Herdade da Barrosinha
Alcácer do Sal, Portugal
Urban Plan
2024
The Barrosinha Agricultural Company masterplan covers approximately 2,000 hectares and proposes a long-term framework for the transformation of Herdade da Barrosinha. The project begins with a clear question: how can sustainable development be advanced while maintaining a profound respect for local identity?
The proposal structures the estate into nine Operational Management Units, organised as concentric rings. This spatial system establishes a legible basis for future phases and for the introduction of complementary programmes, including tourism, residential areas, commercial zones, and recreational spaces. The intention is not to impose a new order on the landscape, but to guide change through a principle of coexistence, described in the project as “building without devastation”.
The overarching objective is to redefine the landscape of Herdade da Barrosinha, establishing a new identity deeply integrated with the local agro-forestry heritage. Green corridors are introduced to promote biodiversity while also supporting movement and leisure across the estate, linking different areas through a continuous ecological structure. The plot analysis linked both technical assessments inherent to such projects and a comprehensive emotional evaluation, delving into the essence of the site’s memory. This holistic understanding informs strategic planning regarding conservation and intervention areas. The result is an architectural approach characterised by specificity, adaptability, and resilience, ensuring that interventions harmonise past, present, and future considerations.
By aligning spatial organisation, ecological preservation, and community use, the masterplan positions development as a phased and adaptive process. Its ambition is to establish a renewed identity for Herdade da Barrosinha that remains rooted in its agro-forestry heritage, while creating a coherent framework for inhabitation and activity over time.
Status
Ongoing, Private Competition
Awarded 1st Prize
Client
Barrosinha Agricultural Company
Design team
Diogo Sousa Rocha
Duarte Ramalho Fontes
Marta Vaz
Amr Ragae
Rodrigo Waihiwe
Antonio Villa Wladi
Caterina Santini
Edin Smajić
Lourenço Menezes Rodrigues
Joana Milhais Ferreira
Consultants
Mino Works
Fusão
P4 - Artes e Técnicas da Paisagem
OODA