Terracrua Design is proud to announce the completion and delivery of the Fazenda Sofia project in Gabela, Angola. The project represents one of the most important steps toward the creation of a sustainable and regenerative future for this farm, situated on more than 800 hectares with 500 hectares of coffee plantations.
Gabela, located in the Cuanza Sul province of Angola, has a tropical savanna climate that is highly conducive to agricultural activities, particularly coffee cultivation. The region experiences distinct wet and dry seasons, with the rainy season typically occurring between October and April. During this period, Gabela receives the bulk of its annual rainfall, which averages around 1,000 to 1,500 millimeters. The wet season is crucial for maintaining soil moisture and supporting the growth of coffee plants, while the dry season, though challenging, allows for the drying and processing of coffee beans.
Gabela’s elevation, which ranges from 800 to 1,000 meters above sea level, contributes to its moderate temperatures and unique microclimate. This altitude, combined with consistent rainfall, creates an ideal environment for growing high-quality coffee, which thrives in these conditions. The region’s mild temperatures, averaging between 18°C and 25°C, offer the perfect balance for coffee cultivation, ensuring a long growing season with minimal stress on the plants.
Historically, Gabela was one of the most important coffee-producing regions in Angola, particularly during the mid-20th century. At its peak, Angola was the fourth-largest coffee producer in the world, and Gabela contributed significantly to this production. Coffee from Gabela was prized for its rich flavor, often described as earthy with hints of fruitiness, and was exported to markets around the globe. However, the coffee industry in Angola, including Gabela, faced a steep decline during the civil war (1975-2002). The conflict disrupted farming operations, destroyed infrastructure, and led to a dramatic reduction in coffee production.
In recent years, there has been a renewed effort to revitalize Gabela’s coffee industry. Farmers and investors are working together to restore the region’s coffee plantations, some implementing sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices to improve yields and quality. With its favorable climate and rich history, Gabela holds significant potential for re-emerging as a leading coffee-producing region in Angola. The introduction of new farming techniques, such as agroforestry and water management systems, will help to mitigate the impact of climate extremes, ensuring a more resilient future for coffee production in the area.
Our work entailed the meticulous development of a masterplan that incorporated keyline design, and by doing so, also integrated water management—dams and ponds—together with access via extreme landscape exposures. Among other significant design considerations was the role of Zone 5, prescribed for natural ecosystems and rewilding efforts, which in themselves will be crucial contributors to the ecological regeneration of the land.
Water and Erosion Problems: Overcoming Them
Fazenda Sofia faces critical problems with water management and soil erosion, as many farms around its region do. In this respect, special care has been taken during the proposal of a network of dams, ponds, and water channels that allow the capture of rainfall for efficient management and distribution in farm areas. The result of this should be better retention of soil moisture and reduced erosion, which would provide ecological stability and long-term productivity.
We did that through painstaking topography analysis, assisted by advanced QGIS software and satellite imagery to map the land’s natural contours and water flow patterns. From there, we could draw a design in harmony with the natural topography so that water retention structures could merge into the landscape.
Application of Keyline Design
This system places a series of dams, ponds, and access routes to water along the contour lines to maximize water movement and storage around the farm. The roads are well planned for slow water movement on their side drains, guiding the water to the several sequenced ponds. In addition, this method ensures more water retention while reducing energy consumption in transporting water across the expansive 800 hectares.
The masterplan delivery in June 2024 marked the beginning of the transformation process. Recently, the Terracrua Design team revisited Fazenda Sofia to oversee the installation of key water and access features, ensuring that the first steps of our masterplan are being implemented on the ground.
Implementation of water and access, phase 1, September 2024
Our recent visit to Fazenda Sofia marked the start of an exciting new chapter in the implementation of the water and access framework that we designed earlier this year. During three intensive weeks, we worked with the farm team to make several kilometers of new roads and more than 15 ponds. These new keyline roads have broken the rigid geometry of the coffee plantations, creating a dynamic system of water management that leads water from pond to pond in a closed cycle. This constitutes the most important step toward optimization of its natural resources with the aim of long-term sustainability.
Of course, it was all possible because of the hard work and support of an exemplary admin team on the farm, as well as all staff and operators. Their collaboration allowed us to take giant strides and lay the foundation for the broader framework project. Advanced in that work, we left Fazenda Sofia with a feeling of satisfaction and anticipation toward the forthcoming stages of the project, when we will continue to optimize water management systems and introduce agroforestry components to enrich the ecological-productive landscape.
Collaboration and Future Directions
This project required significant time and effort. Unique land and climate challenges demanded close collaborations with the local team and stakeholders. Our partnership with African drone solutions enabled us to share critical logistics that would otherwise have been impossible. Additionally, our team worked with local experts and laborers to ensure that the design was not only regenerative but also practical for long-term management and maintenance.
We are pleased with the future steps of the project’s implementation in 2025: further water optimization, structuring of vegetation of Zone 5, and maybe, the introduction of agroforestry systems. Forestry belts and forests will be created to protect the coffee plantations from extreme climates and pest infestations, ensuring both the productivity and resilience of the farm.
This project will serve as an exemplary model for regenerative agriculture in the region, demonstrating that a farm can be both highly productive and ecologically responsible.
Stay tuned for more updates as Terracrua Design continues driving sustainable and regenerative design solutions through various landscapes around the world.
This project team:
Project Director: Nuno M. Santos
Designer: Miguel Clemente
Estimations and timeline: Nuno M. Santos
