Azenha do Mar

Occupancy index is the quotient between the implementation area and the land area.

Use index is the quotient between the construction area and the land area.

The new files AZENHA_DO_MAR-PT-SS-FISHING SEAPORT PROJECT.dxf and AZENHA_DO_MAR-PT-SS-FISHING SEAPORT SURVEY.pdf are now added to the competition folder (available for download in folder 0-New_Docs_After_Launch), where you can find the requested information.

The proposal should focus on the flat area of the village; however, some structures may be planned for the steeper areas, if properly justified and provided they are not heavy construction.

As mentioned in the competition files, for the project area competitors are asked to draw up an urban plan that can be developed at various scales, and also to define and develop the following aspects:

The functional articulation of various uses and activities; The location and the design of the various functional areas and buildings; The design of public spaces (technical and/or schematic design, in a way which clarifies the proposal) that are considered most relevant; The definition of typologies and the design of buildings (technical and/or schematic design, in a way which clarifies the proposal) intended for accommodation (tourism and housing); Regardless of developing the design of other buildings or, eventually, facilities considered to be fundamental to justify the proposal.

See the competition rules number 4.4."Items to Submit".

Number of plans, sections, elevations, renderings, is not pre-defined; it is at the competitors' discretion and should communicate in the best possible way the proposal's concept and development.

See the competition files.

See answer 4.

The new files AZENHA_DO_MAR-PT-PS-FAMILY HOUSES.pdf and AZENHA_DO_MAR-PT-PS-FISHING PARAPHERNALIA STORAGE.pdf are now added to the competition folder (available for download in folder 0-New_Docs_After_Launch), where you can find the requested information.

The Municipality of Odemira is the owner of the project area's land. The buildings to be demolished are precarious buildings that have been informally and illegally built. Competitors' proposals should include the definition of typologies and the design of buildings (technical and/or schematic design, in a way which clarifies the proposal) for housing use (both for tourism and for housing).

Housing planning should increase the supply in 15 to 25 new residential housing units. These new homes are to ensure the housing needs to relocate some families living in buildings to be demolished and keep a few for new families who want to settle in the village, ensuring a slight slack in the housing supply to keep up with the expected migration dynamics.

Azenha do Mar is a village integrated in the parish of São Teotónio, which in turn is integrated in Odemira Municipality. São Teotónio parish headquarters is located about 13Km far, and the municipality headquarters is located about 28Km far from Azenha do Mar.

The existing intensive farming in adjacent areas to the village is managed by private agents. In many cases they are multinational companies with their own networks for the marketing of their products, and although there is some part of the production for the domestic market, a large part is exported, mainly to Central Europe.

The main activity of the resident population is related to the fishing activity and there is also some people who work in the local restaurant. Nowadays there are many immigrants working in the greenhouses that surround the village; however, they live either in the farms where they work or on other villages, such as Brejão (about 4Km from Azenha do Mar) and São Teotónio (about 13Km from Azenha do Mar).

Investment in urban development comes from the municipal budget. The municipality may decide subsequently to sell some parcels of land and let the buildings' construction in charge of private or eventually make concession contracts for the construction or management.

See answer 7.

Existing buildings' chimneys are for smoke extraction, whether of combustion heating systems or of kitchens.

Odemira Municipality is the owner of the project area's land; some of the existing buildings to keep though are private (but built on municipal land).

Age distribution of the residing population in 2011 (Census: INE):

0 to 4 years old - 4 local residents; 5 to 9 years old - 5 local residents; 10 to 13 years old - 4 local residents; 14 to 19 years old - 12 local residents; 20 to 24 years old - 16 local residents; 25 to 64 years old - 69 local residents; more than 65 years old - 18 local residents. Total number of local residents = 128.

Brejão is the closest village and where the population of Azenha do Mar goes for some essential services such as primary school and kindergarten. Grammar/high schools are located in São Teotónio. In Odemira there is none higher education institution (college or university).

At Azenha do Mar there is no spot for selling or distribution of food; there is only the "Azenha do Mar" restaurant and a hunting and fishing gear shop. Brejão is the place with greater proximity, where the population of Azenha do Mar finds some essential services, such as the small minimarket, the ATM, the primary/elementary school, the kindergarten and the sociocultural center. The other local services are located at São Teotónio parish, such as the pharmacy, the health center, middle school and grammar/high school, supermarkets ou petrol stations.

There is no signal light on the fishing seaport. There is a spotlight which illuminates the ramps and the boat's access to sea and has an operational function, since normally the drudgery starts around 5:00 o'clock in the morning.

Thre is only the remains of the old mill's construction (mill powered by water) that is currently virtually surrounded by vegetation which makes it difficult to access; however, its location next to the water line is almost contiguous with the Rota Vicentina route. It was the mill that eventually gave its name to the village "Azenha do Mar".

The only permanent presence is the restaurant "Azenha do Mar". The small cafe that is mentioned in the competition information, when a brief description of the existing is made, corresponds to one of the precarious buildings, located between the cliff and the main square, which is informal and provisionally used by local residents for this purpose. Still, the competition program identifies other building needs, with uses complementary to housing, including the need for an eating and beverage facility and/or small cafe or kiosk.

See answer 15.

Some women work in "Azenha do Mar" restaurant, others are seamstresses, but mostly the village's women are housewives and also, generally, are the women who dedicate to the planting/tending of the small subsistence vegetable gardens existing in the village. Probably, in many cases, women also give support to family fishermen at the specific work (preparing the nets and other paraphernalia for fishing) for their exits out to sea.

There are on average about 15 boats at Azenha do Mar. Currently, there are no conditions for mooring/anchoring of vessels in the fishing seaport's bay and the boats are pulled ashore through the ramps. The boats are left on the access ramps and, especially in winter, when the strong sea waves are more frequent, the fishermen try to pull the boats to the highest ground possible of the small seaport's area, to ensure greater security against bad weather.

In addition to the existing storage facilities at the fishing seaport area, integrated in the strategic area, there's the need to create a small area for storage of fish traps and bait, which should be closed but outdoors or very ventilated. The fish traps volumes make it impossible to storage on the onsite existing facilities and the baits have a temporary storage that must be in much ventilated places and the nearest to the fishing seaport possible.

Fishermen keep their activity throughout the year, provided the weather conditions allow the exit to the sea. Of course, in winter it is more common situations arise from bad weather that forces them to stay on land because minimum security conditions for fishing are not guaranteed. The duration of daily work is about 5-6 hours, usually starting around 5:00 a.m. and return around 10:00 in the morning in time to sell the fish at auction. The rest of the day is spent preparing the nets and other gear for the next day's toil.

There's no more information than the one already made available in the competition folders.

The maximum recorded high tide was 4.0 meters and the minimum recorded low tide was 0.2 meters.

Yes, as long as the competition program and the stated constraints are complied with.

It identifies the limit of the property that Odemira Municipality owns, which includes all the project area and also a part of the strategic area.

The streets may be reconfigured accordingly to the proposal's intentions.

The referred line is to be respected. It marks the boundary between municipal property and private property (with agricultural use).

Yes, streets and plots of land/vacant blocks may be reconfigured.

The only existing access to the south bay is a pedestrian one, with access from the street to the fishing seaport and from the south ramp of the fishing seaport. The Rota Vicentina route passes by the south bay with a small wooden bridge, downstream from the old mill.

It only sells fresh fish; "Sea Basket" 's fish preparation consists on cleaning (wash, peel and eventually cut) and packaging.

According to Odemira Municipal Master Plan, the dominant characteristics of the buildings in the surrounding area, particularly regarding the alignment of facades and the dominant height should be respected, as well as other defined urban parameters, such as (Urban and Building Regulation of Odemira Municipality):

1- Maximum facade's height for housing buildings of 1 floor is 3.10m.

2 - Maximum height, floor to floor, in housing buildings of more than 1 floor is 3.00m.

3 - The height limits set in the previous numbers can be increased to 3.50m in case of buildings for commerce or services uses.

4 - Excluded from the above (1 to 3) parameters are the cases in which the interior areas' dimensions and the architectural design fully justifies it.

Azenha do Mar's existing buildings comply with the above maximum heights.

In general the existing buildings to maintain have a structure of reinforced concrete pillars and beams and brick walls.

Exceptions apply to tourist facilities. There's no legally defined maximum for these exceptions; they should be well thought out and justified by the project, considering the characteristics of the site where they are implemented together with the proposed design.

The waste water is handled in the existing wastewater treatment plant (ETAR) which became operational in 2003 and is dimensioned for a population of 300 inhabitants; however, it is currently in poor condition.

The urban area of Azenha do Mar is supplied by drinking water through the public distribution network. The water comes from the dam of Santa Clara-a-Velha.

The electricity supply to Azenha do Mar is done through the national electricity distribution network.

Currently the water line/stream flows throughout the year, although there are some seasonal variations.

Azenha do Mar is integrated in the Natural Park of Southwest Alentejo and Costa Vicentina, in Sítio de Interesse Comunitário (SIC / Site of Community Interest) and in Zona de Protecção Especial (ZPE / Special Proteccion Area) from the southwest coast of Natura Network 2000. The landscape intervention guidelines relate to the preservation and enhancement of habitats and natural ecosystems in harmony with human occupation and use of the territory.

The project area is classified as urban land and the strategic area is classified as soils belonging to the national ecological reserve.

The yellow area corresponds to the project area and the area enclosed in a red line corresponds to the strategic area.

Both buildings to demolish and to maintain are identified in the competition files. It is not allowed to demolish the existing buildings to maintain.

Not relevant. The project area's land is owned by Odemira Municipality.

See answer 7.

See answer 2.

See answer 5. It is at the competitors' discretion and should communicate in the best possible way the proposal's concept and development.

See answer 48.

The strategic site is a larger situation covering the competition area proposed by the city and should allow the formulation of a strategy for an urban-architectural project. The project site is a part of the strategic site (which requires a greater development level, more attention to details and programmatic goals' specificities) on which to formulate an urban-architectural project.

See answer 5.

See answer 31.

Yes, it is.

The referred facilities are used by fishermen to store fishing gear and are to maintain.

The aim is to diversify the supply of housing through the creation of a tourism facility with a capacity for 20 to 50 beds; and increase the residential housing supply by building 15 to 25 new units.

It refers to the alignment of the main/front facades of existing and proposed buildings.

See answer 1.

Neither the number of parking spaces nor their physical characteristics are made explicit; these will be up to the competitors's discretion/proposals.

New buildings should provide parking spaces inside the lots; however, another option may be accepted if justifiable.

The small pedestrian corridors between the houses are there because of the need to ensure direct access to the backyards, without having to go through the house itself, since much of the work and preparation for the fishing activity would be done in these areas.

One can swim in the south bay at any time of the year, if the sea conditions allows. Of course, in winter time there are more days when weather and sea conditions do not allow access safely.

It is possible to propose temporary and reversible structures and also permanent structures; these should be properly justified and integrated in the landscape.

For weather information look it up at the Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera (IPMA) website.

Yes, it is.

The existing restaurant and hunting and fishing shop are to maintain.

As building needs, competitors should propose a new eating and beverage facility and/or small cafe or kiosk; and facilities for the handling of fish for the "Sea Basket" project (independent of the hunting and fishing shop).

As for the workshop for boats repair, it is installed in a precarious building expected to be demolished, so the location of the warehouse/workshop for boats parking and repair may be relocated.

Yes, provided these are not for residential purposes.

Tere are descriptions that sea temperature variations combined with the intensification of agriculture in the coastline contributed to the disappearance of algae; however, there are also recent reports which claim that the presence of algae returned in Azenha do Mar's seawaters.

See answer 10.

The existing intensive farming in areas adjacent to the village is dedicated to the production of fruit and vegetables, including lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, red fruits.