The relationship between architecture and structure has been widely discussed and is repeatedly revisited by architects with every new project. Much like plumbing and electrical systems, the structural system is one of the essential disciplines that make up a building. Yet, it is one of the most impactful on the architectural outcome, directly shaping the spatial experience and the chosen materiality. Mastering structural design and understanding how to best integrate it into the architectural project grants architects greater autonomy and expands the possibilities of design solutions. 

Selecting a structural system and deciding how to incorporate it into the architectural design is a pivotal decision in any project. On one hand, architects can choose to absorb structural elements, camouflaging them within the building envelope to make them imperceptible. On the other, the structural system can be brought to the forefront, turning into a defining feature of the design—whether through its structural logic, its materiality, or by being elevated to a nearly sculptural element. 

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No País dos Arquitectos is a podcast created by Sara Nunes, who is also responsible for the architectural film production company Building Pictures. The podcast aims to profile the professionals, projects, and stories behind leading contemporary Portuguese architecture. With just over 10 million inhabitants, Portugal is a highly fascinating country in this professional field, and its architectural production far outstrips its population or territorial scale.

In its first episode, Sara spoke with architect João Luís Carrilho da Graça about his Lisbon Cruise Terminal, and then welcomed João Mendes Ribeiro for a conversation on heritage, adaptive reuse, and landscape architecture, centered on the rehabilitation of the Coimbra Botanical Garden greenhouse. The third episode featured architect Inês Lobo and focused on the Public Library and Regional Archive of Angra do Heroísmo. Below, you can listen to and read the conversation from the fourth episode, with Carlos Castanheira about the Treetop Walk project.

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Groups and collectives working on the fringes of the architectural discipline are, fortunately, increasingly common. However, few strive to expand the boundaries of the profession across as many different fronts as Goma Oficina, from São Paulo, currently composed of Ana David, André Stefanini, André Bonani, Christian Salmeron, João Wallig, Fernando Banzi, Guilherme Tanaka, Lauro Rocha, Maria Cau Levy, Paula Marujo, Victoria Braga, and Vitor Pena.

Understanding architecture as culture in its broadest sense, Goma has been working since 2010 on projects located in a loosely defined territory, characterized by transdisciplinarity and overlaps between different fields. Their most recent work includes exhibitions, books, research, debates, installations, and models spanning the areas of architecture, graphic design, photography, and art.

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João Filgueiras Lima was a Rio de Janeiro-born architect trained at the National Faculty of Architecture. His name, however, evokes a body of work and imagery that has long transcended the city's boundaries and iconic landscapes. Lelé, as he became internationally known, carved out a unique path within the profession, establishing a presence across several Brazilian capitals. He left behind an impressive architectural legacy manifested in public and private buildings, technical innovations in production processes, and a consistently humanized approach to the act of construction.

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With the goal of getting to know the architects, projects, and stories behind landmark Portuguese architecture, Sara Nunes, from the architectural film production company Building Pictures, launched the podcast No País dos Arquitectos, where she talks with leading names in contemporary Portuguese architecture.

In this week's episode, Sara talks with Tiago de Mota Saraiva, from ateliermob, about the rebuilding of seven homes affected by the 2017 Pedrógão Grande wildfire. Catch up on previous interviews from the podcast No País dos Arquitectos and read the transcript of the interview with Saraiva below:

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This article explores a term widely used to describe self-organized collective labor, but which also carries a meaning of anti-hegemonic struggle when used as a synonym for self-managed projects. The practice of mutirões prompts a reflection on the importance of collective work and grassroots struggle, and how architectural practice and civil construction relate to these themes.

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Porto Alegre now has an online guide aimed at preserving the history and memory of its architectural heritage, both historic and contemporary. Conceived by architects and urban planners Rodrigo Poltosi and Vlademir Roman, the Guia Arqpoa brings together texts, photographs, and information on 100 architectural, urban, landscape, historical, and cultural works in the city. The mapping is based on the buildings and public spaces featured in the print publication released in 2017, titled Guia de Arquitetura de Porto Alegre, and allows this initial list to be expanded through the collaboration of new contributors.

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Combining units and patterns to offer different ways of composing a space is the primary reason for choosing modular furniture. It adds value to interiors through spatial versatility while establishing a rhythm that can dictate various forms of occupancy and intervention within the same environment.

On May 8, Casa da Arquitectura opens the exhibition Radar Venice – Portuguese Architects at the Biennale 1975-2021, which offers a critical analysis of the many ways in which democratic Portugal exhibited and exposed itself at the world's most prestigious Architecture Biennale.

Curated by Joaquim Moreno and Alexandra Areia, Radar Venice reveals the objects that were part of each Portuguese participation and discusses the very concept of national and/or official “representation.” The documentation for each edition is complemented by socio-political information, while also highlighting the oral memory associated with the construction of the Portuguese participation. 

Videos

As longtime partners, Portobello and journalist and TV host Pedro Andrade have embarked on a new project together—this time collaborating on the Horizontes line. Inspired by Andrade's five favorite destinations, the line was launched this year as part of the 2021 Unlimited Experience collection. This partnership represents another innovative step for Portobello in engaging professionals from diverse fields in its creative process, which typically invites architects and furniture or surface designers.

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Shade and continuous ventilation are some of the benefits that an elevated roof can provide. This is a climate control strategy that provides cooling and combats humidity, which is why Brazilian architects often opt for this solution when dealing with the tropical climate.

To provide greater safety for those wishing to enjoy nature, Urbia has marked 40 circles on the lawn of Praça da Paz in Ibirapuera Park. The concessionaire, which manages the largest park in São Paulo, adopted this measure to encourage social distancing among visitors.

Measuring approximately 4 meters in diameter, the circles were marked using organic waste from the park's own vegetation management, making them entirely sustainable. This allows visitors to remain safe within their own social distancing zones. Additionally, masks must be worn at all times while inside the park.

In the 1970s, buildings along the waterfront of Santos, in São Paulo, began to tilt, sparking curiosity among residents and visitors alike. This phenomenon can be seen as the result of rapid and unregulated urbanization, manifesting as a technical issue in the buildings' construction. 

Santos, one of the largest cities on the São Paulo coast, with an estimated population of over 430,000 (IBGE 2020), located in the Baixada Santista metropolitan area near the city of São Paulo, was one of the first settlements to be established after Portuguese colonization in the 16th century. Prior to this, however, its territory was dominated by the Atlantic Forest biome and inhabited by Indigenous peoples, such as the Guarani Mbya and Tupi-Guarani. 

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Once urbanization occurs, whether legally or illegally, and land is subdivided and populated, it becomes extremely difficult to retroactively reorganize its boundaries—especially property lines—and secure land for basic public needs.

This difficulty stems from two main factors. First, any land reorganization requires displacing existing users, which disrupts their social, cultural, and economic networks—their so-called "social capital"—and also affects the sense of equality and the fair distribution of rights. Second, the value of urban land rises with intensive use, particularly when supply is scarce amid high demand.

When we think of New York, we think of Manhattan and its supertall skyscrapers. Consequently, we believe the city is one of the densest places on Earth—a Hong Kong on the Hudson. Yet, looking upward distracts us from another reality: New York is not that dense when considering its overall land area. Once you leave Manhattan and pass through the outer historic boroughs, you find a distinctly suburban city. The landscape comprises block after block of single-family homes, strip malls, and wide, car-dominated streets. New York is, therefore, a tale of two cities—one of skylines, and one of sprawl.

Known for projects situated at the intersection of research, design, biomimicry, and sustainability, Atelier Marko Brajovic recently developed a proposal for the Amazon Creative Laboratories, a series of biospheres composed of geodesic structures inspired by the internal geometry of the cacao fruit. The project aligns with the premises and goals of the Amazon 4.0 initiative, which aims to combine the economic potential of Amazonian socio-biodiversity with the new technologies and opportunities emerging from the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

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With over 56 million inhabitants spread across nine states, Brazil's Northeast region features a coastline of approximately three thousand kilometers, stretching from the Parnaíba Delta in Piauí to the south of Bahia. Internationally renowned for its beaches—which truly live up to their reputation—the region is as culturally diverse as it is geographically vast, showcasing rich cultural expressions, of which architecture is an integral part.

In this article, we celebrate the most ubiquitous of architectural typologies—the house—through examples built in the states of Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, and Sergipe. These projects demonstrate exquisite care regarding their surroundings and material choices, while also defying stereotypes and clichés often associated with architecture in northeastern Brazil. 

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Marcelo Ferraz, founding partner—alongside Francisco Fanucci—of Brasil Arquitetura, an office that has garnered numerous national and international awards in recognition of projects that are deeply sensitive to their site, yet essentially contemporary, is this week's guest on Arquicast.

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In 2019, to mark its founding anniversary, Belo Horizonte received a gift in the form of an architectural competition. The national contest sought preliminary technical studies for the requalification of the historic and landscape heritage of Bernardo Monteiro Avenue. 

This heritage site, characterized by a dense grove of large, leafy Ficus trees, was affected by infestations of the so-called "ficus whitefly." This caused defoliation and dried branches, severely compromising many of the trees, damaging the area's historical-cultural identity and public character, and forcing the relocation of the craft, flower, food, and antique markets that once operated there.

The relationship between mental health and architects, particularly architecture students, is not a new concern. In a world where stress is one of the greatest challenges of the century—affecting over 90% of the global population according to the World Health Organization (WHO)—the field of architecture and its practices, both academic and professional, have normalized stress and anxiety as intrinsic to the profession. However, recent student surveys reveal deep dissatisfaction with this reality, which has only been exacerbated by the pandemic. Is it time, therefore, to reassess institutional practices and push for a cultural shift?

Today, May 18, is International Museum Day, celebrated under the theme "The Future of Museums: Recover and Reimagine." Amid the pandemic landscape imposed by COVID-19, some museums have reopened with major restrictions, while many others have remained closed. Regardless, these institutions have begun to reconsider their models and redefine their role in society. In this sense, the pandemic catalyzed a shift in exhibition formats, bringing new solutions and innovations to the public, such as virtual tours.

Eight organizations working toward Brazil's sustainable development are joining forces to promote Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) as a strategy to mitigate the effects of climate change in cities, address urban challenges, and make cities more resilient.

The term is relatively recent and still little known to the general public in the country. However, the concept, established by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), is simple: to promote interventions inspired by healthy ecosystems to address urgent societal challenges, especially in large metropolises. Water scarcity, flooding, biodiversity loss, health issues, and rising sea levels are some of the challenges that can be tackled by viewing nature as part of the solution, generating environmental, social, and economic benefits.

According to the Brazilian Photovoltaic Solar Energy Association (ABSOLAR), in February 2021, Brazil reached the milestone of 500,000 distributed solar photovoltaic generation (DG) consumer units, with the majority of installations (73.6%) located in residential properties. The association points out that, of the total consumers, small businesses represent 16.6%, followed by the rural sector and industry, at 7% and 2.4%, respectively. To supply these 500,000 units, 400,000 solar systems have been installed.

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 profile the professionals, projects, and stories behind leading contemporary Portuguese architecture. With just over 10 million inhabitants, Portugal is a fascinating country when it comes to this professional field, boasting an architectural output that punches far above its population or territorial scale.

In this week's episode, Sara talks with architect Nuno Valentim about the rehabilitation of the Bolhão Market. Listen to the interview and read the transcript of the conversation below:

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