A Historic Square Revitalized with an Olive Grove Green Roof in Porto, Portugal - A Country Embracing Green Roof Policy
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Praça de Lisboa (formerly referred to as Mercado do Anjo, is situated in the heart of Porto’s downtown. This space is the green area that complements the outdoor shopping center at Passeio dos Clérigos, a modern commercial space, overlooking the historic Torre dos Clérigos. The old Mercado do Anjo was housed in the square and was considered, crowded, unhygienic, and unsafe, even during the day.
The rehabilitation of the square adds greenery while respecting the heritage urban fabric around it. Photo courtesy ANCV.
In 2007, the city decided to put forth a very exclusive competition, disconcerting citizens and local architects. The site had long been considered a fundamental transition space for the city. Considering the above conditions, the proposal for this site reflected a solution based on the principle that the square/public space should adopt an open shape to the city drawn for pedestrians, rather than being closed off, and ensuring an appealing relation with its surroundings.
Case Study Information
The square from above. Photo courtesy ANCV.
TYPE
Commercial › Retail
Landscape + Planning › Public Park
YEAR
2013
FIRM
Balonas & Menano - Architectural and Urban Concept
ARCHITECTURAL PROJECT
Pedro Balonas
GREEN ROOF CONSULTING COMPANY
NEOTURF
LANDSCAPE PROJECT
Pedro Balonas
DEVELOPER
Francisco Rocha Antunes – Capital Urbano
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
BragaParques
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
BragaParques
A view through the commercial space of the square. Photo courtesy ANCV.
It was necessary to include safety and well-being for those who remain on the square or pass it, ensuring the dynamics of public space and call for its use. In order to restore the derelict space and open it back up to the public, the proposal offered a functional natural pathway, without barriers or obstacles and concordant with the surroundings.
With 4,500 square meters (over 48,000 square feet) of grass and 50 olive trees, the urban rehabilitation of this square has completely transformed the dynamics of this place, making it a major focus for tourists and residents. Praça de Lisboa now features a a striking contemporary building housing local shops and cafes, as well as public leisure space, all located above a pre-existent underground car park. In its proposal, there was a need for a new topography, executed with a singular shape, driven by the need to create interior spaces. The square is both a semi-covered commercial street and an urban garden.
During the project development, the team always had in mind to seek a develop a rich dialogue with the surroundings using the scale and shape of the building. As a result, the roof is essentially a green roof dotted with trees and shrubs, with a wide view of the surrounding space.
The square features 50 olive trees, invoking one of the city's ancient gates, formally known as Porta do Olival. Photo courtesy ANCV.
According to architect Pedro Balonas, implementing a green roof in this rehabilitation project was not a requirement. The green roof appears during the development of the concept, as the author proposed to restore the original arboreal roof of the medieval city through a garden of olive trees, as they invoke one of the city's ancient gates, formally known as Porta do Olival (Portão do Olival).
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The square is now an integral part of the surrounding heritage urban context. Photo courtesy ANCV
When the concept of Praça de Lisboa was being created, there was resistance to the creation of a green roof. There was a need for a high-quality and captivating project, to show the benefits of green roofing to the public and heritage preservation organizations, as well as demonstrate how an affirmative and contemporary building manages to integrate itself into a historical urban context like that of the Historic Center of Porto.
In sum, the architects sought an architectural solution that, with full awareness and respect for the importance of the surrounding heritage, seeks to dialogue with it.
New Green Roof Policies in Portugal
Program of the XXII Constitutional Government
The importance of green roofs for a fast and energy efficient transition, and for the creation of sustainable cities was mentioned in the 2019 government program, in Portugal:
"II.I. Energy transition
Encourage the installation of green facades and roofs as a way of promoting energy efficiency, water management, and air quality in structures and buildings;
(...)
Foster smart and sustainable cities
Develop and reinforce networks of ecological corridors in cities, promoting the infiltration of water into the soil, in combination with urban garden systems, as well as facades and green roofs; "
FUNDO AMBIENTAL: Regulation for the allocation of incentives - Support Program for More Sustainable Buildings
Despite the positive evolution in the last decade, Portugal continues to be one of the countries in which the number of individuals declaring that they do not have the financial capacity to keep their home adequately heated is higher: 18.9% of the population in 2019, when the average for EU countries is 7% (EU-SILC). In 2020, the Portuguese government released the Environmental Fund, which promotes the requalification of buildings so that they are more energy efficient.
For homes prior to 2006, it can be used the Environmental Fund's “More Sustainable Buildings” support program to improve the energy efficiency of housing.
This public incentive promotes a 70% share up to the value of 3,000 euros for buildings that include the incorporation of green roofs or facades.
The installation of these green roofs must follow the guidelines in the technical guide for the design, construction, and maintenance of green roofs, of the Portuguese National Association for Green Roofs (ANCV).
The program aims to finance measures that promote rehabilitation, decarbonization, energy efficiency and water efficiency in existing residential buildings.
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Municipal Incentives
Barreiro, Portugal
Barreiro was the first Portuguese municipality to create a financial incentive for the construction of green roofs:
Regulamento n.º 712/2019
Regulamento Municipal de Concessão de Incentivos ao Investimento
Article 7
a) Support the efficient use of energy
I) Increased use of passive solar measurements - eg adapting the building to the climate (prevailing winds, humidity, solar orientation), orienting the buildings to the south by integrating shades, eaves, blinds and blinds that shade this elevation in summer and allow the sun to catch In winter, passive heating systems such as "Trombe" walls, passive cooling systems (ground cooling system), implement green roofs, ventilation and natural lighting, in addition to the more common approaches such as double glazing thermal insulation (eg cork) on facades and roofs, insulation of foundations;
(...)
c) Construction of green roofs and facades;
PQAP | Porto Fifth Facade Project 5
The Fifth Façade Project (PQAP), created by Paulo Palha, President of the Portuguese Association for Green Roofs (ANCV), is a project between ANCV and the Porto City Council. Its objective is to define the best way to include green roofs in the environmental and urban strategy of Porto’s city.
The project began in August 2016 and joined a large group of people from different departments of the Porto City Council, as well as different universities, foreign municipalities, the European Federation of Green Roofs and Walls Associations, and the World Green Infrastructure Network, among other institutions.
PQAP represents an important step in the history of the Green Roofs movement in Portugal, since it's the first time that a City Council manifests its will to include green roofs in the urban planning documents of the city. The project was also essential to give ANCV executive capacity and increasing visibility. On the other hand, it symbolizes the interdisciplinary character of the association, since it has been necessary to promote the intervention of research groups, companies, and municipalities: the exact network created by ANCV.
The prize-winning Poster of The Fifth Façade Project (PQAP), presented at the congress, “Green Infrastructure: Nature Based Solutions for Sustainable and Resilient Cities” in Orvieto, Italy, between 4-7 April, 2017. Photo courtesy ANCV
The Poster of The Fifth Façade Project (PQAP), won the prize for the best Poster of the congress “Green Infrastructure: Nature Based Solutions for Sustainable and Resilient Cities”. This congress, which took place in Italy, in the city of Orvieto, between the 4th and 7th of April of 2017, was attended by more than 400 participants from all over the world. More than 200 oral presentations and 90 posters were selected for this congress, which addressed the theme of the congress in a different way. At the end of the congress, an awards ceremony was held for the best oral presentation and the best poster, where all congress participants awaited the decision of the international jury.
It was with great enthusiasm that The Fifth Façade Project in Porto being announced as the big winner. This award is the recognition of the quality of the methodology, and of the process, which is being developed by the Portuguese Association of Green Roofs (ANCV) for the Municipality of Porto, with the participation and commitment of the technical teams of the Urban Planning, Environment departments and Green Spaces of Porto’s municipality and with several research institutions and international partners.
Paolo Palha is the founder and current board chair of the Portuguese National Green Roof Association ANCV. He is also currently CEO of the company Neoturf and founded the company Landlab. He has already developed numerous garden and green roof projects, having coordinated the works / installation of the vast majority of these, some of them abroad. Paolo is currently vice-chairman of the EFB (European Green Roofing Federation) board and representative of Portugal on the World green infrastructure network WGIN.
Jéssica Fogeiro is the Executive Coordinator at ANCV. She has a Marketing degree from the University of Aveiro, a Degree in Environmental Design and a Master's Degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Porto. She is Climate Reality Leader, belonging to a global network of activists committed to spreading the climate crisis and working to find solutions, and she is part of the team of consultants for the AQUA + network, for the water certification of residential buildings.
