Welcome to Herdade da Raposa, an 83 hectare property located in the breathtaking surroundings of Colos, Odemira.
The beauty of this land is unparalleled, with panoramic views of a large lake and a diverse range of microclimates that add to its charm.
At Terracrua Design, we are proud to have had the opportunity to work on this challenging but highly rewarding regenerative design project.



Our main focus was on the mainframe design, which includes water management, access, permanent vegetation, zoning, and infrastructure. We believe that the land itself is the best guide for designing, which is why we have designated over a third of the property as Zone 5, comprising permanent and structural forests.
The grid or mainframe design that we have planned for this land is the most efficient way to optimize all the investments you need to do – whether it’s in a short, medium, or long-term perspective.
Our Terracrua Design Mainframe entails a structural vegetation grid that creates the phenomenon of a glade, protecting human structures and activities while providing shelter for biodiversity. This network of vegetation maximizes the rain and fog capture, restores the water cycle, and recharges aquifers and water sources. It also becomes a network of spontaneous flora and fauna that creates a beautiful, natural landscape.

We have also planned a water network of dams, ponds, swales, and forests that allow rainwater to infiltrate the landscape, following the S.S.S. principles, which means slow, spread, and sink. This mainframe design also hosts productive or forestry species on a water-efficient mainframe, maximizing the success of the plantations and holding rainwater runoffs.
Our smart network of accesses, including roads and pedestrian tracks, serves as a water catchment tool, directing surface rainwater runoff towards dams and ponds. This prevents erosion and soil loss while accumulating water for different purposes.
Our infrastructure web defines where water and energy come from and go to, protecting water reserves and energy supplies and decentralizing water areas for efficiency.
We have also designed a structured grazing system that allows extensive landscape grazing, creating the conditions for the fast recovery of pastures. This system is based on the fast but controlled passage of the herds in small parcels, fixing more carbon and producing more quality pasture.
The open landscape has been structured with a “light” intervention plan, where a grid embraces the shape of the earth, giving it cohesion and glade characteristics. These contour lines serve several functions such as paddocking facilities, infrastructures, water retention, green corridors for vegetation, as well as access for maintenance.

We have ensured diversity in productive areas, with polyculture and multilayered plantations that are diverse in species and layers.
We have focused on simple patterns that allow full mechanization for installation, management, and cropping routines.

Our clients are highly proactive individuals who we are confident will take on the project with the help of our team and the GPS Tablet that allows them to navigate the property with the project plan in the palm of their hands!
We wish all the Raposa promoters and families the very best! We are proud to have been a part of this amazing project, and we are excited to see the land flourish and grow in the years to come.
This project team:
Project Director and Initial Drafts: Nuno M. Santos
Qgis designer: Miguel Clemente
Brainstorm sessions included: Ana Santos and André Carvalho
Estimations and timeline: Nuno M. Santos