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.

It took nearly 60 years to build the San Carlos Canal, an engineering feat that drew water from the Maipo River to irrigate the lands of southeastern Santiago.

Out of necessity, buildings change uses over time. Churches become libraries, and abandoned warehouses are transformed into cultural centers. Although much has been written on the subject since N. John Habraken's concept of open building in the 1970s, a fascinating global debate is currently underway. Do we really need so much square footage dedicated to offices when the pandemic proved that much of our work can be done remotely?

Videos

“Arquitectos” is a micro-documentary series produced by AvantVisual and directed by Mauro Alfaro on the life and work of prominent Chilean architects. The series was originally scheduled to premiere at the XXI Chile Architecture and Urbanism Biennial, “The Common and the Everyday.” However, due to the suspension of the Biennial in the wake of the 2019 social uprising, the premiere could not take place.

Today is the day to announce the finalists for ODA2021. Our expert jury—meaning you, our readers—has selected 15 favorite projects from nearly 1,000 works of architecture across Latin America and Spain.

Now in its thirteenth year, this award has become a true tradition. We invite all of our readers to recognize the projects published during 2020 that inspired them and represent the identity of their local contexts in a globalized planet, shaping architectural practice in Latin America and Spain within an increasingly heterogeneous and multicultural world.

Starting today and until next Wednesday, March 31, at 11:59 PM (GMT -3), you can explore each of the finalists in detail and vote for the work that best represents the "Spanish-language" architecture that inspires us, defines us, and leaves its mark on us.

Congratulations, you made it through 2020!

This year was filled with far too many "unexpected" and "unforeseen" events. The pandemic transformed our external environment, shifting our psychological landscapes and behaviors in tandem. As an architectural observer and critic, I have found that the most profound change the pandemic brought to the profession is in our very way of seeing. "Lockdowns" have increasingly forced us to experience culture and space through images. This mode of observation traps us within digital platforms—relying on translated texts, edited photographs, and curated videos. Consequently, our sensory understanding of space (encompassing sight, hearing, smell, and touch) has been reduced to sight alone, leaving our critique of the built environment as a mere synthesis of fragmented impressions.

When the channels of intellectual nourishment shift, the evaluation systems of space inevitably change as well. But how does this affect design? Physicist Carlo Rovelli once noted, "Sometimes, a crazy perspective sees further than our usual blurry vision." Through the lens of the COVID-19 pandemic, I hope to expose issues and provoke collective reflection rather than mere complacency. In this year-end review, we attempt to respond to these shifts. Below are the ten most-discussed articles of the year, categorized into ten themes, offered in the hope of sparking further response and dialogue.

01.Social Distancing:Human——1.5m——Human
02. Female Architects:2020 Pritzker Prize Laureates: Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara
03. Representatives of the Client:Shenzhen Opera House Competition Selects 20 Design Teams in a Clash of Titans
04. Contextual Disconnect:An Open Letter to Zumthor: "Architecture Should Not Be an Island"
05. Scale:Portzamparc Responds to the "Steel Ribbon" of the Suzhou Bay Cultural Center: The Coexistence of the Monumental and the Minute
06. Juxtaposition of Tradition and Contemporaneity:Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum / Studio Zhu-Pei
07. Human Habitat:High-Density Hong Kong: Micro-living in 14㎡ Concrete Water Pipes
08. Experimental Exploration:KAIT Plaza, Kanagawa Institute of Technology / Junya Ishigami
09. Architecture for Animals:Kengo Kuma's New 'Casa Wabi Coop': A Grid Built of Charred Wood
10. Young Architects:2020 ArchDaily Best New Practices: 21 Firms from Around the Globe

The Government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires has submitted a bill to the Legislature to create the Sustainable Urban Development Fund (FoDUS), aiming to carry out plans, programs, and projects designed to incentivize urban development in several of the city's neighborhoods through public, private, or mixed initiatives.

Archivo de Ideas Recibidas is an interdisciplinary research and dissemination project that seeks to document and connect the ideas of people contributing to the contemporary creative ecosystem through art, design, and architecture. It is built on conversations between the team and various creators, exploring themes related to memory, academia, cultural context, main influences, and working methodologies.

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According to 2018 data from INEGI's National Survey of Demographic Dynamics (ENADID), the child population under fifteen in Mexico represents 25.3% of the overall total, which stands at 125 million people. The reality is that this population, despite representing just over a quarter of the total, has few to no spaces dedicated to their entertainment and development. With this figure in mind, this article reflects on public space and childhood in Mexican cities.

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On October 5, Design House opened in Mexico City. As in previous years, the event showcases a series of installations integrating disciplines like design, architecture, and interior design. For nine years, across various venues, it has presented cutting-edge proposals from more than one hundred participating firms in collaboration with the showrooms of the Design Route, which provide the furniture and accessories that make up each space.

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For the eighth time, the MEXTRÓPOLI Architecture and City Festival held the Arquine No. 23 | MEXTRÓPOLI 2021 Pavilion competition, a platform where architecture, urbanism, and art meet to reflect on and celebrate Mexico City. The event also aims to engage citizens by occupying public spaces with architectural interventions that can be activated by visitors. Celebrating public space and offering a fresh perspective on everyday pathways is precisely why MEXTRÓPOLI showcases these ephemeral works of architecture.

Located at Castelli 3902, this project is the result of a collaborative partnership between the architecture and urban planning organization Proyecto Habitar and COOPTEBA SM/3F, a housing cooperative of education workers from the Province of Buenos Aires, San Martín, and Tres de Febrero. In a world where unequal access to urban goods and services shapes the lives of much of the population, the designers sought to work collectively and interdisciplinarily to address existing social and spatial injustices. Read on to learn more about this experience.

"Domingos Libro" is hosted by Carmelo from Enorme Studio, where every two weeks, he takes a deep dive into forgotten architectural publications, books, and magazines from the '60s, '70s, and '80s that have the most interesting stories behind them.

In this new episode, titled "Foto-reportaje," he discusses a curious way of presenting architecture through a fictional reportage on Coop Himmelb(l)au's Atelier Baumann renovation project, published in issue 245 of the French magazine L'Architecture d'aujourd'hui in 1986.

The “Faro Verde” Provincial Ideas Competition, organized by the College of Architects of the Province of Buenos Aires / District 8 (CAPBA) and promoted by BAHMS S.A. (a member of the Faro Verde Group), sought proposals for a new mixed-use building featuring housing, offices, retail, and parking in the city of Tandil, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.

The jury awarded first prize to architects María Cristina Carasatorre and Luis Federico Risso, alongside collaborating architects Emilio Beilinson, Enrique Nakano, and Ms. María Sol Villaverde, with structural engineering consultation by engineer Alejandro Nico. Explore the project below.

On August 30 of this year, a new speed limit of 30 kilometers per hour came into effect in Paris, France. Making streets safer, quieter, and less polluted are among the measure's goals. While it may seem too slow to many, the initiative has been paved gradually. The 30 km/h limit already applied to about 60% of Paris and now extends to cover almost the entire city. In addition, Paris has been implementing measures to restrict car use on certain streets for several years, while simultaneously expanding pedestrian-only zones.

Although the Olympic Pool of Arica, built in 1972 by architect Alicia Meza and former CORMU members Nelson Berthelon and Sergio Román, received widespread national and international recognition at the time, today it is far from being part of the collective imaginary of modern architecture in Chile.

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Growing up in the rolling coastal countryside of Dorset in West England, Fred Rigby drew creative inspiration from natural elements—a passion that ultimately shaped his design philosophy. Characterized by organic forms, natural symbolism, and earthy materials, his work fosters a deep connection to nature within indoor environments. Premium Scandinavian design brand MENU collaborated with Rigby to develop their latest office furniture collection as a response to the pandemic-induced shift toward working from home. By integrating the warm, soft, and nature-centric qualities of his work, the collection aims to bring a sense of calm to the anxieties of our time.

This article compiles key insights from the research on air pollution conducted for Catalonia's participation in the 2021 Venice Biennale. The study was carried out in 2019 by 300.000Km/s under the direction of curator Olga Subirós.

"Domingos Libro" is hosted by Carmelo of Enorme Studio. Every two weeks, he takes a deep dive into forgotten architectural publications, exploring books and magazines from the 1960s, '70s, and '80s that hide the most fascinating backstories.

In this new episode, titled "La Casa de Muñecas" (The Dollhouse), he discusses the 1983 issue of the British magazine Architectural Design titled "Dolls' Houses," and how its editor, Andreas Papadakis, turned the search for a dollhouse for his daughter Alexandra into one of the most unusual and entertaining architectural competitions in history.

“Despacio” challenges intuitive thinking about cities, life, and the climate. Based in Colombia, this organization seeks to find ways to experience the city at an appropriate pace, moving toward a humane and sustainable urban space. It supports urban climate change mitigation and adaptation through actions in both the public and private spheres, while fostering individual, family, and professional well-being at every stage of life.

“Vivo mi Calle” is one of its participatory initiatives—recently awarded the FIIU 2021 Ocupa Prize—which promotes the right to healthy cities by creating public spaces and safe routes alongside youth. The initiative consists of a series of urban interventions in the city of Cali, carried out in collaboration with local children and adolescents, with the aim of transforming these areas into safe spaces for community gathering, learning, and neighborhood integration.

In the following interview with Natalia Lleras, director of the Vivo Mi Calle project, we discuss the different facets of their work, their recognition, their motivations, and the initiative's future outlook.

In November 2021, the Mayor Bruno Covas Augusta Municipal Park opened in central São Paulo. Despite the celebrations, the outcome could have been better. The decision to turn the area into a park was the result of a process that dragged on for years between developers planning to build residential and commercial towers on the site, and residents and activist groups advocating for a park on the same plot of land.

'Experiencias del Espacio Moderno en el Valle Central de Chile' is a project by Glenn Deulofeu, a professor at the University of Talca School of Architecture.

Developed in collaboration with the university's Heritage Documentation Center, the project features 15 micro-documentaries on the most relevant and enduring works of modern architecture currently standing in this region of the country.

Watch the videos and discover the history through Deulofeu's words below.

This project represents the latest collaboration between Italian firm Mario Cucinella Architects (MC A) and WASP, marking the first time the two teams have used raw earth—a natural, fully recyclable material—for 3D-printed construction. Located in Massa Lombarda (Ravenna, Italy), the completed habitat is named TECLA. The earthen dome was constructed in 200 hours of continuous printing by multiple synchronized 3D printers.

Fundación Mi Parque in collaboration with Transelec, has developed a manual focusing on the technical and landscaping aspects of pruning urban trees near power transmission lines. This task is identified as an opportunity to move toward building an integrated and sustainable city image.

The Albeida Tourism Complex, designed by architects Alfonso Salgado Suárez and Francisco Liñares Túñez, and the new Spatial Planning Guidelines of the Basque Country are the winning projects of the latest edition of the 2020 Architecture and Urbanism Awards, presented by the Superior Council of Colleges of Architects of Spain (CSCAE).