This guide shows how to use a D5 Render a free live-sync plugin to improve SketchUp workflow.

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The recent arrival of the Minergie certification in Chile is overseen by EBP Chile. This effort includes training Chilean professionals in this Swiss low-energy building standard, alongside the recent granting of provisional certification to the Covarrubias Hernández House in Lliu Lliu, Limache, designed by Murillo+Toro Arquitectos, and the Burgos Net Zero Building, developed by Cristián Izquierdo together with Tecton Inmobiliaria.

The practice of building with straw has existed since the dawn of civilization. Given the devastating impacts of contemporary construction methods, could straw be a viable, biogenic alternative to today's building materials?

Evidence suggests that straw and reed have been used in construction for over 10,000 years. Since then, the Industrial Revolution has completely transformed building practices, introducing the mass production of steel, glass, and, not least, concrete.

Gympass has announced a partnership with Tembici to promote the bicycle as a healthy means of transportation. Gympass users in Brazil can now make up to eight trips per month using Tembici's shared bikes in several Brazilian cities, including São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Brasília, among others.

At the close of the first day of the 38th National Architecture Congress SCA in Pereira, the winners of the 3rd Vidrio Andino Award for Excellence in Sustainable Architecture were announced. This recognition aims to promote sustainable architecture by highlighting the collaborative efforts of designers, developers, and builders on projects that combine construction quality with architectural design, innovation, materials, and environmental and social impact.

The relationships between the waters and the diverse lives that inhabit the Amazon. This is the starting point for the first Bienal das Amazônias, which brings together 120 artists from all the countries spanning the territory of the world's largest rainforest. Under the title “Bubuia: Waters as a Source of Imaginations and Desires,” the exhibition is curated by Keyna Eleison and Vânia Leal, with the collaboration of Sandra Benites and Flávia Mutran in the project's conceptualization, and is currently on view in Belém. The exhibition took shape in a building remodeled specifically to host it, and its exhibition design maintains a constant dialogue with the materials and cultures of the region. We spoke with architect Juliana Godoy, who was responsible for the exhibition design, to understand how Amazonian subjectivities were translated and conceptualized within the spatial realm.

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Reflecting on landscape, typology, and technology, the architecture firm Balsa Crosetto Piazzi designed this shared bathroom module for dairy farmers living a few kilometers outside the town of Ausonia in the province of Córdoba, Argentina.

Through talks, anecdotes, gatherings, and visits, the 28th edition of the Latin American Encounter of Students of Architecture (ELEA), held in San Juan, Argentina, set out to address diverse themes surrounding resilience, new technologies, the circular economy, and sustainability, aiming to foster a shared community of ideas, knowledge, and experiences through collaborative, participatory work.

São Paulo Launch! The special edition of PISEAGRAMA dedicated to Vegetalidades will be launched in São Paulo this Saturday, October 28, at 4:00 PM, at Casa do Povo (R. Três Rios, 252 - Bom Retiro).

Throughout her career as an architect, Fernanda Canales has shown a specific interest in studying the housing phenomenon in Mexico. This focus is reflected in her various research projects and publications, which aim to address this issue on a global scale. As she explains regarding this project: "With millions of vacant homes in the world and millions of people without housing, architecture has the potential to offer alternatives to segregation: it can undoubtedly offer more, for more people." In this vein, Canales presents "A HOUSE FOR MORE," a workshop and installation at the VDL House designed to question underutilized residential spaces and integrate diverse collective programs into the places we inhabit.

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This book presents a selection of chronicles and essays on architecture, cities, and Latin American figures. Through an honest and clear voice, the author explores our territories and the lives that unfold within them.

From October 20 to 22, 2023, Seville hosted the second edition of the international architecture festival Open House. Aimed at fostering knowledge of the city and highlighting the value of urban space, architecture, and design, the event opened the doors of more than 50 spaces, including buildings and architecture studios, free of charge.

Among the highlights of this edition were the Sevilla Tower by César Pelli, the San Telmo Palace, and the Palacio de las Dueñas. Alongside the guided city tours, the program also featured pottery demonstrations by Taller Barrería San Mateo and live applications of lime mortar.

One of the primary demonstration spaces for Itaipu Binacional's socio-environmental actions is the Bela Vista Biological Refuge (RBV) in Foz do Iguaçu. Established in 1984, its initial purpose was to shelter wild animals rescued from the reservoir area—where land habitat was lost—and to serve as a nursery for forest seedlings used to create the Binational's approximately 34,000 hectares of protected areas.

To adapt the refuge's spaces to current needs and demands, including the use of zoo design strategies and ex-situ conservation actions, Itaipu Binacional organized a two-stage architectural competition open to architects from all over Brazil. Below is the winning proposal by RibasMarçal Arquitetura and Tempo Arquitetos.

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This October marked the fourth edition of the Peña Ganchegui Award for Young Basque Architecture, established in 2017 by the Peña Ganchegui Archive and the Basque Government's Housing Department. The award aims to bring visibility to architects who either trained in or practice in the Basque Autonomous Community, have less than 10 years of professional experience, and promote, develop, and strengthen a high-quality architectural culture.

The award ceremony took place at the Basque Country Architecture Institute, located in San Sebastián's Old Town, and was presented by Pablo García Astrain, Director of Housing, Land, and Architecture of the Basque Government. Jurors María Langarita, Fernando Márquez Cecilia, and António Cruz highlighted Ortega Diago's exercise in spatial synthesis, the singularity of their programmatic solutions, their delicate treatment of materials, their emphasis on transparency, and their focus on fluid circulation. These qualities were evident both in their interior design work—ranging from residential renovations to commercial and workspace fit-outs—and in their unbuilt projects. 

The 2023 Guatemala Architecture Biennial brings to the forefront the need to build a city without walls, integrating public spaces that foster a sense of belonging, unity, and identity. In this interview, the Biennial's general coordinator, Esteban Borjes Castillo, discusses the significance of this year's edition.

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Bricklayers, foremen, steel fixers, carpenters, plumbers, painters, electricians, and welders. A wide range of professionals is required to erect a building and bring the designs of architects and engineers to life. Essential to ensuring the quality of every project, these roles are honored today, October 26th, on Construction Worker Day. To mark the occasion, we highlight the wisdom of these professionals and how they share their expertise with the public—both professionals and laypeople—through video tutorials that offer a deeper understanding of the construction site, the materials and equipment used, the various techniques available, and how to approach building. 

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Alongside the Guatemala Architecture Biennale 2023, the Danta Awards were presented. The accolade recognizes the creativity and dedication of architects from Guatemala and Central America, encompassing both professionals and students. In previous editions, over 100 projects have been submitted, highlighting the work of various architecture firms such as Shoarq and Paredes Aleman Arquitectos.

The selection from among 75 submitted projects (48 in the Professional category and 27 in the Student category) was made by an expert committee composed of Ludwig Godefroy, Anayansy Rodríguez, Rodrigo Martínez, Sofía Cabassa, Dafne Acevedo, and Fabian Dejtiar. This jury highlighted the following winners, which include Taller ACÁ, David Tapia Oficina de Arquitectura, and Urban 95.