Landscape Design Project for the Area Surrounding EM 538 – Figueira e Barros

Municipality of Avis

Introduction

This project focuses on enhancing a continuous area that extends from the urban cluster of Figueira e Barros, in the municipality of Avis, to the banks of the Ribeira Grande river. The intervention encompasses a typically Alentejo landscape, characterized by gentle relief, granite outcrops, and vegetation cover of holm oaks and olive trees, integrating historical elements such as an old watermill and its respective weir.

Context and Need

The proposal arises from the identification of the site’s natural and scenic potential for outdoor recreation and leisure. The project responds to the need to create a functional, multi-purpose unit that serves as a center of attraction for the parish and the municipality. Among the influencing factors, the existence of a core group of local users who already use bicycles for leisure stands out, as well as the opportunity to restore dilapidated buildings and consolidate historical structures on the banks of the stream, making access to the water safer and more organized.

Summary of the Project Completed

The project execution was structured around different functional cores, ensuring technical feasibility and landscape integration:

• Soft Mobility (Cycle Path): Creation of a 5.50m wide cycle path, paved with colored synthetic mix, connecting the village to the river. The path is lined with a row of Liquidambar styraciflua trees and includes a drainage ditch for rainwater.
• Relaxation and Picnic Areas: Requalification of the public fountain area with granite paving and wooden furniture. Next to the water feature, a picnic area equipped with tables and benches has been defined, taking advantage of the proximity to the reservoir.
• Support Structures and Buildings:
  • Construction of a bar/terrace integrated into the slopes, built with traditional materials (stone, wood and iron), including public restrooms for bathing.
  • Creation of a parking lot with capacity for 19 vehicles next to the Municipal Road.
• Margin and Equity Appreciation:
  • Consolidation of the old mill’s structure, transforming it into a viewpoint with a recycled synthetic material floor (technodeck).
  • Installation of an elevated walkway along the bank for safe access to the sand and the body of water.
• Landscape and Infrastructure Integration:
  • Planting of native and adapted tree species (poplars, ash trees, stone pines, and plane trees).
  • Implementation of an automated drip irrigation system to ensure the establishment of vegetation cover.
  • Construction of stone walls to contain uneven terrain, maintaining the natural aspect of the land.

The project ensures a harmonious coexistence between modern infrastructure and the riverside ecosystem, promoting the preservation of rock outcrops and the original topography.