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.

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The Museu do Pontal in Rio de Janeiro, an international reference for Brazilian folk art with over nine thousand works by 300 artists—the largest collection of its kind and recognized for its relevance by UNESCO—inaugurated its new headquarters in Barra da Tijuca on October 9, 2021. With this, the city gains a new and important art and culture facility. This inauguration is the result of a major collective collaboration involving over a thousand people and companies such as BNDES, Instituto Cultural Vale, and Itaú Cultural, among others, through the Federal Government's Culture Incentive Law. Furthermore, it was made possible through the special support of IBRAM (Brazilian Institute of Museums) and the City of Rio de Janeiro.

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There are countless ways to approach children's environments in architecture: from designing at a scale different from the standard adult dimension to more playful endeavors like designing toys and playthings. The architectural perspective on childhood focuses on creating a spatial quality that not only provides safer environments from an urban standpoint but also represents an investment in the future of society, given that architecture can play a vital role in childhood development.

To get to know the architects, projects, and stories behind landmark Portuguese architecture, Sara Nunes, of the architectural film production company Building Pictures, launched the podcast No País dos Arquitectos, in which she talks with leading names in contemporary Portuguese architecture.

In this week's episode, Sara talks with architects Cristina Guedes and Francisco Vieira de Campos, of the firm Menos é Mais Arquitectos, about the Arquipélago - Contemporary Arts Center in the Azores. Catch up on past interviews from the No País dos Arquitectos podcast and read the transcript of the interview below:

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One of the most important theorists of the twentieth century, Brazilian educator Paulo Freire would have turned 100 on September 19, 2021, had he not passed away in 1997. A month later, Brazil celebrates Teachers' Day on October 15, even as public education faces massive federal budget cuts, continuing a long-standing process of systemic decline in the country's educational system. Against this backdrop, Freire has become one of the world's most widely read and cited theorists in the humanities. Despite this global recognition, his theory has yet to be fully integrated into the literature of architecture and urbanism. Here, we propose a brief reflection on how architectural practices can engage with Paulo Freire's theory.

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After a difficult period of isolation, we are finally returning to public spaces. In the search for safe outdoor activities, parks and open-air destinations have become even more prominent. Although São Paulo is famous for being a "concrete jungle" defined by its modern architecture, the city also offers an abundance of green spaces.

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New Brazilian University Campuses: Processes and Impacts brings together the implementation experiences of nine new Brazilian federal universities created—or which underwent significant expansion—between 2004 and 2014. This was a fertile period of pedagogical, methodological, and architectural-urban experimentation resulting from the involvement of the federal government and higher education institutions.

Videos

Concurso como Prática: A Presença da Arquitetura Paranaense is the title of the documentary featured in the eponymous exhibition on view at the Oscar Niemeyer Museum (MON) until December 12th. Available on YouTube, the feature-length film produced and directed by architects Isabela Maria Fiori and Luiz Gustavo Singeski, in collaboration with Felipe Santos Gomes, presents a comprehensive overview of the participation and awards won by teams from Paraná in architectural competitions.

Residential swimming pools have become a staple in housing developments and private homes, particularly in regions where warm weather prevails for most of the year. Sun, shade, and cool water call for a landscape design that fosters harmony in these spaces.

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The search for more efficient and sustainable modes of transportation in urban centers has been gaining ground in several cities worldwide. With the pandemic, the benefits of cycling have been proven, and many municipalities have invested in bike lanes and incentives to keep people pedaling, even after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.

The use of public transit, another alternative that is more sustainable than private vehicles, becomes safer as vaccination efforts progress. In Barcelona, to further encourage people to abandon their cars—especially older ones—the city administration is offering a free three-year transit pass to residents who get rid of their old vehicles.

The organization Climate Central has developed a series of images and videos simulating how various cities around the world could be affected by rising sea levels if the world fails to meet emissions reduction targets. 

Climate Central scientists analyzed where populations are most vulnerable over the next 200 to 2,000 years under different warming scenarios. The findings are alarming:

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The original house is where we return in times of crisis. It is a mobile fiction, almost like an inverted utopia—the perfect mirror of an unattainable future, not because it belongs to the past, but because it is a starting point created to give meaning to that very utopian future. The original house can be many things: the womb, the cave, the cabin, clothing, the tent, the earth. But above all, it is the story we tell ourselves to feel less lost after being cast out of this first site of identity. Thrown into the world, we remain in a constant search for a place that makes sense—a home. 

Videos

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