On Monday, 23 March 2026, Convento da Terra once again became a space of academic exploration and shared reflection, hosting the second edition of the Environmental Design residency and presentation with students from Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), under the guidance of Professor Manuel de Arriaga Brito Correia Guedes.

Building upon the foundations established in the first edition, this second gathering deepened the ongoing dialogue between academia and territory. Torrão continues to emerge as a living laboratory, a place where environmental design is not only studied, but tested, questioned and reimagined through direct engagement with its social, cultural and ecological realities.

Throughout the session, students presented a new set of proposals shaped by continued observation, critical thinking and site-specific understanding. The projects further explored themes of ecological regeneration, adaptive reuse, landscape resilience and community-centred design, reflecting a growing sensitivity to the complexities and potentials of the territory.

More than a moment of presentation, the afternoon unfolded as a space of exchange, where ideas were shared, challenged and expanded through conversation with educators, local participants and members of the broader Convento da Terra ecosystem.

This continuity reinforces the role of Torrão as a site of active learning and long-term thinking, where each edition contributes to a layered process of knowledge-building and collective imagination. It also strengthens Convento da Terra as a meeting ground between disciplines, generations and ways of seeing.

To the students, the teaching team at IST, and all who joined with openness and curiosity, our sincere thanks.