We’re excited to announce the completion of one of our most challenging projects to date: the Arrabacinha design project in Colos, Portugal.
This 198-hectare property posed several design challenges, but we’re proud to have delivered a comprehensive mainframe design that integrates water, access, permanent vegetation, zoning, and infrastructure, all in a functional keyline mainframe!
The Design Process
Our team started by conducting a thorough site analysis of the Arrabacinha property. We identified the site’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats and used this information to develop a conceptual design that integrated the client’s vision and our structural mainframe process.
Next, we refined the conceptual design into a detailed design that addressed the site’s specific needs and constraints. This included designing the water system, access network, permanent vegetation cover, zoning, and infrastructure. We used advanced GIS tools and techniques to map the site and develop detailed plans and specifications for the various design elements. The bridge from the office to the land, is as usual, done with the support of our Gps tablets.
Image above: Analysis map – Topography and Orthophoto
Image above: Analysis map – Topography and Orthophoto, Slopes and accumulation
Image above: Design Map – Water in the landscape (dams and ponds)
Image above: Design Map – Water in the landscape, Access, and Infrastructures
Image above: Design Map – Water in the landscape (dams and ponds), Access and Zoning matrix
Image above: Design Map – Water in the landscape, Access, Zoning, Infrastructures
The Final Deliverables
The final deliverables for the Arrabacinha design project include a geopackage project file (to open in qgis, qfield, or arcgis), pdf plots printed in A1, a Estimation/budget document, and a implementations timeline document. These documents provide the client with all the information they need to implement the design on the ground.
- The geopackage includes the collection of GIS data files used by the team to analyse and design, that the client can use to analyze and manage the site’s natural resources and the multilayered design itself. This can includes data on soil types, topography, water resources, and vegetation cover.
- The estimation document provides the client with a detailed breakdown of the project’s costs, including materials, labor, and equipment. This document allows the client to plan their implementations budgets and allocate resources effectively.
- Finally, the timeline document outlines the project’s schedule and milestones, allowing the client to track progress and ensure that the project stays on track.
The Dragons & Elephants design project was a complex and challenging undertaking, but we’re proud of the final result. The mainframe design we delivered integrates water, access, permanent vegetation, zoning, and infrastructure in a way that maximizes the site’s potential while minimizing its impact on the environment. The tablet GPS, geopackage, estimation, and timeline documents we delivered provide the client with all the information they need to implement the design on the ground.
We’re excited to see how this project will develop in the future and are confident that it will serve as a model for regenerative landscape design in Portugal and beyond.
This project team:
Project Director and Initial Drafts: Nuno M. Santos
Qgis designer: André Carvalho
Brainstorm sessions included: Ana Santos and Miguel Clemente
Estimations and timeline: Nuno M. Santos
