The Government of the City of Buenos Aires recently announced that the capital has become the first in Latin America with 100% LED street lighting.

Iconoclast, painter, musician, photographer, visionary, genius… and architect. Fernando Higueras [Madrid, 1930-2008] left his mark on the history of Spanish architecture in an emotional way, showcasing architecture in its most essential quality.

Born in Madrid on November 26, 1930, Fernando Higueras was, like many others, a key exponent of late architectural modernism in 1960s Spain. Far from being merely novel or exceptional, his approach reiterated the timeless lesson of the creative process: talent and grace were not enough; they had to be accompanied by immense perseverance and, above all, passion. 

Argigram is a project that explores the possibilities of developing a local version of the future, presented as an exhibition from July 23 to September 8 at the Mar del Plata Museum of Contemporary Art (MAR). Curated by Martin Huberman, the exhibition focused on the production of nine cities for the 2050-2100 period, where various architects from Argentina had the opportunity to study and test territorial relationships, aesthetic tensions, and cultural developments to reclaim the creative and cultural sovereignty of Argentina's future.

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As part of the Museo Jumex’s fall programming in Mexico City, internationally acclaimed artist James Turrell will illuminate two of its galleries with immersive installations from his new body of work—one of the most significant series of his career—which engages viewers with the limits of human perception. These two installations will offer contrasting experiences, transforming the spaces to blur the boundaries of the horizon in both light and darkness.

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As part of Design Week Mexico 2019, Diez Company opened Maison Diez Company to the public. Led by Rodrigo Fernández, this dedicated design and lighting project brings together various elements to create an environment centered on illumination. This unique project in Mexico returns with a renewed concept, showcasing new proposals in a house in the Juárez neighborhood, aimed at those who enjoy architecture, design, hospitality, and construction.

Beyond its vast and diverse geography, the Iberian Peninsula is a map of architectural examples that have successfully adapted by reinterpreting materials, technical methods, and human needs.

In this regard, vernacular architecture in Spain—referring specifically to traditional dwellings—might not be as robust today as in its heyday; nevertheless, numerous examples still stand, some even continuing to serve as viable living spaces.

Below is a selection of the most representative traditional houses across Spain's diverse regions, offering a journey through the territory to inspire new architectural perspectives.

We often think of heritage as a collection of valuable assets inherited by an individual or a group. While we sometimes identify fully with its meaning and the legacy passed down to us, we all too often squander its benefits.

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As part of the cultural program of Jardín 17 –a space designed by Luis Barragán as an extension of his House-Studio that for 20 years has hosted various universities from around the world to present major design and architecture exhibitions–, Japanese architect Go Hasegawa presents 'Flying Carpet,' a pavilion suspended in a corridor amidst the vegetation originally planted by Luis Barragán and later intervened by Mexican architect Alberto Kalach.

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For the third time, the Architecture and City Festival MEXTRÓPOLI is hosting the competition Arquine No. 21 | MEXTRÓPOLI Pavilion 2019. On Monday, January 14, from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm, all registered proposals were submitted. Following a deliberation at the Arquine offices at Avenida Ámsterdam 163 in Mexico City to evaluate the 297 proposals submitted (out of 371 registered), the jury—composed of Víctor Alcérreca, Sol Camacho, Mario Corea, Hernán Díaz Alonso, Jimena Hogrebe, and Fermín Espinosa (as technical juror)—reached the following decisions:

Open House Madrid has announced the winners of the 2019 City Awards, a new accolade highlighting the most innovative, socially engaged, and committed proposals shaping the future of cities. According to its founders, "these awards recognize both innovation and design as essential factors in improving citizens' quality of life, aiming to foster a culture of design and innovation in Spain."

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Paseo Molino is a new complex—comprising residential and corporate towers alongside a commercial zone—set to open soon at the Antiguo Molino de La Unión in Toluca, State of Mexico, a site with over 220 years of history. Designed by architect Samuel Chávez, the project involved restoring the historic structure using traditional construction techniques, including adobe, masonry, and reclaimed antique timber.

In 2018, Chilean researchers Teodoro Dannemann, Boris Sotomayor-Gómez, and Horacio Samaniego published the results of a study in Royal Society Open Science that, by anonymously tracking the "footprint" of 350,000 mobile phones during working hours, visualized urban segregation in Santiago.

We revisit an old interview conducted by Teleproyecto with Tucumán-born architect and educator Víctor Saúl Pelli, who has based his career on participation, not only in the field of social housing design but also in his teaching. In both cases, the architect encouraged those involved—users and students—to become an essential part of the search for solutions to a given problem, from conception to consensus-building.

At a time when architects are forced to open up to multidisciplinarity, and to work in close collaboration with all the stakeholders required to realize an architectural work, his thinking remains more relevant than ever. This is especially true when considering the growing trend toward designing open and shared systems, based on co-creation and supported by the efficiency of new technologies.

Out of 24 projects, the design by Smiljan Radic, Cecilia Puga, and Paula Velasco was selected to represent Chile at the upcoming world expo Expo Dubai 2020, to be held from October 2020 to April 2021.

Videos

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As part of the 2019 Chicago Architecture Biennial, the Graham Foundation hosted Tatiana Bilbao's exhibition, "Unraveling Modern Living," featuring an immersive installation that transforms a former domestic space to explore new forms of collectivity. Through this intervention, Bilbao reconfigures the existing architecture to create a garden, a space for knowledge, a space for dialogue, and a space for gathering, in collaboration with the Sweet Water Foundation, Colectivo 1050°, MAS Context, and Lurie Garden, among others.

More than 10,000 readers nominated their favorite projects from nearly 1,000 built works in Latin America and Spain: the day has come to meet the finalists of ODA19.

On Wednesday, December 4, Mexican architects Arturo and Jorge Arditti received the Honorary Doctorate Latin America Leaders Awards 2019 at the United Nations headquarters in Vienna. The distinction was awarded by The Global School for Social Leaders in collaboration with 1MillionStartups, The Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens, the Humanist World Foundation, and the Analysis and Opinion Research Group (GIAO).

On August 8, as part of Expo Arte-Objeto—an exhibition commemorating the 60th anniversary of Llano de la Torre— Firenze invited architect Ricardo Casas to reinterpret the use of porcelain tiles with playful, exclusive designs.

Inspired by the successful Tejiendo la Calle initiative—winner of the Design and Citizen Participation Award at the 2016 Ibero-American Design Biennial—Supertrama is a public art program in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain, focused on rural areas. In municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants, residents collaborate with architects, artists, and other creative professionals interested in public art to transform their local public spaces.

The AR Emerging Architecture Awards have revealed their shortlist, which includes two Mexico-based practices: Estudio MMX and Comunal Taller de Arquitectura. Alongside 14 other offices, they will have the opportunity to present their projects to the judges: Anna Heringer of Anna Heringer Architecture, winner of the 2006 and 2008 AR Emerging Architecture awards; London-based Irish architect Níall McLaughlin of Níall McLaughlin Architects, who was a finalist in 2002; and Sou Fujimoto, founding director of Sou Fujimoto Architects, a previous winner in 2006 for a children's treatment center in Hokkaido, Japan.

CityMakers is working with ArchDaily to publish a series of articles, conversations, and interviews with the different actors in the co-production of cities behind the Barcelona CityMakers Lab 2019, an event taking place from October 14 to 20.

On this occasion, we feature Salvador Rueda, director of the Urban Ecology Agency of Barcelona, ​​who will give a Masterclass at the Barcelona CityMakers Lab 2019, addressing the challenges of implementing Barcelona's Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan based on "Superblocks".

Videos

Directed by Isaac Niemand, the documentary Cholet: The Work of Freddy Mamani explores the architectural phenomenon of the self-taught Bolivian architect, who was chosen by ArchDaily as "one of the leaders who inspired us" in 2015.

More than 500 people attended the opening of the 21st Chilean Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism in Santiago. This year, the curatorial team presented the event as a "Free Architecture Fair" focused on the "everyday and ordinary," spanning the entire country with more than 250 public activities in Iquique, La Serena, Santiago, and Puerto Montt.

Developed by the Architecture, Technology, and Processes Laboratory (LAT) of the University of Azuay's School of Architecture, the "Structural Wood Catalog of Ecuador" identifies, classifies, and establishes criteria for the most commonly used structural woods in the country.

Awarded first place in the National Award (Category E: Theory, History, and Criticism of Architecture, Urbanism, and Landscape) at the 2018 Pan-American Architecture Biennial of Quito (BAQ 2018), the publication "is not focused solely on generating an inventory or technical manual; rather, it seeks to become a practical reference tool so that architecture students and professionals involved in the construction industry can make informed decisions regarding the selection of a specific type of wood for a given project."