Within residential spaces, architects choose to give more or less prominence to certain areas of the program, depending on client preferences. While some prefer to prioritize more intimate spaces, others lean toward social areas—with the kitchen being a primary example.

Although the pragmatic function of a kitchen is to serve as a space for preparing food, there are few homes where it does not also double as a gathering place. Even in traditional dwellings like the Mapuche *ruka*, a central hearth is used both for cooking and for heating, conceptually evoking the same welcoming atmosphere as integrated urban kitchens. Today, fire is managed through stoves—with a strong modern shift toward induction cooktops for their safety and precise temperature control. Nevertheless, the core domestic principle remains the same, and contemporary architecture has allowed the kitchen to once again integrate seamlessly with daily activities and social zones.

El Equipo Mazzanti's ongoing commitment to improving spatial quality and the experience of educational environments is one of the defining hallmarks of Colombian practice. Below, they share an in-depth exploration of their project, the modular preschool system - CDI for the department of Atlántico in northern Colombia.

Medellín-based firm Taller Síntesis shares the following article emphasizing the importance of recognizing the rural built environment—which accounts for most of the country's territory but not most of its architectural practice—in order to raise awareness of how architecture is directed and recognized in Colombia. Read on below.

Colombia boasts an immense variety of thermal zones that create breathtaking landscapes and dreamlike natural environments. Its flora and fauna vary distinctly depending on region, altitude, and humidity. For architectural practices designing Colombian homes, the natural context is a constant source of inspiration, ranging from incorporating vegetation as interior architectural elements to framing nearby landscapes. When designing spatial perception—whether from within or without—nature is an undeniable component of these projects.

The free, publicly accessible online lecture hosted by Cooper Union featuring Daniel Bonilla—the Colombian architect leading taller de arquitectura de bogotá—titled Remote Lecture | Daniel Bonilla: tab>| Praxis & Research is now available on its website.

In most architectural works involving level changes, vertical circulation is, almost by implication, a central design feature, with stairs being the most common expression.

Below, we present a selection of projects in Colombia across various typologies where vertical circulation plays a hierarchical, organizing role, and in some cases, becomes the primary driver of the building's space and atmosphere.

At the start of the lockdown period, ArchDaily conducted a series of interviews and talks in a more informal format. This allowed us to share a space via Instagram Live with some of the most influential contemporary architecture practices from our local sites and around the world.

Here, we present the conversation we had on our Colombian site with the founders of one of the country's most internationally and nationally renowned firms: Daniel Bonilla and Marcela Albornoz, leaders of taller de arquitectura de bogotá. Below is the transcript of our conversation.

When choosing the structural system for a house, several priority factors dictate the decision, with time and money being two of the most critical. While steel structures may not always be the most economical option, their prefabrication significantly accelerates construction times and, consequently, optimizes the overall budget. Moreover, they contribute to the project's aesthetic, providing lightness and a contemporary character.

Following the onset of isolation and social distancing, we opened up a space to interview architects, exploring their architectural perspectives through a lens of empathy for our shared global situation. Broadcast live on ArchDaily Colombia's Instagram, one of these conversations was with Antonio Yemail, principal of the Bogotá-based firm Yemail Arquitectura.

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Bridges and walkways are horizontal circulation elements that establish physical connections between the interior or exterior spaces of a project, articulating their layout and, in some cases, bridging existing level changes. These suspended structures enhance visual connections between different levels and, through more dynamic pathways, enable the creation of intentional framing sequences.

During the lockdown, ArchDaily hosted a series of interviews and talks via Instagram Live with some of contemporary architecture's most influential practices. In this installment, we spoke with Giancarlo Mazzanti about everything from the opportunities presented by the pandemic and his architectural philosophy to the notions of foreignness and legacy. Below is the transcript of our conversation.

Bookshelves are one of the elements present in almost every interior space, whether in homes, retail, offices, or even pavilions. Yemail Arquitectura, a Bogotá-based firm, shares its exploration of this element, which plays a key role in the spatial configurations of its multi-use projects.

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2018 has been a special year for ArchDaily in Colombia: not only did we celebrate the first three years of our local site in Bogotá alongside prominent architects, and are now poised to set a new annual traffic record, but we also launched ArchDaily Colombia's Instagram account—which, thanks to you, has already reached 10,000 followers in just six months.

To wrap up this great year, we have selected the most popular projects—measured by total engagement, excluding reposts—on @archdailyco:

Nodes or gathering zones are the key points in urban dynamics, as they facilitate interaction between citizens and the architectural object. Many buildings seek to capitalize on the opportunities provided by their context to connect the architectural design with the landscape, thereby strengthening and introducing new approaches to understanding and viewing urban relationships and architecture from a different perspective.

As an axis connected to the city, a building must understand the relationship between architecture and the urban environment. It should be generous, opening its constituent spaces to the city and its residents to create shared areas for participation, thereby enriching the experience of the city and its surrounding environment.

For this reason, we have selected 5 projects that integrate urban dynamics, providing spaces for civic gathering.  

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The entry of a new professional into the workforce brings work filled with dedication and innovation. John Octavio Ortiz, an award-winning architect at BAL 2017 and one of Latin America's most prominent young architects, shares in a TEDx Talk his field experience working with vulnerable communities in the comunas of Medellín, Colombia.

Projects are often designed based solely on analyses conducted within the architecture firm, where the area's systems and dynamics are modeled. This is a common pitfall not only in architecture but across various professions, as these proposals inevitably require countless modifications during the process of engaging with the local community.

Designed by El Equipo de Mazzanti, the Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá has been selected as the winner in the 'Healthcare Architecture' category of the 2018 Building of the Year Awards, making it the only Colombian project—and one of only two Latin American representatives—to win in the competition organized by ArchDaily, the network of websites to which ArchDaily Colombia also belongs.

The Building of the Year Awards are presented annually to the best projects published on our English-language edition—the most visited architecture website in the world—with winners chosen by the readers themselves, who can vote across 15 typological categories in two stages. In this edition, the competition reached 100,000 votes from around the world within a two-week period.

The Jury of the XXVI Colombian Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism has presented the list of projects and publications selected for the next edition of the event, which will be held once again in Cartagena this year.

Divided into eight categories, the 283 submitted projects were evaluated by an international jury comprised of Iñaqui Carnicero (Spain), Alejandro Beals (Chile), and Fabián Farfán (Bolivia), alongside local architects Germán Fonseca, Julián Rincón, Sara Giraldo, and Diego Aguilera.

The 108 finalist projects for the upcoming Colombian Biennial are: