SunRoots


Restocking inland Alentejo and its protected areas

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ABOUT

Restocking of inland Alentejo and its protected areas

The main goal of SunRoots is to bring newcomers to low population density regions in close proximity with natural parks, who have ecological awareness and urban gardening experience. We believe this background can lead to a more sustainable livelihood and ultimately to the cultural landscape conservation.

SunRoots

The target audience are people engaged in entrepreneurship, remote workers, retirees wiling to care for the land.

SunRoots will facilitate the moving process by providing a portfolio of houses in different types of clusters according to your requisites, provide the architectural project to (re)build a house and ultimately help out with the integration process.

See clusters

Services

We offer the following Services:

Properties

Generating a database on vernacular architecture for sale

  1. São Julião, Portalegre
  2. Montemor-o-Novo
Show Properties
Architecture
  1. Writing a feasibility report on the property potential for farming or tourism (A)
  2. Facilitating the documentation for registration and licensing buildings
  3. Submitting a PIP (Pedido de Informação Prévia) to the city to pre-assess the building local conditions
  4. Submitting an architectural (re)building project (B)
  5. Preparing an environmental building certification (C) (Presentation)
  6. Finding a local contractor
Show Architecture
Land Assessment
  1. Interview with land owner
  2. Legal constraints and restrictions
  3. Land Mapping - Existing constructions and features, topography and general natural elements
  4. Regional Environmental analysis
  5. Main regional agricultural productions and Forestry
  6. Survey on existing Infrastructure, Services, Culture and Economic activities
  7. General report on land perspectives and potential
Show Land assessment

SunRoots will facilitate your moving process
by providing a portfolio of houses in different types of clusters
according to your requisites


Clusters

Our database offers 3 residential areas depending on the client livelihood preferences:

Towns

Towns with castles and fortifications.

Villages

Villages with less than 500 inhabitants.

Communities/ Hamlets

Communities are usually self sufficient.

Background

In Portugal, migration and rural exodus occurred during the second half of the 20th century, as people pursued job opportunities, access to higher education and better infra-structures. The immediate consequences on rural areas were population decline leading to farm abandonment, dereliction of housing stock and an ageing population.

These problems are more acute in inland areas where traditional cultural landscapes evolved as part of a balanced interaction between humans and nature. The aesthetic value of these landscapes, often led to its classification as protected areas. These territories of low density population have become a socio-ecological challenge for Portugal (as well as for other countries in Europe) especially in the Portuguese border with Extremadura where several protected areas are located (Natural parks of International Tejo river, Serra de Sao Mamede and Guadiana valley).

The region of Alentejo stretches from the south of Tagus river down to Algarve. It has a low population density. The main economic activity is still agriculture (extensive grain, olive and vine production). while tourist activity has grown by more than 10 percent per year in the coastside Alentejo, in inland Alentejo the growth process has not yet started. In this territory there are 2 protected areas, the Natural park of Serra de Sao Mamede and the Natural Park of Guadiana valley. In both parks there are pictoresque towns and villages (within the regions of Évora and Beja) where newcomers can enjoy the beautiful cultural landscapes of Alentejo with its vernacular architecture among which several towns, villages and communities/Montes. Towns and villages in Alentejo tend to have less than 5000 inhabitants. The communities, on the other hand are often composed of less than 100 people who aim for self-sufficient livelihoods.

Book chapter published by Springer on rural renaissance, multifunctional landscapes and climate adaption
Springer book chapter on Vernacular architecture in Portugal and its regional variations
Scientific paper on rural renaissance in Castro Laboreiro
Interactive map for Castro Laboreiro

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Contact

Please contact us via the contact form or via email: info@sunroots.pt

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