In a collaboration with architect Marcelo Dantas, the new Portuguese Paralympic Committee Headquarters design compacts its functional program into a single-story building to ensure the primary objective, the accessibility of its users.

Located on a fragmented urban fabric, connected only sporadically by minor road networks, the landscape architecture project allows the building’s volume to be adapted into the residential context of the neighborhood though its gently sloped ramped accesses and smooth circulation. Around the building, a generous public space, accommodates events of the Committee and a high-quality public space to the neighborhood.

The vegetation incorporated in the project creates shaded areas through the planting of trees. The proposed vegetation consists of species typical of the region’s natural potential, well-adapted to the local climate. Shrub beds with low irrigation requirements are selected for their resilience to high temperatures and periods of drought.

The terrain modeling in these areas, including the creation of gentle mounds, helps to mitigate potential noise and visual impacts from the developable plots to the south.

Additionally, the courtyard vegetation is intended to enhance the microclimatic effect created by relative protection from prevailing winds, increased shading, and lighter usage. By employing species characteristic of riparian galleries and creating areas for water accumulation, it is possible to differentiate the courtyard environment from the drier conditions found in the exterior spaces surrounding the building.

Loures, Portugal | Competition | Services | 3.742 m² | Architecture by Marcelo Dantas