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 Portugal's leading contemporary architecture. With just over 10 million inhabitants, Portugal is a highly compelling country regarding this professional field, and its architectural output punches far above its population or territorial scale.

In this episode of the fourth season, Sara talks with Tomás Salgado, from the office Risco, about the Cidade do Futebol, a facility for the Portuguese Football Federation. Listen to the conversation and read part of the interview below.

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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 get to know the professionals, projects, and stories behind benchmark contemporary Portuguese architecture. With just over 10 million inhabitants, Portugal is a highly intriguing country within this professional field, and its architectural output far exceeds what its population or territorial scale would suggest.

In this episode of the sixth season, Sara talks with architects Patrícia Marques and Paulo Costa of Site Specific Arquitectura, about the project Casa de São Lourenço – Burel Panorama Hotel. Listen to the conversation and read part of the interview below.

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Essentially, windows are architectural elements set within an opening. These openings are integrated into walls in various dimensions to provide natural light and ventilation. Over time, window-making materials evolved from wood to metal. During this evolutionary process, the Industrial Revolution and the rise of metal took center stage, redefining construction at every scale—from entire cities to essential architectural features like windows.

The primary defining feature of metal windows is their structural simplicity and the large spans they can achieve. Their minimalist nature stands out for the visual lightness they provide, acting as elements that enhance the relationship between a building and its context. This connection is further elevated by minimalist systems developed by brands like OTIIMA, which integrate new technologies and opening typologies—such as sliding and pivot systems—that redefine spatial boundaries.

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Portugal will be home to another project designed by Álvaro Siza. The renowned Portuguese architect was invited by the authorities of Oleiros to design the revitalization of the Miradouro do Zebro, a prominent tourist attraction located in the country's central region.

Budgeted at two million euros, the revitalization project will also feature the construction of a suspension bridge connecting Oleiros, Pampilhosa da Serra, and Fundão.

Portuguese architect João Luís Carrilho da Graça has been unanimously selected as the winner of the inaugural Leon Battista Alberti Architecture Prize, awarded by the Leon Battista Alberti Center for Studies Foundation, named after the prominent Renaissance architect and art theorist.

Carrilho da Graça, who heads the eponymous firm Carrilho da Graça Arquitectos, is known for major projects in Portugal and other European countries, such as the Lisbon Cruise Terminal, the Theater in Poitiers, and the Orient Museum.

Porto Alegre will host the 21st Brazilian Congress of Architects in October 2019. Organized by the Institute of Architects of Brazil, the event will serve as a preparatory meeting for the 27th World Congress of Architects (UIA2020RIO), which will take place in Rio de Janeiro in 2020. The theme of this edition is Space and Democracy.

The publisher Arquitectura Viva recently released the monograph 'España 2018'. As it has every year since 1993, the AV Monographs Yearbook brings together, in a double volume, the best buildings completed in Spain over the past twelve months: a selection of 24 projects that provide an overview of the country's most recent architecture, taking stock of its characteristically high quality despite the crisis still affecting the sector.

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Innovation is at the core of architecture, expressed through new approaches to design, material experimentation, and, of course, ways of living. As a result, the conception of buildings and indoor spaces is constantly evolving. This evolution is especially evident in regions with a rich cultural heritage, such as Spain, where innovation reinterprets traditional ways of relating to space. This attentiveness to memory and daily life extends into interiors, where each intervention has the potential to actively reshape how people experience a space and open new possibilities for living and interaction.

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As cities continue to grow and daily realities shift rapidly, people are turning to new and evolving ways to maintain their well-being. While promoting active lifestyles has long been a focus for many planners and architects, through pedestrian- and bike-friendly cities, parks, and fitness or sports centers, recent times have shown that these publicly valued facilities are not always accessible. A clear solution has emerged in recent years, accelerated by the global pandemic in 2020. Both homes and workplaces have begun to adapt their interior spaces, incorporating designated areas and equipment to support physical activity and provide opportunities for movement during the day.

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It shouldn't be too surprising that architectural concepts were traveling around the globe long before the online spread of information. While many regions share certain historical events and hence references (such as colonization and the mid-20th-century independence movement/ turn of political systems), others might have simply developed parallel solutions to similar climates and material availability. Additionally, it was only natural that with the dissemination of a more uniform architectural pedagogy acquired while studying abroad, followed by the internet boom, we would find almost twin projects from every corner of the world. While these might look nearly identical from some angles, they might bear different layers and stories. Then again, they might also display the same reasoning and prompts shared by counterparts from across the seas.

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The choice of door types plays a crucial role in defining the spatial experience and atmosphere of architecture. Beyond material or style, the way a door is detailed—its movement, weight, and method of operation—can drastically influence how a space is perceived and navigated. However, what truly enables the functionality of different door types is the often-overlooked element of door hardware. Even within the same door type, the selection of hinges, tracks, pivots, and handles can significantly affect how users interact with and interpret the space.

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