To aim and to find yourself. The concept of the center for pilgrims and the revitalization plan of the village of Porreiras

University of Art in Poznan

Project idea

"Love's a road never traveled, life's a song I've never sung"

Life is a road that a person travels alone or cross it with other people's paths. Everyday life can be a metaphorical path, it can also be a real journey.

Idea of researching portuguese landscape was born while walking the pilgrimage trail from my place of studies in north Portugal to Santiago de Compostela.

Walking creates continuity: TIME - SPACE - BODY.

On my way I met many people, who were seeking solace in their journey. Walking integrates pilgrims, who as me wanted the landscape and accidental meeting to tell them how to live, survive the loss or find essence of one's existence.

The project draws attention to the multidimensional potential resulting from the preservation of former habitats on the Santiago de Compostella trail and in its vicinity, visible in cultural, social, historical economic and ecological aspects. It is located in northern Portugal, the chosen place was village of Porreiras.

It is a buildable concept, which is based on the idea of ecological rucksack calculation: itincludes use of local materials, and recycling of those found in the ruins on the project area (which are enough to be a start of the self-sufficient complex). Planned urban design is created from water, energy and food almost independent units. Those aim to cover firstly basic needs (food, water, energy) and then provide income from making and selling eucalyptus, wooden and ceramic based building materials. Those can be used as an original material to reconstruction, and are main materials used in the concept.

Idea of the forms is to embrace the ruins. I do not want to dominate the landscape, my forms are using local language and blending in the surroundings. Proposed forms are embracing the ruins of the village. Wooden structures use the negative space found inside old building plans. New forms are integrated in the landscape, the concept fills the void, playfully working with found on site solids and shapes.

The concept proposes a combination of possibilities arising from the use of local resources, community activation, economic development, and the incorporation of vernacular architecture into the changing fabric of the village, while maintaining its historical and cultural values.

The aim of the concept is to create the place that respects the existing anthropogenic landscape, while protecting local culture through its cultivation and spreading knowledge of generations. Sustainable development is visible in the concept o flexible transformation planning, using friendly and renewable materials and incorporating architectural forms already present in the landscape into the design. Revitalization of the area has a positive effect on the way residents look at their surroundings, it is a start of recognition of vernacular architecture's value.

Growing popularity of ecological and intergenerational activities, slow life movement, degrowth, cohabitats, construction of houses from natural materials, reducing CO2 footprint by reusing construction materials - ideas implemented in vilage reneval strategies are not only concept of architectural forms, but also a plan of how the area develops and functions.

As the community ages, the rituals integrating the group are disappearing. Agriculture is a less popular occupation, which results in less maize cultivation. Only some espigueiros are used - individual belong to specific families - which indicates reduced collections. Fewer people also take part in the annual ritual of cleaning harvested maize (called desfolhada), during which residents gathered in Eira and finished the harvest together. The water mills used to make flour remain usused too. The facilities located in Porreiras testify to the present and old ways of spending time by the villagers. The important opportunity for sustainable development is to promote the values ​​of life and functioning in communities - contrasting with individualism and loneliness of big cities.

Project description

PHILOSOPHY OF WALKING
On the route to Santiago de Compostela running through Portugal and Spain, meet the paths of pilgrims and people permanently living in the areas crossed by travelers. Walking creates continuity:

TIME - SPACE - BODY

Walking was an indispensable part of ancient philosophy. Before the rise of philosophical schools, the wise men did not have one place - some of them wandered around the city or travelled, sharing their thoughts. Sophists are considered public speakers for whom the journey was a form of disseminating their ideas, and stoicism, associated with the figure of Zenon of Kition, is strictly connected with an element appearing in the architectural fabric of Athens (gr. stoa). Nowadays it is still important part of human's life, which is connecting people (not only one's of the same religion, as can be seen on the route to Santiago de Compostela or buddist ohenro trail on Shikoku island in Japan).

CULTURAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL LANDSCAPE
The oceanic climate of the analysed region is characterized by small temperature changes in particular seasons and high average rainfall. Continental Portugal is divided into two biogeographic regions: Euro-Siberian and Mediterranean. Vale do Minho is located in the first, more specifically in the Atlantic super province, the Galician-Portuguese sector. The analysed region was formerly called "Gallaecia" and included the current northern part of Portugal from the Douro River line and the Spanish territory north of the Minho River, and the lands located west of the current borders of Galicia - the region of Spain.

Over the centuries, people concentrated here to form settlement units based on a combination of Roman and Celtic influences. The ruins of the villages can be found in the north of Portugal and north-west of Spain. The so-called castros were composed of individual houses on a plan similar to a circle, inscribing in space - most often on hills, mountains or rocky shores. Such complex settlement units were surrounded by a organic shaped wall - adapted to the hypsometric system of the area and using natural barriers.

The location of the settlements depended also on water lines which provided access to clean drinking water (that is why they rarely sit on the top of hills). Nowadays the water mills, which are located with almost every village, are not used. This project revives them with new function: as small water energy plants, which are enough to provide electricity for basic needs.

Porreiras is one of many settlements facing the changes of fast developing modern world heavily influencing cultural landscape of the village. The agricultural character of the place is emphasized by the name of the village itself, which is a transformation from "Boas Eiras", which means "good granaries". The association brings to mind corn crops and storage places - pl. spigueiros - found till today in Porreiras. The economic model of Porreiras is based on agriculture and cattle farming, residents working outside Porreiras work in construction and small-scale trade. Young people emigrate from the village looking for better opportunities and come back only for holidays. How to make those people stay in the village, while providing them an opportunity of development and making a living? This concept tries to find possible solutions to problems seen not only in Porreiras, but also in other portuguese and spanish villages.

VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE
"(...) for it is only with tradition, respecting and giving continuity to the work of previous generations, that the new generation can truly progress and resolve the problem. When a tradition has solved a problem and stopped developing we can say that its cycle is complete"
Fathy, H., Arquitectura para os pobres - Uma experiencia no Egipto rural

Ever since protohistory and the creation of the first settlements, people have hierarchized space. The layout of the buildings grew and took different forms depending on the place in the world and era, but the crux remained the same.

The values ​​of vernacular architecture are both tangible and intangible. Vernacular architecture can be considered a testimony to the passing of time. It is a record of history, cultural diversity of society, reflecting the mentality and values ​​of the local society. It also demonstrates the rhythm of life, daily activities and work of its inhabitants. Stone, wood, soil or clay are used in a variety of ways, taking on numerous architectural forms.

Vernacular architecture is not a characteristic point of a settlement unit, it is rather part of the natural landscape, a carrier of stories about the community. This element has an additional low environmental impact through the use of local, unprocessed materials.

Technical information

Research concerning tradition, vernacular architecture of Portugal and Spain, building types (eg. espigueiros, tulhas, mamoas, water mills), materials used in the region was the base of the concept, as well as inspiring studies experience in Portugal, my own researches and VernaDOC workshops in Paredes de Coura, Portugal. Those provided the knowlegde foundations of the design.

Concept bases on use of regional materials and reusing stone and tiles from ruined buildings to create new architecture. Staging the project helps village to be self-sufficient.

Process will take part in phases:
I. RECOVERING MATERIALS FROM RUINS
II. SURVEY
III. RECONSTRUCTION & CONSERVATION
IV. WOODEN STRUCTURE IMPLEMENTATION
V. FINISHING WORKS

Materials used in the project are local, recycled or handmade. Forms are inspired by vernacular architecture also in function - they are practical and firm, yet beautiful as traditional architecture (utilitas-firmitas-venustas). Buildings are buildable and their ecological rucksack is small, because all materials are local.

The concept is based on buildable creation of process stages. Restored materials are reused to build the buildings, which allows to build another forms (as wood workshop and ceramic workshop). Travellers can stay in micro units or albergue, pilgrim's centre is meant for longer stays, which lead to getting vast knowledge from inhapitants. The incoming people are exchanging their help for experience of traditional crafts and DIY self-sufficient building.

The project involves the incarnation of the granaries commonly found on the Camino de Santiago de Compostella route in a system of pilgrim units, where you can spend the night outdoors and feel the atmosphere of vernacular architecture. Now most of them is abandoned and unused, but because of heritage protection they can’t be moved - so without function they are degrading. Concept is agreeing with the ICOMOS chapters which advise giving new function to abandoned buildings while keeping them intact, rather than letting them fade.

Idea of designing a micro unit is inspired by talks with pilgrims, who sometimes choose to sleep in the nature rather than in crowded albergues.The form adapted to the needs of the pilgrim meets basic needs - just like vernacular architecture - access to electricity through the use of panels powered by perovskites, insulation against cold, a place to sleep and eat meals.

The possibility of using local resources is supporting the use of innovational materials and implementing them in the designed architecture. The use of Eucalyptus globulus Labill - an invasive tree species popular in the region - can help restore the cultivation of other species, while using harvested wood for a variety of purposes. Woodworking workshop is a place where eucalyptus insulation panels will be made and later used in the later concept phases & sold. Use of Eucalyptus is meant to teach people, that there are better options than burning this invasive species (which often leads to vast wild fires in Portugal).

Widely found granites are creating characteristical landscape of north Portugal disconnected by rier valleys and steep slopes. The landscape of designed area is read as a sequence of closed and open spaces, including: wide panoramas (visible from the hills), enclosed courtyards and streets, views of the village closed by hills (view from fields and pastures). This design is an intimate approach accenting the value of cultural landscape and it's beauty.

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