Last year, MACK Books published Architecture from Below, which anthologized writings by the French Brazilian architect, theorist, and painter Sérgio Ferro. (Douglas Spencer reviewed it for AN.) Now, MACK follows with Design and the Building Site and Complementary Essays, the second in the trilogy of books dedicated to Ferro’s scholarship. The following excerpt of the author’s 2023 preface to the English edition, which preserves its British phrasing, captures Ferro’s realization about the working conditions of construction sites in Brasília. The sentiment is likely relatable even today for young architects as they discover how drawings become buildings. Design and the Building Site and Complementary Essays will be released on May 22. If I remember correctly, it was in 1958 or 1959, when Rodrigo and I were second- or third year architecture students at FAUUSP, that my father, the real estate developer Armando Simone Pereira, commissioned us to design two large office buildings and eleven shops in Brasilia, which was then under construction. Of course, we were not adequately prepared for such an undertaking. Fortunately, Oscar Niemeyer and his team, who were responsible for overseeing the construction of the capital, had drawn up a detailed document determining the essential characteristics of all the private sector buildings. We followed these prescriptions to the letter, which saved us from disaster. Nowadays, it is hard to imagine the degree to which the construction of Brasilia inspired enthusiasm and professional pride in the country’s architects. And in the national imagination, the city’s establishment in the supposedly unpopulated hinterland evoked a re-founding of Brazil. Up until that point, the occupation of our immense territory had been reduced to a collection of arborescent communication routes, generally converging upon some river, following it up to the Atlantic Ocean. Through its ports, agricultural or extractive commodities produced by enslaved peoples or their substitutes passed towards the metropolises; goods were exchanged in the metropolises for more elaborate products, which took the opposite route. Our national identity was summed up in a few symbols, such as the anthem or the flag, and this scattering of paths pointing overseas. Brasilia would radically change this situation, or so we believed. It would create a central hub where the internal communication routes could converge, linking together hithertoseparate junctions, stimulating trade and economic progress in the country’s interior. It was as if, for the first time, we were taking care of ourselves. At the nucleus of this centripetal movement, architecture would embody the renaissance. And at the naval of the nucleus, the symbolic mandala of this utopia: the cathedral. Rodrigo and I got caught up in the euphoria. And perhaps more so than our colleagues, because we were taking part in the adventure with ‘our’ designs. The reality was very different — but we did not know that yet. At that time, architects in Brazil were responsible for verifying that the construction was in line with the design. We had already monitored some of our first building sites. But the construction company in charge of them, Osmar Souza e Silva’s CENPLA, specialized in the building sites of modernist architects from the so-called Escola Paulista led by Vilanova Artigas (which we aspired to be a part of, like the pretentious students we were). Osmar was very attentive to his clients and his workers, who formed a supportive and helpful team. He was even more careful with us, because he knew how inexperienced we were. I believe that the CENPLA was particularly important in São Paulo modernism: with its congeniality, it facilitated experimentation, but for the same reason, it deceived novices like us about the reality of other building sites. Consequently, Rodrigo and I travelled to Brasilia several times to check that the constructions followed ‘our’ designs and to resolve any issues. From the very first trip, our little bubble burst. Our building sites, like all the others in the future capital, bore no relation to Osmar’s. They were more like a branch of hell. A huge, muddy wasteland, in which a few cranes, pile drivers, tractors, and excavators dotted the mound of scaffolding occupied by thousands of skinny, seemingly exhausted wretches, who were nevertheless driven on by the shouts of master builders and foremen, in turn pressured by the imminence of the fateful inauguration date. Surrounding or huddled underneath the marquees of buildings under construction, entire families, equally skeletal and ragged, were waiting for some accident or death to open up a vacancy. In contact only with the master builders, and under close surveillance so we would not speak to the workers, we were not allowed to see what comrades who had worked on these sites later told us in prison: suicide abounded; escape was known to be futile in the unpopulated surroundings with no viable roads; fatal accidents were often caused by weakness due to chronic diarrhoea, brought on by rotten food that came from far away; outright theft took place in the calculation of wages and expenses in the contractor’s grocery store; camps were surrounded by law enforcement. I repeat this anecdote yet again not to invoke the benevolence of potential readers, but rather to point out the conditions that, in my opinion, allowed two students (Flávio Império joined us a little later) still in their professional infancy to quickly adopt positions that were contrary to the usual stance of architects. As the project was more Oscar Niemeyer’s than it was our own, we did not have the same emotional attachment that is understandably engendered between real authors and their designs. We had not yet been imbued with the charm and aura of the métier. And the only building sites we had visited thus far, Osmar’s, were incomparable to those we discovered in Brasilia. In short, our youthfulness and unpreparedness up against an unbearable situation made us react almost immediately to the profession’s satisfied doxa. Unprepared and young perhaps, but already with Marx by our side. Rodrigo and I joined the student cell of the Brazilian Communist Party during our first year at university. In itself, this did not help us much: the Party’s Marxism, revised in the interests of the USSR, was pitiful. Even high-level leaders rarely went beyond the first chapter of Capital. But at the end of the 1950s, the effervescence of the years to come was already nascent:  […] this extraordinary revival […] the rediscovery of Marxism and the great dialectical texts and traditions in the 1960s: an excitement that identifies a forgotten or repressed moment of the past as the new and subversive, and learns the dialectical grammar of a Hegel or an Adorno, a Marx or a Lukács, like a foreign language that has resources unavailable in our own. And what is more: the Chinese and Cuban revolutions, the war in Vietnam, guerrilla warfare of all kinds, national liberation movements, and a rare libertarian disposition in contemporary history, totally averse to fanaticism and respect for ideological apparatuses of (any) state or institution. Going against the grain was almost the norm. We were of course no more than contemporaries of our time. We were soon able to position ourselves from chapters 13, 14, and 15 of Capital, but only because we could constantly cross-reference Marx with our observations from well-contrasted building sites and do our own experimenting. As soon as we identified construction as manufacture, for example, thanks to the willingness and even encouragement of two friends and clients, Boris Fausto and Bernardo Issler, I was able to test both types of manufacture — organic and heterogeneous — on similar-sized projects taking place simultaneously, in order to find out which would be most convenient for the situation in Brazil, particularly in São Paulo. Despite the scientific shortcomings of these tests, they sufficed for us to select organic manufacture. Arquitetura Nova had defined its line of practice, studies, and research. There were other sources that were central to our theory and practice. Flávio Império was one of the founders of the Teatro de Arena, undoubtedly the vanguard of popular, militant theatre in Brazil. He won practically every set design award. He brought us his marvelous findings in spatial condensation and malleability, and in the creative diversion of techniques and material—appropriate devices for an underdeveloped country. This is what helped us pave the way to reformulating the reigning design paradigms.  We had to do what Flávio had done in the theatre: thoroughly rethink how to be an architect. Upend the perspective. The way we were taught was to start from a desired result; then others would take care of getting there, no matter how. We, on the other hand, set out to go down to the building site and accompany those carrying out the labor itself, those who actually build, the formally subsumed workers in manufacture who are increasingly deprived of the knowledge and know-how presupposed by this kind of subsumption. We should have been fostering the reconstitution of this knowledge and know-how—not so as to fulfil this assumption, but in order to reinvigorate the other side of this assumption according to Marx: the historical rebellion of the manufacture worker, especially the construction worker. We had to rekindle the demand that fueled this rebellion: total self-determination, and not just that of the manual operation as such. Our aim was above all political and ethical. Aesthetics only mattered by way of what it included—ethics. Instead of estética, we wrote est ética [this is ethics]. We wanted to make building sites into nests for the return of revolutionary syndicalism, which we ourselves had yet to discover. Sérgio Ferro, born in Brazil in 1938, studied architecture at FAUUSP, São Paulo. In the 1960s, he joined the Brazilian communist party and started, along with Rodrigo Lefevre and Flávio Império, the collective known as Arquitetura Nova. After being arrested by the military dictatorship that took power in Brazil in 1964, he moved to France as an exile. As a painter and a professor at the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Grenoble, where he founded the Dessin/Chantier laboratory, he engaged in extensive research which resulted in several publications, exhibitions, and awards in Brazil and in France, including the title of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 1992. Following his retirement from teaching, Ferro continues to research, write, and paint.

A lot of product designers who are more environmentally conscious now are looking at sourcing recycled materials when conceptualizing new products. Consumers are also more curious about the ingredients and materials used to create products they are considering and for some, it plays a major factor in that decision. There is also a growing trend towards incorporating a minimalist kind of aesthetic in these sustainable designs since of course we want to use few resources when producing things. The LANOVA TERRA Biowaste Table Lamp exemplifies the fusion of sustainability and minimalist design.Developed by NOI Creative for Lanova, this lighting solution utilizes agricultural byproducts—such as coffee grounds, rice husks, and wheat bran—to craft a lamp that is both environmentally conscious and aesthetically aligned with Nordic design principles. The Terra lamp stands out by transforming organic waste into a functional and elegant home accessory. By repurposing materials that would otherwise contribute to landfill waste, the lamp not only reduces environmental impact but also brings natural textures and tones into interior spaces. Designer: NOI Creative The Terra lamp’s design goes beyond mere aesthetics, deeply embedding principles of sustainability into its very structure. Its compact, modular form is a deliberate choice aimed at minimizing environmental impact from the outset. By allowing the lampshade to nest snugly within the lamp’s body, the overall volume of the packaging is significantly reduced. This not only translates to less material used for packaging itself but also optimizes space during shipping, leading to lower transportation emissions, a crucial factor in reducing a product’s carbon footprint. Furthermore, the lamp’s aesthetic is carefully considered, with soft curves and a simple two-part construction that embodies the essence of Nordic design. This style, often characterized by its clean lines, functionality, and warm, inviting feel, aligns perfectly with the principles of minimalism, ensuring the lamp remains timeless and avoids unnecessary embellishments that would require more resources. This thoughtful design extends to the user experience, prioritizing ease of assembly and practical storage. These features contribute to Lanova’s overarching commitment to sustainable living by creating a product that is not only eco-friendly but also seamlessly integrates into a conscious lifestyle. However, the vision behind the Terra lamp stretches far beyond its tangible form. It symbolizes a fundamental shift in thinking, championing the adoption of renewable materials and the implementation of responsible design practices throughout the industry. By boldly showcasing the untapped potential of biowaste in product design, the Terra lamp transcends its function as a mere light source, becoming an inspiring symbol of innovation and a powerful advocate for environmental stewardship within the home decor landscape. The LANOVA TERRA Biowaste Table Lamp stands as a testament to the powerful synergy between environmental consciousness and minimalist design. By ingeniously repurposing agricultural byproducts, NOI Creative and Lanova have not only crafted an elegant lighting solution but have also illuminated a path towards a more sustainable future for the home decor industry, proving that innovation and responsibility can beautifully coexist. The post Lanova Terra Lamp turns biowaste materials into light source first appeared on Yanko Design.

Because technology changes so quickly, IT teams must constantly learn new things, from cloud platforms and coding languages to AI tools, data science methods, and security measures. But relying on technical skills alone isn’t enough to guarantee success. Many organizations now see that balancing strong technical abilities, a.k.a. hard skills, with soft skills such as communication, problem-solving, and teamwork is necessary for IT teams to be effective in business. Balancing hard and soft skills isn’t optional; it’s essential for building high-performing IT teams, said Ximena Gates, CEO and co-founder of BuildWithin, a company that provides software to help employers create and manage apprenticeships and workplace training programs. “High performance is like a relay race: every team member must be a well-rounded athlete, excelling individually while ensuring smooth collaboration,” she said. “With AI automating more aspects of coding, quality assurance, and design, engineers must continuously learn, experiment boldly, and communicate effectively with their teams.” In the past, having strong technical skills was often enough to land an IT role, Gates said. “We hired engineers based almost purely on their coding ability and even overlooked poor communication, assuming they didn’t need to be public-facing,” she said. “Not today.” Now, Gates said she assesses soft skills as well as hard skills from the very first interaction. “When I interview, I evaluate active listening, curiosity, and the candidate’s response to demands and challenges to gauge resilience and persistence.” In today’s AI-driven world, success comes from combining technical skills with good communication, initiative, flexibility, teamwork, and clear documentation to keep teams organized and productive, Gates added. “Today, everyone — from employees to senior leaders — needs ongoing training in both technical and soft skills,” she said. Speaking the language of business Ramesh Kollepara, global CTO at Kellanova, formerly Kellogg Co., said his leadership philosophy focuses on building a culture of learning. And to make that learning culture effective, it’s essential to balance both soft and hard skills. Kollepara said hard skills are like the car’s engine and brakes — the technical capabilities that allow the car to function. Soft skills are like the GPS and steering wheel — the tools that guide the car to its destination. Kollepara’s analogy implies that just having strong technical skills isn’t enough. IT professionals also need the soft skills to effectively apply those technical capabilities and steer their teams in the right direction. “Durable” skills such as curiosity, adaptability, and agile learning enable IT pros to apply technology in a way that supports and aligns with business outcomes, said Chris Campbell, chief information officer at DeVry University. “For us, it’s super important that technologists speak the language of the business and communicate in terms that nontechnical stakeholders can understand,” he explained. “This bridges the gap in understanding between the technical and business sides.” Balancing hard and soft skills helps IT teams not only handle the technical work but also communicate well, adapt to changes, and align with business goals to ensure successful technology projects, he added. This balance is crucial for IT teams to be effective, he said. Strategies for hiring tech pros with balanced hard and soft skills Building well-rounded IT teams starts well before candidates receive job offers. During the hiring process, many companies now assess both hard and soft skills through several interviews with different departments. “It may seem old school, but we’ve found that going through multiple interviews with members of our team asking technical questions and seeing how the candidate explains the responses really helps us understand their proficiency technically and their ability to communicate,” said Louis Ormond, vice president and general manager at Toshiba America Business Solutions. Erin DeCesare, CTO at workplace catering platform ezCater, outlined a similar approach. During the hiring process, cross-functional partners format the interview around use cases that mimic real-life examples, she said. “So we’re asking a technologist to either design a system or code through a requirement,” she said. “They must demonstrate how they’d solicit requirements from nontechnical stakeholders and then detail how they’d technically solve the issue. In that same hour, we’re evaluating both their hard skills and the way they collaborate and communicate.” John Samuel, COO at CGS (Computer Generated Solutions), said that his interviewing style is to alternate between questions that test a candidate’s technical knowledge and those that reveal interpersonal strengths. “I might start with questions that look at their hard skills — for example, asking them to talk about their technical proficiency in the specific area that we’re hiring for, like cloud, security, or coding,” he said. “Things that you can measure. I’ll ask what projects they’ve led. What projects were successful and what they failed in.” Samuel said he then switches his questions to focus on soft skills, such as teamwork and conflict resolution. By moving back and forth, Samuel can see how solid a candidate’s technical background is and how effectively they leverage soft skills to handle real challenges. “This helps me understand the candidate’s overall balance of hard and soft skills,” he said. At DeVry, Campbell’s approach is to use behavioral-based interview questions to understand how candidates have handled situations that require both hard and soft skills. “We look for ‘red flags’ and ‘green flags’ in how the candidate responds, such as whether they can break down technical concepts in business terms,” he said. For example, if the candidate just doubles down on technical jargon and details when asked about communicating with nontechnical stakeholders, that would be a red flag because it shows that they’ll likely struggle to translate technical concepts into business language. But if the candidate demonstrates an ability to explain technical concepts in terms of the stakeholder’s business processes and outcomes, that would be a positive green flag, he said. Strategies for balancing hard and soft skills in existing IT teams Balancing hard and soft skills doesn’t stop after the interview process. Ensuring that existing employees have a balance of hard and soft skills requires ongoing training. For example, Kellanova offers training to help employees improve both their technical and soft skills through YODA, its Year of Development Always education program, Kollepara said. On the hard skills side, this training keeps Kellanova’s IT teams updated on programming languages, data science, and machine learning. And in terms of soft skills, the training helps IT team members think more creatively and better understand the needs of their colleagues in other departments. Dennis Di Lorenzo, director of skilling strategy at Micron Technology, encouraged IT managers to match their teams’ training plans with the company’s goals. “For example, cloud computing and cybersecurity skills must be complemented by problem-solving and collaboration for digital transformation success,” he said. “[IT managers] should also embed skills into workforce planning and leverage data for personalized learning. Using AI-driven analytics can help assess skill gaps and provide customized learning paths for employees, ensuring they acquire both hard and soft skills relevant to their roles.” Samuel at CGS recommended implementing quarterly performance reviews to track employees’ progress in developing their hard and soft skills over time. A regular, thoughtful review process is one of the most effective ways to help existing IT employees develop both technical and people skills, he said. Too often, IT managers view performance reviews as a formality — they simply go through the motions once a year, Samuel said. But when used properly, reviews can highlight each person’s strengths and pinpoint specific areas for growth, whether that’s learning a new coding language or improving communication and teamwork. Instead of filing these reviews away, Samuel said it’s best to revisit them regularly, ideally every quarter, to track employees’ progress. Along the way, managers or mentors can offer coaching, arrange classroom-style training, or provide hands-on support to ensure employees are continuously advancing their hard and soft skills. “I think it’s also important to create a culture that fosters healthy dialogue, both in hard and soft skills,” Samuel said. “People should feel like they can come and say, ‘Hey, I want help here. I’m struggling here in my soft skills,’ or ‘Hey, there are some new projects [I need help with]’ — and that might be more hard skills.” Further reading: How to keep tech workers engaged in the age of AI Just what is an ‘IT worker’ now? The definition is changing 15 mistakes that make hiring IT talent harder