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.
Photography has historically been used to document architecture. Indeed, in the very first photograph, the subject captured was the estate of its inventor, Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. While commonly viewed as a mere recording of the actual work of art (the captured building), architectural photography is more than just a tool at the service of these structures; it is an art form in its own right, possessing its own language and aesthetic concerns.
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.
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.
No País dos Arquitectos is a podcast created by Sara Nunes, who also runs the architectural film production company Building Pictures. The podcast aims to introduce the professionals, projects, and stories behind contemporary Portuguese architecture. With just over 10 million inhabitants, Portugal is a fascinating country when it comes to this professional field, and its architectural output far exceeds what its population or territorial scale might suggest.
In this episode, Sara talks with Nuno Grande, from the office Pedra Líquida, about Casa do Conto and the Hotel Tipografia do Conto. Listen to the full interview and read an excerpt of the conversation below:
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.
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.
At the end of 2021, the port city of Genoa, Italy, introduced free public transit. Following the success of the initiative, the experiment, originally scheduled to end on March 31, 2022, was extended for another four months.
Vertical transit systems (such as elevators and funiculars) will remain free seven days a week with no time restrictions, while free subway access is available during two specific windows: daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. This free access will be valid until July 31.
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.
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.
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.
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.
From May 10 to 15, the second edition of the Barcelona International Architecture Film Festival (BARQ) will take place. The event will be hosted within the MODEL. Barcelona Architectures Festival. It will feature seven feature films and twelve short films in competition, which will be screened at Barcelona's Cines Girona and the Disseny HUB. During the festival, the selected films will also be available on the Filmin platform.
Summer, carnival, and transit fare hikes: the beginning of the year in Brazil is typically when municipal and state governments announce increases in public transportation fares. While these fares were frozen in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, many cities have faced hikes once again in 2022. Understanding the impact of rising public transportation fares on our society is crucial.
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.
One of the great theorists of architecture, the city, and nature recently passed away on March 17, 2022, at the age of 85. Born in Vienna on October 4, 1936, Christopher Alexander lived a long life of singular contributions, offering visionary ideas about cities that challenged the mainstream of architectural practice.
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.
Alternating between housewife and architect, Lina Bo Bardi appeared in the pages of O Cruzeiro magazine—featured in women's columns for her risotto alla milanese, and in cultural sections as the architect of MASP (Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo). Published weekly by Assis Chateaubriand's Diários Associados, O Cruzeiro enjoyed nationwide notoriety and circulation. Although targeted at upper-class housewives, its content was broad, covering fashion, culture, cinema, politics, and "women's advice sections" (sic).
No País dos Arquitectos is a podcast created by Sara Nunes, who also runs the architecture film production company Building Pictures. The podcast aims to profile the professionals, projects, and stories behind Portugal's leading contemporary architecture. With just over 10 million inhabitants, Portugal is a fascinating country when it comes to this professional field, and its architectural output far exceeds its population or territorial scale.
In this episode, Sara talks with the architects of extrastudio, João Caldeira Ferrão and João Costa Ribeiro, about the Red House project. Listen to the full interview and read an excerpt of the transcript below:
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.
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.
