Exhibition at the Serra da Estrela Interpretation Center (CISE) | Work by students from Project Studio II A
Until mid-April 2024, the project work of the students of Project Studio II A was on exhibition at the Serra da Estrela Interpretation Center (CISE). The presentation of this work by the students took place at a session on March 8, with the presence of the Seia City Council (CMS), the Serra da Estrela Natural Park (PNSE), Estradas de Portugal (IEP) and the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF), among other public institutions, giving rise to a very productive discussion among all. The work presented is the result of the challenge set to the group of students in this DARQ Project Studio II A to rethink the model of use and occupation of the top of Serra da Estrela.
In the first stage, the students, organized into groups, developed a general land-use plan for the intervention. This plan considered two key constraints: the restriction of individual car access to the Torre, an essential measure for enabling any transformation of the upper plateau of Serra da Estrela; and the designation of Piornos and Lagoa Comprida as hubs for facilities supporting visitor arrivals and temporary stays. These locations were intended to serve as nodes for a commuter public transport system powered by renewable energy. In the second stage, the students individually developed intervention projects for one of the planned sites (Torre, Piornos, or Lagoa Comprida). This process spanned scales from general planning to detailed construction, addressing two main constraints: the creation of high-quality spaces for public visitation and scientific research in the Serra da Estrela Natural Park; and the planning and revitalization of the outdoor spaces at the intervention sites, with renaturalization as a central, long-term objective. We would like to extend our gratitude to CISE for their logistical support and to José Conde for his scientific guidance throughout the preparation and development of this research over two academic years.
