Habitar PortugalHP

On Fogo Island at an altitude of 1,800 meters, amidst the crater of the volcano, lies a village of some 1,200 inhabitants who live on the fringes of legality, occupying State owned land on which they carry out self subsistent farming activities in one of Cape Verde’s poorest regions. The acquired status of protected area of national interest has led to strict zoning regulations for farming and obvious building restrictions. Regulations on the free occupation of the town have also been introduced, giving rise to con icts and frequent clashes.
The outlines for the project therefore rise from the need to consolidate the identity of this protected region, providing a basis for the conciliation of the population with the new park management. Spaces for cultural and recreational interplay were thought of a feasible solution, both for the people of Chã das Caldeiras, as well as for visitors.
The project also included work spaces for the staff  responsible for managing and looking after the nature reserve. The natural landscape, so strikingly marked by the volcano and its crater, possesses a unique and rare beauty, with the potential to become a world heritage site.
In this respect, the idea was therefore to design a building that could become part of the landscape and the landscape part of it, in a kind of fusion of textures. During the day, the long walls seem to merge with the road, creating a labyrinth through a game of shadows.