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Mexican Architects Gabriela Carrillo and Rozana Montiel Win AR's 2017 Women in Architecture Awards

The Architectural Review and The Architects’ Journal have announced two Mexican architects as winners of their 2017 “Women in Architecture” Awards. This year’s Architect of the Year is awarded to Gabriela Carrillo of Taller Mauricio Rocha + Gabriela Carrillo, while Rozana Montiel Estudio de Arquitectura’s Rozana Montiel was named the winner of the Moira Gemmill Prize for Emerging Architecture. Both women were selecting for demonstrating “excellence in design and a commitment to working both sustainably and democratically with local communities.”

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Sinks, Toilets, Shower Heads and Faucets: Downloadable Bathroom CAD Blocks

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In order to support the design work of our readers, the company Porcelanosa Grupo has shared with us a series of .DWG files of its various bathroom products. The files include both 2D and 3D drawings and can be downloaded directly from this article.

Download the objects below, which have been separated into the following categories: Shower Heads, Toilets, Sinks, Faucets and Tubs.

How Architects Realized the Curving, Twisted, Slanted Walls in Toyo Ito's Mexican Museum

This article is part of our 'Innovative Materials' series where we ask architects about the creative process behind choosing the materials they use in their work.

The Museo Internacional del Barroco (International Baroque Museum) by Toyo Ito is located 7km from Puebla, Mexico. The place is noted for its easy access, not only for cars, but also for being connected to a network of bike paths and public transport. In this interview we spoke with Alejandro Bribiesca Ortega and Miriam Carrada.

The Most Beautiful Visual Compositions From The Simpsons

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Una foto publicada por Scenic Simpsons (@scenic_simpsons) el

If you’re a true Simpsons fan, you know there is a Golden Age in which every single episode does not only parody our society, but is filled with film tributes and sexual innuendos that we remember to this day.

From a faith-versus-science conflict (Lisa the Skeptic, 09x08) to the impact of online fake news (The Computer Wore Menace Shoes, 12x06); from Populism in Urban Policy (Marge vs the Monorail, 04x12) to its well-known predictions like the rise of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States (Bart to the Future, 11x17), the show has a knack for providing the social commentary we didn't know we needed.

We had yet to notice, however, just how beautiful some of the visual compositions delivered by the show’s best episodes truly are: Springfield’s ever-changing skyline; the axonometric views that reflect the loneliness experienced by the characters; or the point-perfect generic recreational facilities that every city has.

How did we discover this? Through an Instagram account, Scenic Simpsons, which is dedicated to “showcasing the most beautiful scenes, colors, sets and abstract compositions from Springfield.” We've pulled some of our favorite images to check out below. Can you recognize which episode these scenes are from?

Below The Extraordinarily Textured Surface of This Unique Polish Concert Hall

This article is part of our new "Material Focus" series, which asks architects to elaborate on the thought process behind their material choices and sheds light on the steps required to get buildings actually built.

The CKK Jordanki (Jordanki Cultural and Convention Center) by Fernando Menis is located in the historical center of Torun. It respects the shorter height of the surrounding buildings to preserve the views of the river and better fit the natural environment that surrounds it. The building was designed to have a more natural look, like a 'rock' that marks the transition from the urban plot to the park that surrounds it. In this interview we spoke with Fernando Menis who explained in depth how the selection of project materials contributed to the design process, helped in the inclusion of universal accessibility, and the project’s construction.

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New York Times Names Alejandro Aravena Among 28 "Creative Geniuses" of 2016

Chilean architect Alejandro has been selected as one of "28 creative geniuses who defined culture in 2016" by the New York Times, in a list that includes personalities such as First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama, singer Lady Gaga, photographer William Eggleston and designer Junya Watanabe.

Aravena achieved spectacular success this year, being awarded the Pritzker Prize in January and acting as director of the 15th Venice Architecture Biennale which opened in May. Through his work, he directed a discussion about the role of architects and their impact on society.

Living Capsule Offers Shelter From Disasters

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Costa Rican architect César Oreamuno has designed a modular capsule that accommodates to the basic needs of a community after a state of emergency or disaster. The units are adaptable and easily assembled in order to account for a variety of situations and respond to a series of unique functions, although the main theme of the project is focused on improving the quality of attention towards the basic needs of crisis victims, as well as encouraging the development of the community.

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GTM Cenografia Uses Shipping Containers in Rio Olympic Pop-up Store for Nike

At the Rio 2016 Olympics, Studio GTM Cenografia developed a temporary installation for Nike. The space, inspired by containers and industrial sheds, occupies a total area of 600 square meters and was built in a metallic structure and wrapped in galvanized trapezoidal tiles. The cube used in the project is an installation from Brazilian artist and designer Muti Randolph, one of the pioneers of digital illustration in Brazil.

Our friends from ArchDaily Brasil talked with the architect Daltro Mendonça (GTM Cenografia) to find out more details on material choices and the execution of the project.

Material Focus: Cerrado House by Vazio S/A

This article is part of our new "Material Focus" series, which asks architects to elaborate on the thought process behind their material choices and sheds light on the steps required to get a building constructed.

The Casa no Cerrado (Cerrado House) was designed by Vazio S/A office. It was built in Moeda, Minas Gerais and, according to the architects while it seeks to explore the plasticity of basic architectural elements, the project showcases this unappreciated and threatened natural area: the Cerrado. We spoke with architect Carlos M. Teixeira to learn more about his choices of materials and the challenges of the project.

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These are the 20 Finalists of the Latin American Architecture Prize Rogelio Salmona

After four months of research identifying works in Latin America and the Caribbean that met the eligibility criteria of the 'Latin American Architecture Prize Rogelio Salmona: open / collective spaces' a list of finalist has been compiled. Members of the International Curatorial Committee, architects Ana Maria Duran (Andean Region), Ruth Verde Zein (Brazil Region) and Fernando Diez (Southern Cone Region), and Art History background Louise Noelle Gras (Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean Region), postulated a total of 62 works covering the four regions.

On the 5th of August, upon completion of a shortlist the International Curatorial Committee selected 20 works whose authors will be invited by Rogelio Salmona Foundation to participate in the second round of this award.

Here are the 20 Finalists of the Latin American Architecture Prize Rogelio Salmona.

Material Focus: Enseada House by Arquitetura Nacional

This article is part of our new "Material Focus" series, which asks architects to elaborate on the thought process behind their material choices and sheds light on the steps required to get buildings actually built.

The Enseada House project was developed by the Porto Alegre office of National Architecture in 2015 and is 317 square meters with an interesting interplay between volume and materials. We talked with the architect Paula Otto, one of the designers to learn more about the material choices used in this project and the role that these choices played in the design concept.

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13 Designs Given Honorable Mentions for Lima Art Museum (MALI) Expansion Competition

Earlier this week we covered the announcement of the winners of the expansion of the Lima Art Museum (MALI). The following 13 projects received honorable mention as according to the jury they "were essential during the deliberation process, for their originality, daring or because they helped shape the discussion."

The proposals came from a wide range of studios including Mexican firm Productora, a collaboration between Zaha Hadid and David Mutal, Campo Baeza and Llosa Cortegana amongst them. Continue below for the 13 projects in detail.

Burgos & Garrido + LLAMA Urban Design Win Competition for Lima Art Museum (MALI) Expansion

A few months ago, the Art Museum of Lima (MALI) announced an international call for a competition to design a new contemporary art wing via an underground expansion. After receiving 387 proposals from 56 countries, the jury has selected the architects Burgos & Garrido Arquitectos and LLAMA Urban Design as the winners of the competition, beating out entries from other top architects including Zaha Hadid Architects and Alberto Campo Baeza.

The new addition will include new exhibition halls, a library, classrooms, a cafe/restaurant, storage space, a public square, access to a future subway station and a landscape proposal for the park surrounding the museum. See images of the winning proposal and the two finalists after the break.

Gabinete de Arquitectura’s “Breaking the Siege” – Winner of the Golden Lion at the 2016 Venice Biennale

Bricks are an iconic element of Solano Benítez’s studio. An ancestral material, forged by man using an ancient technique of modeling and baking. Bricks are very versatile, cheap and easy to manufacture – even marginalized areas of the world can afford to build houses with brick. Benítez feels the poetry of brick and has experimented with its versatility, relying solely on bricks as the main construction material. [1]

Gabinete de Arquitectura's exhibition, designed by Solano Benítez, Gloria Cabral and Solanito Benítez, was awarded the Golden Lion for Best Participant in the International Exhibition, Reporting From the Front, for “harnessing simple materials, structural ingenuity and unskilled labour to bring architecture to underserved communities.”

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Against the Tide: Chile’s Pavilion at the 2016 Venice Biennale

Curated by Juan Román and José Luis Uribe, Chile’s pavilion at the 2016 Venice Biennale will present 15 architecture projects that aim to transform the daily life of people living in rural areas of the country.

Titled “Against the Tide,” the exhibition will feature the work of a new generation of architects – students from the School of Architecture of Talca. The projects were envisioned, designed and built by the students as part of their university graduation requirements.

Translucent Wood? Meet the New Material Developed by KTH

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A group of researchers from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm has developed Optically Transparent Wood (TW), a new material that could greatly impact the way we develop our architectural projects. Published in the American Chemical Society's journal Biomacromolecules, the transparent timber is created through a process that removes the chemical lignin from a wood veneer, causing it to become very white. This white porous veneer is then impregnated with a transparent polymer, matching the optical properties of the individual cells and making the whole material translucent.

Following the Principles of Félix Candela: An Experimental Wood Workshop in Chile

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At the UTFSM in Valparaíso, Chile, architect Verónica Arcos developed a first-year studio centered around the theme of "materiality."

Based on an application of math and geometry in the study of Mexican architect Félix Candela's work, the workshop sought to "put form in crisis and take it to its maximum expression."

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Live Streaming from Santiago: Alejandro Aravena Speaks at the 2016 Venice Biennale Press Conference

Today at 10am EST, the press conference for the 2016 Venice Biennale will take place at Chile’s Presidential Palace La Moneda. During the conference Alejandro Aravena will present “Reporting from the Front,” his central exhibition for the Biennale.

You can watch a live streaming of the press conference above.

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