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As part of an initiative by LIGA, an independent space founded in Mexico City in 2011 to promote contemporary Latin American architecture through exhibitions, publications, events, lectures, and workshops, the exhibition “Registro: Museo Tamayo” opened on April 21 as part of the LIGA-ARCHIVOS initiative. This iteration presents a reinterpretation of the building designed by architect Teodoro González de León and built in 1981 in the First Section of Chapultepec Forest.

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Let us return to the first architecture class on structures and the classification of structural efforts. In most structures, whether natural or man-made, compression forces are the primary actors. These are efforts undertaken with equal and opposing loads, applied in the interior of the structure, which tend towards the shortening of the piece in one direction - or compressing it, as the name indicates. It is not difficult to find examples of this: for example, a stone wall or a wooden log can resist the weight of a covering through internal compression efforts that are inherent to each material. Tension efforts, on the other hand, tend to lengthen components in the direction of the applied force of action. Steel, for example, is a material with good tensile strength. It is used in reinforced concrete precisely in the parts where the piece is in traction. But it is also possible for a structure to only have tensile parts, as is the case of membrane, tensioned, or tension structures, which consist of surfaces pulled by the action of cables or ropes in which the masts absorb compression efforts.

Over the years, interior design has evolved according to the needs that arise, but above all according to the experiences we seek to provoke in the user. In the last two years, we witnessed a radical change and a particular interest in this subject because the pandemic forced us to pay specific attention to the configuration of the places we inhabit. This brought about much more holistic designs that cater to the wellbeing of the user, combining colours, sensory experiences, technology and natural elements that promote health.

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As revolutionary as the construction sector may seem nowadays, it currently accounts for nearly 40% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, 11% of which are a result of manufacturing building materials such as steel, cement, and glass. Fast forward a couple of years later, after a life-changing global pandemic and indisputable evidences of climate change, CO2 emissions are still on a rise, reaching a historical maximum in 2020 according to the 2020 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction. Although a lot of progress has been made through technological advancements, design strategies and concepts, and construction processes, there is still a long way to go to reduce carbon emissions to a minimum or almost zero in the development of built environments.

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The International Union of Architects (UIA), in partnership with UN-HABITAT, have announced the Regional Finalists of first stage of the UIA 2030 Award. The biennial award, which is in its inaugural edition, honors the work of architects contributing to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and New Urban Agenda through built projects that demonstrate design quality and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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Big cities and the troubled routine of urban life increasingly reveal the need for moments of relaxation aimed at physical and mental health. This concern has become more evident after the long quarantine periods of the Covid-19 pandemic, when disconnecting from routine became even more difficult. Thus, in recent years, more and more people have been looking for activities and places that provide this rest.

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Broadly speaking, the performing arts are all those disciplines that take place on a stage, although the main ones are dance, theatre and music. However, parades, religious processions, holiday celebrations and carnivals also have a clear scenic quality. That is why the stage space is so important not only for the presentations of these disciplines but also for carrying out a whole bodily and spatial process that is supported by the architecture.

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Educational facilities have evolved over the years in response to technological advancements and new pedagogical models, which increasingly focus on flexible methods that allow students to chart their own paths within a shared framework. The significance of these facilities lies in their role as meeting points that satisfy our social need to share physical spaces, pointing toward more horizontal and inclusive educational systems. A prime example is the Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, designed by Taller de Arquitectura Mauricio Rocha + Gabriela Carrillo, which seeks to create diverse sensory experiences through materials, light, and temperature both inside and outside.

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Every year, our curatorial team presents a retrospective of house projects that stood out over the period. This collection, a small selection of the more than two thousand projects published on ArchDaily Brasil this year alone, comprises a series of residences with specific design solutions that address, each in their own way, factors such as materials, construction techniques, structural systems, building processes, and programs.

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