This guide covers a workflow that moves from project parameters to generated floor plans, 3D perspective views, exterior design exploration, and site context visualization, using AI tools in place of preliminary CAD and rendering work.

Who do you design a city for? Your answer is unlikely to focus on a baby or a child under the age of six—the age bracket that defines early childhood. Yet, a wide range of guidelines and actions can be taken to integrate this demographic into urban planning. After all, this is when a citizen's first interactions with urban life begin, making it essential to provide the most welcoming environment possible. 

The seven main representative entities of Brazilian architects and urban planners, members of the Board of Architecture and Urbanism Entities (CEAU), launched the Open Letter to Candidates in the 2022 elections. Featuring 20 proposals, the document aims to address structural issues, economic and social development policies, and territorial planning in the country.

At one of Bolivia's most important architecture events, a Brazilian project took home the top prize. Sesc Parque Dom Pedro II, designed by the firm UNA Arquitetos under the coordination of Fernanda Barbara and Fabio Valentim, won the International Project category of the International Architecture Biennial of Santa Cruz 2022 (VIII BASC), held between March 25 and April 3 of this year.

Municipalities, much like people, are dynamic entities, constantly evolving to keep pace with and adapt to the social, economic, and environmental shifts of their time. By the same token, the vision of how the ideal city should be planned has continually been shaped by the reality and prevailing thought of each era.

+ 1

The National Congress will officially discuss the proposal for the Professional Microentrepreneur (MEP), a tax category that would reduce taxes paid by architects, urban planners, and other independent professionals. The proposal, drafted by CAU in partnership with the Board of National Entities of Architects and Urban Planners (CEAU), was introduced by Federal Deputy Érica Kokay in the Chamber of Deputies as Supplementary Bill No. 55/2022.

Portuguese architecture firm Sastudio, in partnership with Icelandic studio Hjark and the firm Landmotun, has won the international design competition for a community center in Hornafjörður, Iceland. This marks the second competition won by the two offices; the first, for a kindergarten in Garðabær, is scheduled to begin construction in May of this year and is expected to be completed by mid-2023.

+ 10

The 29 de Março community, in the Cidade Industrial de Curitiba (CIC), was one of two Brazilian regions selected by the Action Fund Brazil to receive investments to combat climate inequality. Ambiens Sociedade Cooperativa, a local cooperative, was responsible for the project — a 15-month initiative in one of the city's most vulnerable neighborhoods. The other project was implemented in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul.

Cities play a fundamental role in the search for solutions and policies to mitigate the problems driving global climate change. Today, urban areas account for more than 70% of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions—one of the main causes of the greenhouse effect and its consequences for the environment and human life.

This percentage is striking, considering that municipalities occupy a mere 0.4% to 0.9% of the Earth's surface, as pointed out by the study "Effects of population or density change on urban carbon dioxide emissions," published in Nature Communications—a journal specializing in natural sciences.

+ 2

Just like much of popular culture, for most of the twentieth century, architectural media relied on magazines sold at newsstands and supermarkets. Through them, readers discovered what was being built, tracked technological innovations, and, to some extent, popularized architectural discourse, taking it beyond the academic and elitist confines of universities and conferences. With the rise of the internet, the format of this information shifted, finding new ways to reach the public. Social media and specialized websites became crucial channels for sharing information and services, expanding public access to architectural issues. Today, every major social network hosts profiles dedicated exclusively to architecture, tailoring their content to each specific platform.

+ 2

In his most recent book, Survival of the City, economist Edward Glaeser diagnoses the conflicts of interest that permeate the urban debate. According to him, there is a fundamental opposition between insiders—longtime residents interested in maintaining the status quo and increasing their property values—and outsiders—new residents looking for affordable housing and new opportunities for work, consumption, and urban space.

Bringing lighting to those in need using solar energy and affordable materials. This is the mission of the NGO Litro de Luz, which, during a three-day campaign, positively impacted the quality of life of 173 families from riverside communities living along the banks of the Rio Negro in the Amazon.

On May 3 at 11 a.m., Portobello will host the UNLTD Dreams Exhibition, an event that promotes discussions on art, architecture, and sustainability, while showcasing the diverse possibilities of space design through the eyes of leading professionals. 

African architect Diébédo Francis Kéré, known worldwide for work guided by a social vision of architecture and design practice as a tool for inclusion and transformation, was this year's Pritzker Prize laureate. To discuss the award, the jury's selection, and its implications for architectural culture as a whole, Arquicast invited Caio Dias and Bruno Sarmento.

Two thousand five hundred reais is the average price of a good virtual reality headset. If you opt for the full experience, shell out another four thousand reais to add sensors and controllers. These models must be connected to a high-performance computer to process information and transform spaces into 3D models, costing at least five thousand reais. In addition to the headset, sensors, and computer, software is also required, with annual licenses that likewise run into the thousands. In short, keeping up with technology nowadays is quite a costly endeavor.

Videos

There is no shortage of filmmakers trained in architecture, nor of architects passionate about cinema. On the Betoneira Podcast, architect and filmmaker Marcio Kogan joined hosts Marcelo Barbosa and André Scarpa, both architects and cinephiles, to discuss the films that have shaped their lives and influenced their architecture.

The world's population is aging, and one of the major questions raised by this demographic shift—with more older adults than young children—is whether municipalities are equipped for these citizens to use urban spaces safely and accessibly, and to feel included in the social and civic life of their communities.

A United Nations (UN) report estimates that the number of individuals aged 65 or older is expected to double by 2050, growing from 727 million in 2020 to approximately 1.5 billion—representing 16% of the global population.

Dating back to 1535, the Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Igarassu, Pernambuco, is considered the oldest surviving church in Brazil. This iconic landmark has recently undergone an extensive restoration that preserves its historic features while introducing upgrades to facilitate its contemporary use. The intervention also included the adjacent two-story Parish House.

Lacking a clear definition, the term smart cities has become increasingly common with each passing year. Many theorists point out that this conceptual ambiguity is linked to its rapid adoption and expansion by large corporations and institutions, thus turning it into a buzzword. Despite the “innovative” rhetoric, the model chosen to implement a smart city can lead to segregation and privilege specific groups if it is not designed around local specificities and does not involve local leadership (MENDES, 2020). This essay adopts the understanding that innovation and intelligence are not necessarily tied to digital technologies or high-cost resources. Rather, they stem from a fresh perspective on urban problems and the development of non-traditional solutions in decision-making and execution.

+ 5

Videos

One of the most highly acclaimed television productions of recent years, “Severance” (released as “Ruptura” in Brazil), the Apple TV+ sci-fi series released in 2022, establishes an intriguing premise: employees of the mysterious Lumon Industries volunteer to undergo a procedure that surgically separates their personal and professional memories, ensuring that their work and private lives never overlap. The procedure thus creates an intermittent alter ego, mutually unaware of the other self and hyper-focused on its respective domain. The deft direction of Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle, coupled with stellar performances from the cast, does justice to Dan Erickson's brilliant plot. Here, however, we focus on how the show's primary setting—the corporate headquarters in the fictional town of Kier—heightens the distress of the small team of employees through the architecture that houses and alienates them during the workday.

Gentrification is the process by which real estate becomes more desirable and, consequently, more expensive. Rising prices displace long-time residents, replacing them with higher-income newcomers. This should not be confused with the forced removal of citizens through eminent domain or forced evictions. Evicting residents by official decree is a different issue altogether.

"Agostinho de Freitas was an extraordinary artist," says Agnaldo Farias, art critic, professor, and curator of the exhibition “Agostinho Batista de Freitas – Mestre das Ruas,” on view from May 12 to June 11 at Galeria Estação in São Paulo. The exhibition features a selection of about 20 of the artist's canvases from the collection of gallerist Vilma Eid.

+ 8

On May 5, the first edition of the Model. Barcelona Architectures Festival officially opened. Jointly organized by the Barcelona City Council and the Association of Architects of Catalonia (COAC), the event is led by artistic directors Eva Franch i Gilabert and Beth Galí, along with cultural researcher José Luis de Vicente. It brings us closer to experimental architecture, helping us rethink how we want to live together through new urban models and new imaginaries.

Through five temporary architecture installations located along a circuit in Ciutat Vella—starting at Plaza de Catalunya, the Sant Antoni slab, Plaza de Idrissa Diallo, Paseo de Lluís Companys, and Plaza Reial—the festival explores its five major themes under the central concept of "Regrow": Between-Classes, Between-Cultures, Between-Species, Between-Generations, and Between-Materials.

In this context, we present the installation "Reversing the Pyramid" by OJO estudio.

Urban planning is of interest to everyone, but it is no subject for novices. With this in mind, Arquicast invited professionals who contribute directly to the field through extensive research and practical experience for a conversation. Joining the podcast are Roberto Ghidini, an engineer, urban observer, founder of Sociedad Peatonal, and PhD in Urbanism from UPM (Polytechnic University of Madrid); and João Flávio Folly, an architect with a Master’s in Urbanism from UFF and currently a PhD candidate in Mobility and Urbanism at PROURB/UFRJ. 

Architects and designers, as well as psychologists and sociologists, recognize that aesthetics and its underlying philosophy have the power to change how we perceive the world around us. Consequently, a deeper understanding of what is beautiful has the power to reshape how people respond to their environment.

Exploring the different meanings of aesthetics in architecture—from "form follows function" to the aesthetics of the metaverse—can help us understand the potential of our physical and virtual environments on the path toward a better world.

Much has already been written on the subject, but we now want to open the debate to you, our readers. Share your thoughts on what makes a building or a city beautiful.

Leave your comments in the form below. These will be selected and published in an upcoming article.