safe, healthy, efficient, and productive. To address this issue, the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) produced the infographic Expressways vs. Complete Streets, aimed at comparing both in terms of health, efficiency, housing, environmental quality, and quality of life.

Sustainable construction in Brazil is growing every year. In 2020, despite the pandemic, there was a 28% increase, and this pace is expected to continue this year. In this context, the Green Building Council Brasil will host its 2021 International Conference starting November 22, which is expected to attract an audience of 10,000 professionals from various countries. Held virtually due to ongoing health restrictions, the event will feature 15 consecutive days of technical lectures, master series, expert interviews, and other activities.

Sinuous models, sharp curves, geometrically complex shapes. When discussing parametric architecture, these are likely the first images that come to mind. And with good reason. As a design approach, using parameters in the creative process has enabled the creation of striking forms at the intersection of digital technology and construction.

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After at least five years of study, the time comes for Architecture and Urbanism students to complete their final graduation projects—often called TCC, TFG, or Final Graduation Projects. By choosing their topics, students highlight civic, urban, or theoretical projects of great importance, sparking debate about the future of our cities, the built environment, urban infrastructure, mobility, and many other fundamental topics to discuss and develop how we inhabit space.

Following the controversy surrounding the news that Lucio Costa's estate was donated to Casa da Arquitectura, a Portuguese institution dedicated to safeguarding the archives of national and international architects, the Public Archive of the Federal District, the Secretariat of Culture and Creative Economy (Secec), and the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (Iphan) are now working to establish a cooperation agreement with the Portugal-based institution.

One of the topics most requested by Arquicast listeners is architecture and interior design. In this episode, the team features the perspectives of two prominent professionals who are part of the complex production network shaping interior design, exploring the challenges and potential of the project's various stages. The guests are Silvana Carminatti, an interior designer with a degree from the Belas Artes University of São Paulo, specializing in business management and leadership, and current president of the ABD (Brazilian Association of Interior Designers); and Christie Silva Schulka, an advertising graduate with an MBA in marketing from FGV and a specialist in neuroscience with an emphasis on digital neuromarketing from UP, who currently serves as marketing director for Roca Brasil Cerâmica.

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Escola da Cidade’s open courses are short-term and cover a diverse range of topics. They are intended for those interested in expanding dialogues on subjects such as history, anthropology, technology, economics, photography, literature, design, and music, among others, through cross-disciplinary perspectives on architecture and the city.

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In this episode of Arquicast, the conversation revolves around a film that, despite being set in the only project by Le Corbusier actually built in Latin America, centers its plot on an architectural element that is, shall we say, almost secondary from the work's compositional standpoint: the back boundary wall. We are talking about the award-winning Argentine film The Man Next Door (El hombre de al lado). Neighborly relations and architecture itself serve as the starting point for the directors to address thorny issues such as property rights, social inequality, culture, and intolerance. 

Aiming to explore the architects, projects, and stories behind landmark Portuguese architecture, Sara Nunes, from the architectural film production company Building Pictures, launched the podcast No País dos Arquitectos, featuring conversations with key figures in contemporary Portuguese architecture.

In this week's episode, Sara invites architect José Mateus, from the firm ARX Portugal, to talk about the Castilho 203 building in Lisbon. Listen to the podcast episode or read the transcript of the interview with Mateus below:

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