We live in an era marked by profound transformations: urban sprawl, monoculture farming, cattle ranching, mining, and species introduction. These are some of the primary drivers accelerating environmental degradation. As landscape architects, we have both the opportunity and the responsibility to propose more sustainable ways of shaping our landscape. 

Naturalistic landscape design incorporates fundamental ecological concepts to envision gardens tailored to their specific contexts, celebrating the unique qualities of each biome. To achieve this, we must understand the environment in which we are situated. While this article focuses specifically on the Cerrado, the same logic can be applied to any biome.

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Cross-ventilation, solar radiation control, rainwater harvesting, indirect natural lighting, graywater treatment and reuse, and solar energy harnessing through panels are some of the passive strategies that allow for greater thermal and environmental comfort at low energy costs. When based on a proper understanding of a site's geographical and climatic conditions, these bioclimatic principles can significantly optimize building performance and foster the development of better interior spaces.

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As seen throughout architectural history, ephemeral installations and pavilions are key elements for addressing specific architectural moments and social manifestations in an almost immediate way. While some pavilions have proven so significant that they transcended their temporary nature to become permanent, exemplary expressions of a historical moment—such as the Barcelona Pavilion, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich for the Barcelona International Exposition in Montjuïc—others remain documented in photographs, plans, and experiences, to be rewritten in future projects.

During the presentation of the Obra del Año Awards held earlier this month at the Mirador Pablo Neruda, ArchDaily CEO David Basulto shared a series of data with the audience, providing a quantitative and qualitative overview of Chilean architecture in 2019:

“Based on the data we have collected over nearly 12 years, at ArchDaily we have managed to build a highly representative profile of how architecture is designed and built in Chile. I hope this information is useful for creating more and better cities, and for understanding how the digitization of architecture has influenced how we inhabit our cities.”

This interview is part of a collaboration with the digital magazine Hysteria.mx. It was originally published on January 24, 2020, under the title "Stories from the US-Mexico Border" as part of Issue No. 31, titled "Bodies and Territories," and was conducted by Tadeo Cervantes.

Alejandra Aragón is a visual artist, photographer, documentarian, and activist from Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua—a city on Mexico's northern border infamous for the cases of femicide recorded from the early 1990s to the present. From this vantage point, Aragón narrates various aspects of daily life for women in a territory shaped by violence, conflict, and complexity.

Spring’s fallen blossoms, summer’s thunderstorms, autumn’s mountain mists, and winter’s drifting snow. Once again, our annual **yearbook** arrives as promised, and we thank you for accompanying us through another year. Time flew by: only yesterday we were talking about buildings on the verge of completion, yet construction has been delayed until next year—as if this year was stolen from us. Fortunately, we have left behind space. While we may forget the viral gossip of the internet, architecture stands as a constant reminder of the stories of our era.

Throughout December, we have been compiling our year-end reviews, selecting the Building of the Year, the Most Inspiring Architectural Photographs of the Year, the Best Drawings of the Year, the Best Houses of the Year, and Holiday Cards from One Hundred Architecture Offices Worldwide. In this article, we present ArchDaily's own Architectural Yearbook. Below, you will find the major events that ArchDaily witnessed, followed, and documented over the past year.

On July 31, during the 103rd Ordinary Plenary Session, the CAU/BR Temporary Commission on Gender Equity released the 1st "Gender in Architecture and Urbanism" Diagnosis. Conducted online from July 2019 to February 2020, the survey was answered by 987 professionals (767 women and 208 men), with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.11%.

The place where we are born, where we live, and our urban reference points are part of history and shape our identity. Can we decipher what these spaces tell us? Can we express our perception of them? Vale do Anhangabaú signals an essential part of São Paulo's development and is woven into the imaginary of those who have built memories there. This article is an exercise in traversing different themes to instigate multiple possibilities—collective and individual, real and utopian—of experiencing this space.

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Weeks after Casa da Arquitectura, the Portuguese center for architectural documentation, archives, and exhibitions, announced that it had received the complete collection of projects by Paulo Mendes da Rocha, we spoke with Nuno Sampaio, the institution's executive director, about the processes involved in the donation, the Portuguese team's work in cataloging and making the material available online, and the next steps in safeguarding what is one of the most valuable archives of Brazilian architecture.

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Chilean architect Carlos Martner, known for designing the Tupahue and Antilén swimming pools and the Pablo Neruda Mirador Square in Santiago's Metropolitan Park, has passed away at the age of 93.

The private preliminary design competition for the Day Center for the Elderly and the CBI Comprehensive Wellness Center, managed by the Compensar compensation fund, sought a design solution that would connect directly with the green space network of Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park and primarily serve older adults. The competition awarded first place to taller de arquitectura de bogotá, second place to De la Carrera Cavanzo, and third place to David Delgado Architects.

An architect colleague of mine once mentioned that her firm had hired a new intern. He was a competent, dedicated student in the middle semesters of his architecture program. His hiring was primarily due to his strong skills in BIM (Building Information Modeling) software, with a portfolio filled with well-resolved, medium-scale projects.

The student collective Post_Arq from the Leopoldo Rother Architecture Museum at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia has shared with us their interview with Fernando de la Carrera. This conversation is part of a series featuring seven Colombian architects, including figures such as Sebastián Serna, Santiago Pradilla, Leonardo Álvarez Yepes, and Lorenzo Castro, among others, whose interviews will be published on their YouTube channel.

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As part of the feminist demonstrations that took place last weekend in Mexico, a group of Mexican women architects organized to join the march held on Sunday, March 8, in various parts of the country. The march aimed to 'take back the city' to demand direct state action to reverse the wave of violence and historical bias against women in Mexico, where numbers have reached 10 femicides a day.

The following article is the result of a thesis research project by Colombian architect Sebastián Rojas (Pontificia Universidad Javeriana), which explores the materialities and vernacular construction techniques across 23 prototypes from regions such as the Coffee Axis, the Colombian Amazon, the Cundiboyacense Highlands, and the North Coast.

When I look at the architecture of Guillermo Acuña, I am quickly reminded of those well-known Chilean wooden houses scattered across the territory—those that mark distant points on the hills and gently blur the edges of the coastline, those that rise lightly and blend with nature, teaching us about material honesty and a connection to the landscape. Those that remind us of where we come from and of what humans create.

This is why we reached out to the office of GAAA for a brief interview, to hear the story behind their inspirations, purposes, explorations, and future vision.

In today's world, where the urban footprint is expanding rapidly and construction costs severely impact the planet, alternative solutions have emerged that return to essential principles. During the 2020 Academic Housing Forum at the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, key issues surrounding the critical housing situation in a developing country like Colombia were presented.

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The National Social Distancing Campaign in Mexico began on March 23, 2020. However, even a couple of weeks prior—despite the federal government's recommendation to continue daily activities as normal—social media users were already choosing to replicate the European model of self-isolation. Some architecture firms immediately decided to close their physical spaces and transition to remote work, while others took several weeks to adapt. Ultimately, this period of social and physical (spatial) distancing is experienced differently in every home. The months of this pandemic have exposed not only the systemic inequalities regarding basic needs in dense urban areas, but also the fragility of our established social order. Whether at a macro or micro scale, these experiences are shaped by the built environment, positioning architecture as both a witness to and a defining factor in this equation. 

Interior design offers almost limitless creative possibilities, especially when it comes to commercial use. Within this realm, dining venues introduce a layer of experience defined by the temporary habitation of these spaces. These experiences are shaped as much by the food as by the atmosphere, and it is in this latter aspect where interior design plays a crucial role.

This article is part of a collaboration with the website coolhuntermx and was originally published under the title "Marianne Gast: una artista no reconocida de la modernidad" written by David Lozano Díaz.

The founding of Guadalajara's first School of Architecture is a story often told as an almost ‘heroic’ feat, brought to fruition after years of effort. Once a series of fortunate events aligned, the capital of Jalisco finally achieved creative, architectural, and urban independence, fostering its own professionals to build a better Guadalajara.

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One of the most interesting challenges and boundaries in architectural design revolves around the conceptualization and design of ephemeral spaces. Ephemeral architecture is communication at its core—a spatial, three-dimensional format that drives and generates perceptions to connect with visitors and convey specific messages.

Naturally, the word "ephemeral" implies a finite lifespan, which introduces unique constraints across the entire development process of a project. This ranges from the initial concept and design phase, through the construction of the budgeted executive project agreed upon with the client, to its eventual disassembly and the recycling of its materials.

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As one of Mexico's most internationally renowned tourist destinations, Cancun is a city founded just 50 years ago. Since then, it has woven a unique narrative, both in its urban layout and in the culture and heritage that residents actively seek to elevate to foster a shared historical consciousness. While primarily known for its massive resort complexes and nightlife, Cancun is much more than that. Several emerging practices, such as Warm Architects and TAFF Arquitectos, are constantly striving to promote a regional architecture that responds to the unique ways of living in this tourism-driven area.

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Due to its climate and territorial characteristics, Ecuador possesses an immense diversity of bamboos: it has 6 genera and 42 identified species, of which 11 are endemic. Among them, Guadua angustifolia cane is considered the most important species in terms of abundance and physical and mechanical properties. The indigenous term guadua was used by the native communities of Ecuador and Colombia to designate this species of "native bamboo," which was later renamed "Guadua angustifolia"—meaning "narrow leaf"—and taxonomically belongs to the Poaceae family and the Bambusoideae subfamily. The use of this material is so ancient that, according to the book *Nuevas técnicas de construcción en bambú* (1978), remains have been found in buildings in Ecuador estimated to be 9,500 years old.

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.