
-
Architects: Studio Gontijo Arquitetura
- Area: 1000 m²
- Year: 2024
-
Manufacturers: Ampla Eletros , Apolinox Metais e Telas Perfuradas, Cássio Veiga , Erick Telhados, Ikê Pedras, +2


Nature-based solutions are a primary strategy for contemporary climate adaptation and urban ecological resilience, embraced by cities regardless of their geography or climate zone. Green roofs, urban forests, bioswales, expanding tree canopy, protected wetlands, and permeable landscapes are featured prominently in municipal adaptation plans. These interventions are deployed across neighborhoods, distributed through street networks, and measured by hectares restored, trees planted, stormwater retained, or temperatures reduced. This shift expands the role of ecology within cities, establishing environmental elements as infrastructure systems and providing planners with a grounded framework for integrating natural systems into urban development.

By Adalberto Vilela and Sylvia Ficher
Even when driving through an exclusively residential neighborhood of the city, one can spot the *Casa dos Arcos* (House of Arches) in the distance. This is how the Nivaldo Borges residence is known, placidly sprawling across the gentle topography of an immense site, unmistakable for its reddish hue. The temptation to approach is strong; paradoxically, the absence of fences or gates is intimidating. With no way to announce our arrival, we ignore the uncomfortable feeling of trespassing and head forward.



Over the past two weeks, the ArchDaily Brasil community has nominated more than 14,000 projects, resulting in 15 finalists representing some of the most iconic architectural works published over the last year. Now in its 10th edition, the Obra do Ano Award recognizes the best of architecture in Portuguese-speaking countries, chosen by the readers themselves. The finalists offer a snapshot of the current state of architecture, spanning residential, urban, cultural, and other programs.
Representing Brazil and Portugal, the 15 projects reflect the needs of their specific contexts through creative solutions proposed by local architects. From interior renovations to large-scale urban interventions, and from single-family homes to community projects, the selection is diverse, yet united by a common thread: recognition from the public, who seek to see their own aspirations represented.

Three Brazilian projects have been chosen as the winners of the 2026 Obra do Ano Award by ArchDaily Brasil's readers. After three weeks of public voting, more than 700 projects were narrowed down to 15 finalists, concluding the process with three grand winners that represent the very best of Lusophone architecture.

This November, REDBAAL will mark its first decade of activity, a milestone celebrated alongside four editions of the Oscar Niemeyer Award for Latin American Architecture (ON Award). Over these years, more than 350 projects have been submitted, all of which share the distinction of having been previously recognized at the most prestigious architectural biennials across Latin America.

Is there a future for our cities if we do not adopt a sustainable way of life? For some time, urban sustainability has been approached more from the perspective of climate change than from a holistic vision that integrates society and how we live as a community.
What new ways of living are we experiencing amidst today's social, economic, and ecological shifts? We must bring to the table the various reference cases emerging around the world to understand the latest trends in how we inhabit our cities.

Originating as protection against low temperatures around 3,500 years ago, carpets and rugs have, over time, evolved into a true art form, reaching a high level of specialization by the 16th century. Rugs, carpets, and tapestries of various shapes, colors, textures, and patterns are integrated into different areas of the home to meet users' needs and enhance spatial comfort, sometimes extending far beyond their original purpose.

In November 2022, the Network of Latin American Architecture Biennials REDBAAL will mark its first ten fruitful years, celebrating this milestone by launching the Fourth Edition of the Oscar Niemeyer Award for Latin American Architecture, the prestigious ON-04 Prize. This August, the jury's decision was announced, revealing the top three winners and recognizing the work of architects from Brazil and Mexico.

Inspired by the waters of Brazilian rivers and mangroves, the Brazil Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai invites visitors to an interactive experience immersed in an atmosphere of sounds, projections, temperatures, and textures that evoke Brazilian landscapes. Designed by architecture firms JPG.ARQ, MMBB Arquitetos, and Ben-Avid, and curated by Guilherme Wisnik and Alexandre Benoit, the project won the 2018 competition to represent the country at the event, which runs through March 2022.

As another year comes to a close, the ArchDaily team gathers the highlights of architecture in a series of retrospectives reflecting on the content featured over the past twelve months. As part of this effort, our curation team turns its attention to one of the most popular categories among our readers, residential architecture, selecting the projects that represent the best of a vast global architectural production, as seen through the eyes of our audience.

There are many architectural and urban planning qualities that justify Brasília's inclusion on UNESCO's World Heritage list, and perhaps the invention of the superquadra is one of the most overlooked. The structural module of the residential sector proposed by Lucio Costa, the superquadra does not exist solely for housing; it is part of a larger whole, the modern city, contributing to the enjoyment, harmony, and coexistence of its residents.


In 1972, the Italian Embassy left the historic mansion it had occupied since 1919 in Rio de Janeiro, at 154 Rua das Laranjeiras, and moved to the new capital, Brasília. Released on August 29, the book and photographic exhibition aim to offer a journey through the headquarters' photographic history, organizing and showcasing an important part of its historical memory to preserve it.
The history of the Embassy is the story of a construction within a construction. Alongside the building of a new city, a visionary and futuristic capital, the headquarters designed by the great engineer Pier Luigi Nervi was also built. A space for work and diplomatic representation, the building encapsulates the best of Italy's celebrated architectural and engineering traditions, fitting harmoniously into Brasília's urban planning and monumental style.