reality

Unfortunately this is still reality in the peripheral areas of São Paulo;

no sanitation and garbage everywhere.

This while star architect Daniel Libeskind has designed a very expensive appartmentbuilding in the city´s most expensive area.

The building will include 14 apartments - one per floor plus a two-floor penthouse -from 565 to 1,145 square meters and each unit’s floor plan will be individual.

Urban bike design

The latest and ultimate VANMOOF model, the Düsenjäger, was selected by a jury out of 14.000 entries from 68 countries and awarded with the Red Dot for product design.

The urban VANMOOF Düsenjäger clearly convinced the judges with its built-in ABUS chain lock, integrated solar LEDs and USB port. The Düsenjäger has an anodized aluminium frame, is light as a feather and equipped with a duomatic hub: two gears but zero cables. The iconic Düsenjäger is stripped from the redundant. The bike is slick and simplistic on the outside while clever and strong on the inside. With its anodized red rims, minimalistic looks and edgy details, riding the Düsenjäger makes you look fly and feel like flying.

www.vanmoof.nl

fonte:dutchdfa.nl

Windmill in restauration

The 270 year old windmill nr. 5 of Kinderdijk has been straigthened. It has been levered for 60 centimeters on one side. This operation is part of a restauration of fourteen of the 19 windmills in Kinderdijk. Since 1997 the windmills of Kinderdijk are part of the UNESCO World Heritage.

For more information and images (dutch):
http://nos.nl/video/259543-molen-no-5-kinderdijk-rechtgezet.html

MUBE

One of the nicest places of São Paulo, designed by Paulo Mendes da Rocha, Museo Brasileiro da Escultura.

http://mube.art.br

Banco de São Paulo

The building of the former Banco de São Paulo is exemplary for the art deco architecture in São Paulo in the 1930s.

Designed in 1935 by architect Alvaro de Arruda Botelho and completed in 1938, the building has two distinct blocks which are interconnected, and the block facing the square Antonio Prado with its 18 floors is standing out not only by the use of noble materials, but the artistic refinement of its decorative elements such as floors, stained glass and lamps.

In 1973 it was acquired by Banco do Estado de Sao Paulo - Banespa - and later occupied by the Department of Sports and Tourism of the State São Paulo.

MUBE 06/11

men at work in São Paulo

casa do bandeirante

The casa do Bandeirante, built between the XVII and XVIII century, is a typical example of rural households in São Paulo of that time. It is located along the basin of two rivers: the Tiete and the Pinheiros.

This house represents a rare example of building that accompanies the changes in São Paulo since the early centuries of Portuguese colonization, highlighting in its architectural style and its walls the memory of the construction process of colonial architecture in São Paulo.

http://www.museudacidade.sp.gov.br/casadobandeirante.php

pollution in São Paulo

This video shows the effects of pollution for the human body, in this case of São Paulo.

http://g1.globo.com/videos/globo-news/cidades-e-solucoes/

Every year 4000 people die of diseases caused by the effects of pollution. Very interesting research which should be shown on public television.

sustainable design

http://www.inekehans.com/#/work/group/192

Two examples of sustainable design; a chair designed by Ineke Hans and a sofa/chair designed by Yuyu Ushida. Both designs are made of recycled plastic PET. As Yuyu says:

"I wanted to do something with the PET bottle that overflows in our society."

http://www.yuyavsdesign.com/XXXX_.html

Cidade Tirandentes in São Paulo

Check out this neighborhood in Google Earth ( 23°35'3.50"S, 46°23'45.85"O). This neighboorhood is situated at the outskirts of São Paulo some 2 hours away from the city center. Here the density of bank branches is the lowest of the whole city. Flying over SP in 2008.

living in a container - social exclusion in NL

Nine containers with an housekeeper are put just outside the city of Tilburg. The people who live here have ´problems´ with their neighbors or in their neighborhood where they lived and this is their last chance as they say in the journal (www.nos.nl).

Meanwhile, in São Paulo...

The social housing program of the Federal Government called My House, My Life excludes the poorest in Brazil The federal program "My House, My Life" has completed two years without delivering any property to families from São Paulo who receive up to three minimum wages. The Federal Savings Bank said in a statement that "the main obstacle is the cost of land in Sao Paulo, which is higher than in other cities in the country." The high cost of production, price of land and water and sewerage infrastructure, it is not, according to the private sector, the ceiling of $ 52,000 set by the government for property for low income. This prevented the program's success in the city, said Jose Carlos Martins, vice president of Brazilian Chamber of Construction Industry. Sergio Watanabe, president of Sinduscon-SP (Union of Construction Industry in Sao Paulo), says there were 400 thousand units to be distributed in Brazil for a range of up to three salaries. The city of São Paulo would have 70 000. "It had the potential, but only 3,000 homes were achievable. Likewise, only with subsidy and donation of land by the municipality," he says. Are planned for the 23 capital projects, with 3,596 houses, estimated at R $ 186.1 million. The works of 21 of them are in progress, with delivery scheduled for the second half of 2011, informed the cashier. Watanabe and Martin agree that the economic viability of the program is by increasing the value limit of $ 52,000 for each property, coupled with government incentives, such as donation of land and infrastructure. By PAOLA CARVALHO for Folha de Sáo Paulo

decline in Dutch building activity

In the past year the Dutch built fewer houses. With a total of 56.ooo new houses, they built one third less than in the year 2009. The total amount of houses (including apartments) in the Netherlands at the end of 2010 is 7,2 million for a population of 16,5 million.

New houses in Voorschoten, the Netherlands.