On this occasion, Camila Costa Curta shares her experience with the Proyecto Habitar (PH) collective alongside Julian Salvarredy and Clara Mansueto, addressing the housing crisis in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires and the teaching and learning processes in contexts of inequality through the 'Primary Habitat Care Clinics' project. Read the full story below.
Interior courtyards are open-air areas located within buildings, with their perimeters defined by walls or galleries. These outdoor yet contained spaces often play a crucial role in shaping and organizing a project's floor plan. In some cases, they act as a central lung, gathering the surrounding spaces around their perimeter. They can also be designed as pathway organizers or articulating elements, connecting while simultaneously dividing different areas of the project.
Numerous benefits—such as the influx of natural light, improved ventilation, and a stronger connection to nature without sacrificing privacy—have made this feature an effective solution for many architectural designs. Consequently, we present a selection of 15 projects in Argentina where interior courtyards take center stage.
Designed by architect Juan Segura and built in 1930, the Ermita Building in Mexico City is considered one of the most influential works of Mexican architecture from the first half of the 20th century. From its inception, it was one of the first buildings to incorporate mixed-use spaces, featuring ground-floor retail, a cinema, and apartments of various sizes.
Providing warmth and a modern yet handcrafted aesthetic, wood is always an excellent choice for interior cladding or furniture manufacturing. However, how do you choose the right cladding for a specific project?
We have compiled a selection of cladding options with different appearances, dimensions, and installation systems, identifying their characteristics and differences to help you select the correct material. Melamine, MDF, or plywood? A natural look or colored pigments? Compare 5 different options below.
The continental winners of the 2019 Prix Versailles have been announced, an annual award celebrating commercial architecture projects around the world.
This year, 11 winning projects were selected for the Central America, South America, and the Caribbean region across four main categories: shops, shopping malls, hotels, and restaurants. The global winners will be announced in September.
The School of Architecture at the Universidad Finis Terrae traditionally organizes workshops where its students build full-scale structures. This time, the workshop was led by Chilean architect Verónica Arcos, who worked with the participants, drawing inspiration from timber-stacking systems for drying wood.
For the sixth time, INFONAVIT, through CIDS, has launched the call for entries for the Sixth Student Competition 2018, as part of its effort to promote and encourage creative practices toward new forms of construction, as well as to achieve better intra-urban social housing based on an efficient, compact, sustainable, and regional model.
The objective of this competition is to develop projects capable of adapting to the specific conditions of the territory and its inhabitants. Beyond defining a housing prototype, the goal was to identify processes and understand replicable procedures. This requires engaging with the community, listening to their stories, and understanding their dynamics and customs, as well as conducting extensive historical research to discover how ways of living have provided valuable lessons for housing design in each region.
Concluding the series of articles on the study of social housing in Latin America, Nikos A. Salingaros, David Brain, Andrés M. Duany, Michael W. Mehaffy, and Ernesto Philibert-Petit present a reflection on high land prices, large-scale schemes, and national destabilization. Review the past publications and the new article below.
In early March, students, architects, and designers gathered to bring their wooden projects to life for the third edition of Hello Wood Argentina.
The theme chosen for 2019 was “a space of containment, a space with-tension”:
Discover the projects built during this edition below.
Walking through the classrooms of the University of Buenos Aires' School of Engineering is like stepping into a time machine: fine wooden desks, rosettes, pointed ogival arches. Green chalkboards with theorems and equations waiting to be solved. Here, the foundations of knowledge are laid for the young minds who will later calculate bridges and dams, and optimize plants and processes.
As you walk up to the terraced workshops, the wood groans and creaks—a sound that signals the passage of time.
On June 28, 2019, Barranquilla-born architect Ricardo De Castro was awarded the Bronze A' Design Award in Como, Italy, for his design of the El Marquise Monument to the Magdalena River.
Latin America's social crisis is centered in its informal settlements, the epicenters of the most urbanized and unequal region in the world. Approximately 104 million people live in these communities, where one in four lives in poverty within a slum, villa, favela, or informal camp. This has led organizations like TECHO to focus on this segment of the population, which subsists despite the ongoing violation of their rights and a grueling test of their resilience.
The current social crisis in Chile prompted the curatorial team of the XXI Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism of Chile a few days ago to "pause" all of its activities in solidarity with the country's situation. Ultimately, after a day of deliberation on Wednesday, October 23, the organizers and curators decided to cancel all of the event's activities, according to an official statement.
In each edition of the Ibero-American Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism (BIAU), the event honors masters of Ibero-American architecture with the Ibero-American Architecture and Urbanism Prize.
The Ibero-American Architecture and Urbanism Prize recognizes work "directly related to architecture and/or urbanism, highlighting its aesthetic, functional, technical, social, economic, and environmental aspects. This may include built work, planning, heritage conservation and restoration, knowledge production, or social commitment," as outlined in the competition guidelines.
Continuing our series on social housing in Latin America, Nikos A. Salingaros, David Brain, Andrés M. Duany, Michael W. Mehaffy, and Ernesto Philibert-Petit present a reflection on the unrealistic image people have of a desirable home and the importance of taking their aspirations seriously. Read the previous installments and this new article below.
On August 12, the winners of the International Ideas Competition for the design of the Antenna and Observation Tower as an Urban Landmark for Expo 2023 were announced. Organized by the Sociedad Central de Arquitectos (SCA) and the Colegio de Arquitectos de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (CAPBA), and sponsored by the Federación Argentina de Entidades de Arquitectos (FADEA), the “Antenna and Observation Tower” is the fourth of six international competitions launched in recent months for Expo 2023.
Students from Latin America are gathering at the Universidad del Bío Bío and Universidad de Concepción to hold the fourth edition of the Congress of Scientific Initiation in Architecture and Urbanism - CICAU 2019. This year, the theme "Resilience and Origin" aims to open the discussion among younger generations on how we prepare for potential natural and human-induced disasters.
On August 22, the results of the International Ideas Competition for the design of the new International Pavilions were announced. Organized by the Central Society of Architects (SCA) and the Association of Architects of the Province of Buenos Aires (CAPBA), and sponsored by the Argentine Federation of Architectural Organizations (FADEA), the International Pavilions competition is the third of six international ideas competitions launched in recent months for Expo 2023, and will house the stands of the participating countries.
The Madrid Institute of Architects has provided a space for El Equipo Mazzanti + horizontal for a dynamic exhibition of their career, showcasing their pedagogical design process through play—a methodology characteristic of the firm led by Colombian architect Giancarlo Mazzanti. The exhibition is on view at COAM until January 24.
Presented at the recent edition of the Feria del Diseño 2019 in Medellín, Iku Hábitat is a modular architectural construction system developed in Colombia that aims to streamline construction processes using designed and prefabricated components assembled with screws.
The TEMA Pavilion Competition was created to provide young architects and students from the University of Guadalajara student body with the opportunity to design an ephemeral project that expresses ideas beyond the typical academic requirements of an architecture or design school. On November 11, the proposals were evaluated by internationally recognized architecture and design practices, including José Amozurrutia and Carlos Facio / TO; Andrea Castilla and Deha Chehade / Chehade Carter Interior Design; and architect Diego Vergara Álvarez.
The Richard H. Driehaus Architecture Competition seeks to revitalize traditional architecture in overlooked areas of Spanish towns, while promoting the work of local artisans and builders. In this first phase, municipalities submitted proposals to rehabilitate or remodel various architectural spaces. Out of all the submissions, Alzira (Valencia), Santa Cruz de la Palma (Tenerife), Santiago de Compostela (La Coruña), and Guadix (Granada) were selected.
The following analysis was developed within the research project “Sustainable and Safe Building Certification,” funded by the Research Directorate of the University of Cuenca and led by Dr. Felipe Quesada Molina. This research addresses the sustainability assessment of residential buildings in the city of Cuenca.
Plaza Houssay has recently been a subject of debate. Just four years after its official reinauguration as an "Urban Campus," its grand reopening was announced for early this week. Returning this public space to the city promises to not only reactivate the adjacent urban area but also reclaim its role as a gathering place for local residents, featuring the addition of four movie theaters and various dining options.
.jpg?1554845815 "© Guy Wenborne")
