Recognizing that well-designed and high-quality sidewalks encourage walking in cities, the City of Florianópolis has launched the Calçada Certa program, aiming to ensure legal guidelines for sidewalk design are followed and to guide citizens in designing and building public walkways.

The program is accompanied by an illustrated manual presenting recent updates to the ABNT NBR 9050/2015 and ABNT NBR 16537/2016 standards. These address, respectively, accessibility in buildings, furniture, urban spaces, and equipment, and tactile paving design.

Surprising as it may seem, Spain currently lacks a national Law on Architecture and Habitability to recognize and promote the value of the profession to the country's economic, social, and cultural development.

However, 2017 brought two major developments that can and should provide the momentum needed to advance toward a crucial national law. First, the passage on November 8 of the Public Sector Contracts Law, which, according to Jordi Ludevid, president of the Superior Council of the Colleges of Architects of Spain (CSCAE), represents "a spectacular and highly positive change" for architects. Second, the approval on June 28, 2017, of Spain’s first-ever architecture legislation, the Catalonia Architecture Law.

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There is no manual on architecture competitions to guarantee success; rather, the specific conditions and the different ways of approaching the problem determine whether a proposal is appropriate and, hopefully, a winner. Some participants push their capabilities to the limit, treating the project as a deeply personal challenge. However, the solutions we find in difficult moments strengthen our confidence, proving just how far we can go. There is nothing quite like the satisfaction of a job well done after hours of effort and dedication.

Below, we share three tips from Colombian architect Dan Gamboa, who won the SkyCity Challenge 17 architecture competition in China. His winning project merges a library with a children's playground. According to Gamboa, the proposal was developed in just 48 hours after his team pulled out of the competition a week prior.

Cristina Cabrera, director of the ICO Foundation, has presented the programming prepared by the institution for 2018, the year of its 25th anniversary. She outlined the program's main direction across the Foundation's three areas of activity: Art, Economy, and International.

In the field of Art, she presented the three temporary exhibitions at the Museo ICO focusing on architecture and the promotion of highly relevant but underrecognized figures in the discipline: Joaquín Vaquero Palacios, Carlos Cánovas, and Diébédo Francis Kéré.

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Within the framework of Gallery Weekend, which took place from September 20 to 23, Dosa Studio presented an installation at the joségarcía, mx gallery that represents a synthesis of the Casa Palmas project, located in Texcoco, State of Mexico.

In the heart of the Santa María La Ribera neighborhood, this installation—composed of two walls embracing a sunken space within the house where the gallery is located—decontextualizes the design gestures developed in Casa Palmas to shape a new space. This environment transports visitors to that original, 40-year-old home, which was transformed to improve its residents' quality of life through a spatial experience that weaves a close relationship with its context.

Out of 132 cities across 23 countries worldwide, a Colombian city has once again won the One Planet City Challenge, an initiative organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to recognize urban centers taking action for sustainability.

The winning city is Montería, which was recognized during the Global Climate Action Summit held in San Francisco, United States, on September 12. Awarded for the fourth consecutive year, the Colombian city was highlighted for implementing sustainable mobility through urban design modifications, such as the construction of bike lanes and pedestrian pathways. Additionally, Montería was recognized for integrating strategies in its agricultural sector, particularly in cattle ranching, which is known to be a major contributor to the greenhouse effect.

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Titled Archivo(s) Centro SCOP reclaims the memory of the former SCOP Center (opened in 1954 and currently the headquarters of the Ministry of Communications and Transportation, or SCT) as well as the future of its artistic and architectural heritage following the September 19 earthquakes. In the mid-1950s, the SCOP Center was one of the most ambitious and iconic public architectural projects of the "Mexican Miracle." Clad in 6,000 square meters of murals and sculptural ensembles by prominent artists such as Juan O'Gorman, José Chávez Morado, and Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt, the building crystallized the ambitions and aspirations of its era, under the direction of architect Carlos Lazo, who led the SCOP from 1952 until his untimely death in a plane crash in 1955.

The Council of Architecture and Urbanism of Rio de Janeiro (CAU/RJ) has open applications for its first call for proposals to support the development and implementation of projects under the Technical Assistance for Social Interest Housing (ATHIS) program, alongside the sixth edition of its Cultural Sponsorship Program.

Applications for the ATHIS call are open until 4:00 PM on September 25. The deadline to submit proposals to the Cultural Sponsorship Program closes slightly earlier, at 5:00 PM on September 21. Both calls are restricted to non-profit legal entities. 

On Sunday, April 1, the 15th edition of the Latin American Social Workshop (TSL) concluded in Peru. This annual workshop brings together students and architects from across the Americas to analyze, reflect, design, and build public facilities over ten days in diverse Latin American contexts.

Known as XV TSL Puno, this edition took place in Chucuito, a Peruvian town situated at an altitude of over 3,800 meters (12,400 feet) on the shores of Lake Titicaca, near the city of Puno—the folklore capital of Peru. There, 250 students divided into three teams worked on landscape, public space, and heritage restoration projects, led by ENSUSITIO + Jhony Chávez, Ruta 4, and Lucio Torres, respectively.

Following the workdays, amidst coca leaves and fried trout, a recurring question arose during our conversations with the workshop participants: how can social architecture move beyond the photograph of children drawing and adults talking in a town hall meeting? Below, we present the reflections of four Latin American practices that participated in the TSL between 2017 and 2018.

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Last September, we launched our first open call in Spain for architects to submit their final thesis projects (PFC). After a thorough evaluation of 87 submissions, 10 projects were selected, standing out for addressing pressing contemporary issues, developing deep research analyses, and posing challenges in both urban and rural environments.

The selected proposals seek to both validate and highlight the diverse fields that architects can address and practice within a multidisciplinary framework, countering the bias of certain institutions and academics who still believe that architects only design "boxes."

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Globally recognized for promoting and manufacturing some of the design world's most iconic pieces, Herman Miller, Inc. launched its new Cosm chair by Studio 7.5—a sophisticated design engineered to instantly respond to body movement and posture to provide complete balance and support.

To mark this launch, Herman Miller Mexico organized a competition to design a building facade based on the core features of the new Cosm chair. The facade design was required to take into account the following characteristics: Auto-Harmonic Tilt, Intercept Suspension, Flexible Frame, and/or the wide palette of available colors.

As an exemplary figure in the production of modern architecture, Lúcio Costa worked on several fronts—from building design to urban planning, as in the case of Brasília. Among his many facets, his role in promoting and establishing policies to protect the country's historical heritage represents a milestone both in his career and for the nation's cultural assets.

The Parques del Río project in Medellín has become the first Colombian representative among the winners at the 2018 World Architecture Festival (WAF18), currently being held in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Self-described as the world's largest architectural awards program, the festival announced on its second day that the project designed by Latitud Taller de Arquitectura y Ciudad won the 'Masterplanning' subcategory under the 'Future Projects' section.

Recent environmental pollution incidents in the Chilean cities of Quintero and Puchuncaví have reignited the debate surrounding the health impacts on residents of so-called sacrifice zones. Last August, the Chilean newspaper La Tercera reported that these cities on Quintero Bay coexist with "15 major energy, chemical, and fuel companies," including a smelter, a natural gas plant, and four thermoelectric power plants.

In response, Chilean architect Leonardo Quinteros has developed "Marine Forest" as his thesis project. The proposal features a decontamination platform designed to bioremediate the bay using cultivated brown algae, drawing on research into methods for extracting and absorbing heavy metals to demonstrate the species' potential as a marine bioremediator.

Quinteros—winner of the 2015 CNPP and currently designing the new Providencia Municipal Building in Santiago alongside Tomás Villalón and Nicolás Norero—based his project on a decontamination plan known as FIC Algas. Developed by the Faculty of Ecology at Andrés Bello University (UNAB) in collaboration with the Regional Government of Valparaíso, FIC Algas

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The year 2018 has been filled with achievements and surprises for the architectural community. As the year draws to a close, we reflect on the crucial role competitions play in reinforcing the global image of each region or country. Mexico was no exception, securing nearly 18 international recognitions (including grants, competitions, nominations, etc.) that showcased its key interests and goals for the coming years to the rest of the world. This selection highlights the prominent participation of Mexican architects Frida Escobedo and Rozana Montiel—both invited and recognized on multiple occasions at some of the industry's most prestigious events—as well as outstanding projects like the Teopanzolco Cultural Center by Isaac Broid + Productora, which received several national and international awards.

Read on for the complete list.

On Friday, November 17, 2017, in the presence of Felipe Jesús Gutiérrez Gutiérrez, Secretary of Urban Development and Housing, and Xóchitl Gálvez Ruiz, head of the Miguel Hidalgo borough, Mayor Miguel Ángel Mancera inaugurated the Cuernavaca Railroad Linear Park by Gaeta-Springall Arquitectos, which will provide public space for residents and visitors in the Ampliación Granada, Cuauhtémoc Pensil, Modelo Pensil, Dos Lagos, and Granada neighborhoods.

A proposal to include financing for properties built using bioconstruction techniques is awaiting the appointment of a rapporteur in the Environment Committee. The bill was introduced by Senator Randolfe Rodrigues (Rede-AP) at the request of movements advocating for affordable and sustainable social housing. The goal is to make this financing available through the Minha Casa Minha Vida program.

Daniel Libeskind will visit Chile this coming December, following an invitation extended by Mauricio Soria, the mayor of Iquique, and approved by the Chilean city's municipal council. However, the decision has drawn coverage from local media due to opposition from council members who voted against the initiative, primarily over the budget: 75 million Chilean pesos (around $110,000), which includes a "city visit, site visit, public lecture, and a preliminary draft or conceptual proposal," as highlighted on Twitter by council member Felipe Arenas, one of the dissenting voices in the municipal vote.

Although the announcement was shared by the mayor's office on Twitter on November 8, efforts to bring Libeskind to the country began exactly a year ago when the architect visited Chile to give a lecture at ENMATERIA's International Architecture and Materials Encounter. During that visit, the American architect met for the first time with Soria and his technical team in Santiago.

With the proposal  'Mining Tailings Phytoremediation Machine', the Chilean team won first place in the 11th Alacero Steel Design Competition for Architecture Students 2018 in Colombia.

The team, composed of students from Universidad Finis Terrae—Diego Concha, Tomás Aguirre, and Trinidad Hermosilla—presented a project that aims to "recover and reuse mining waste by utilizing plants with high tolerance to minerals to reduce and mitigate the site's environmental risks," as explained by the authors in the project description. The team was advised by professors Andrés Echeverría and Cristián Lecaros.

Originally titled "La casa existencial, comportamientos "anti-urbanos" en la ciudad de Loja" (The Existential House: "Anti-Urban" Behaviors in the City of Loja), Ecuadorian architect David Medina Jiménez conducted this research in 2015 to obtain a degree at the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja.

As noted by the Colegio de Arquitectos del Ecuador Pichincha on its blog, Medina Jiménez's thesis "explores the importance of 'consciousness' from an existentialist perspective, and its relationship with architecture and the city. The author reaches bold conclusions by questioning an urban planning prejudice that most have taken for granted: the supposed need to densify cities at all costs."

What is architecture? A full answer will probably not be found in words—at least not in those shared here. Nevertheless, it is argued that what we call "architecture"—what we recognize as such—is immanent to self-awareness and consciousness [1] (and these, in turn, to unconsciousness, like light and shadow). The former, self-awareness, is knowledge of the self, of Dasein [2]; the latter, consciousness, is knowledge of the surrounding reality.

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It is an honor to present the exhibition of architect and designer Oscar Hagerman, which highlights the significance of his theoretical, practical, and aesthetic contributions to creating designs rooted in everyday life. As one of the most prominent figures in participatory design and collaborative work with Indigenous communities, this exhibition highlights Hagerman's extensive social work in Mexico's rural communities and the mutual learning fostered through close cooperation with the groups he works with.

The exhibition features a selection of five designs with eight chair variations created throughout his career. Each represents the architect's creative reflections, showcasing his close relationship with artisans from different regions of the country. The result is an exhibition that condenses his learning into the simple form of the chair, a shape he considers the most humble in architecture.

RSAA/Büro Ziyu Zhuang has recently unveiled the design for the "Chengdu Linpan Resort" in Chongzhou, a county-level city under the administration of Chengdu. Boasting a rich history and deep cultural heritage, the region has inspired the works of renowned literary figures like Lu You, Du Fu, and Wang Bo, while preserving the ancient style, charm, and heritage of western Sichuan. RSAA/Büro Ziyu Zhuang's design integrates the historical residential spatial form of western Sichuan with local climatic conditions, cultural characteristics, and regional living habits. The project aims to overlay and reorganize the traditional Linpan prototype with the shifting perspective of Chinese scroll painting. This spatial synthesis creates richer spatial variations and narrative possibilities for both the interior and exterior experiences. The project is currently under construction.

From the Fundación Arquia Blog, architect Miren León, a specialist in sustainable design and energy efficiency, brings us an article calling for the reuse of construction materials through "upcycling," a method that helps reduce waste and mitigate the life-cycle impact of buildings.

Although many may have forgotten it today, RE-using is second nature to us. We have all reused shoeboxes, cans, or jars for a purpose different from their original intent: from "creating" new toys or decorative objects to storing marbles or childhood treasures. Since we have all done this on a small scale, why is it so difficult to do it on an urban scale?

Applications are now open for the 2018 social housing public call from CAU/GO . Projects for housing for families with incomes of up to three minimum wages can be submitted until June 29.

Across the country, in addition to the housing deficit, there is a high rate of substandard housing. For this reason, the public call supports both new construction and renovation projects.