Urban renewal is inherently fraught—financially complex, politically exposed, stakeholder-dense, and almost guaranteed to leave someone dissatisfied. Precisely for these reasons, many cities default to inertia rather than risk the upheaval that comes with reworking entrenched urban fabrics, their residences, and their dynamics; once the “sleeping bear” is prodded, unexpected complications tend to multiply.

Concrete Villa is conceived as an L-shaped composition that embraces the landscape and defines a private outdoor courtyard with a swimming pool at its center. The architecture is guided by clarity and restraint: long horizontal volumes in exposed concrete are balanced by transparent glass facades, creating a constant dialogue between solidity and openness.

“As Stephen Hawking stated, humanity’s greatest achievements have been obtained in encounters, and its greatest failures in non-encounters or, worse, in clashes. Today, this is more true than ever, and it is necessary and urgent to foster the birth of collaborations because we have enormous potential in terms of expertise and technology to be used, especially for the sake of Life. Architecture, through the creation of pleasant, reassuring, and stimulating environments and a conscious distribution of functions, is a tool to make human contact and the consequent transfer of knowledge more accessible and immediate.” Michele De Lucchi

Located 100 meters above sea level, in the Caboclo neighborhood of Paraty, the house is immersed in a natural incline of Atlantic forest that extends to form the Serra da Bocaina.

A Tale of Two NABs. In Sydney, there’s a red staircase that connects two workplaces located 24 kilometers apart. NAB 3 Parramatta Square (3PS) and NAB 2 Carrington St (2CS) are Woods Bagot’s fraternal twin workplace tenancies. Known by NAB as their “Sydney campus”, together these buildings accommodate over 6,000 desks, providing a rare opportunity to boldly transform the bank’s workplace experience in locations highly connected to both its established and emerging customer base.

Stretching along the Atlantic coast at the southern tip of Florida, Miami is often introduced through postcard views of beaches, palm trees, and glass towers facing the water. Yet, behind this familiar image lies a city shaped by migration, tourism, and real estate cycles, where architecture has repeatedly been used to project new identities and reinvent the urban landscape. From early resort hotels and the Art Deco façades of South Beach to experimental high-rises and cultural institutions on the bay, the built environment offers a way to read how Miami negotiates climate, economy, and everyday life.

Situated on a flat lot in a quiet residential neighborhood near the Apple headquarters, the site is close to the Cupertino Eichler district but directly adjacent to homes in the Spanish Colonial and Mission styles mandated by zoning regulations. The opportunity was embraced to adapt the shared lineage of these local precedents while adhering to strict style requirements to design a new contemporary dwelling.

This plaza stands as a 21st-century climate refuge for the city: a living, adaptable space, capable of responding to both people’s needs and the surrounding climatic conditions.

The Museum of the Amazons (MAZ), a cultural space dedicated to valuing science and technology in the region, opened to the public in Belém on October 4th. The museum is part of Porto Futuro II, which comprises a set of works carried out by the Government of Pará, left as a legacy from COP 30 to the capital of Pará. The Pará-based office Guá Arquitetura and the Rio de Janeiro firm be.bo. architects are responsible for the design of the 3,100 m² warehouse. In parallel, the duo developed the museum’s permanent exhibition design, which will open in 2026.

La Biennale di Venezia has announced that architects Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu will curate the 20th International Architecture Exhibition, opening in May 2027. Founders of Amateur Architecture Studio and leading voices in contemporary practice, the duo is known for an approach rooted in craftsmanship, material reuse, and deep engagement with place. Their appointment brings renewed attention to vernacular knowledge, construction cultures, and the social realities shaping architecture today.