about
purpose
"Motivated by the destruction of biodiversity and the neglect of vernacular architecture, the Foundation shaped DaST as a guiding framework for addressing these urgent challenges. This vision is grounded in the belief that cultural and environmental landscapes must be preserved not only for their historical significance but also to support a sustainable future."
The sustainable development model that informs DaST emerged from reflections that began nearly fifty years ago. It grew from a critical understanding of how short term profit driven systems contribute to the degradation of natural and cultural resources. This awareness ignited a long term commitment to sustainability and to the protection of landscapes and communities at risk.
Motivated by the loss of biodiversity, including the disappearance of species such as bees, frogs and dragonflies, as well as by the growing neglect of vernacular architecture, the Foundation shaped DaST as a guiding compass for addressing these challenges. This vision is grounded in the belief that cultural and environmental landscapes must be preserved not only for their historical significance but also to secure a sustainable and resilient future.
Through its projects, the Foundation works to promote thermodynamic balance and to rethink how we live, build and develop in harmony with nature, safeguarding the beauty and resources of the planet for future generations.
At the heart of the Foundation’s approach is interdisciplinary collaboration, grounded in the understanding that although modern specialisation has advanced knowledge, it has also distanced us from the interconnected whole. Inspired by a holistic perspective that recognises the ripple effect of every action, the Foundation embraces an integrated way of thinking that values balance, interdependence and the continuous harmony between people, nature and place.
The Foundation brings together experts from diverse fields to restore landscapes, conserve vernacular architecture and develop models of sustainable living.
This philosophy is reflected in the Foundation’s current vision for Torrão, a small Portuguese village facing population decline and the gradual loss of its heritage. Torrão mirrors many communities around the world that are experiencing the realities of post growth economics, a phase in which the emphasis shifts from constant expansion to sustainable and regenerative practices.
Over the next five to ten years, the Foundation aims to revitalise Torrão by integrating its rich cultural heritage with innovative sustainability models that can serve as case studies for similar communities worldwide. The project is being developed in close collaboration with universities, non governmental organisations, the local community of Torrão and Convento da Terra, the cultural framework privately financed to support arts and culture initiatives and programmes.
history
The Foundation DaST, Design a Sustainable Tomorrow, is grounded in a sustainable development model shaped by nearly 50 years of international, hands-on experience, focused on territorial valorisation, sustainability and a post-growth economic approach.
Throughout its trajectory, this model has been applied through research, restoration, revitalisation and cultural programming initiatives across diverse contexts and geographies, always in close collaboration with local communities and with the contribution of specialists from multiple disciplines.
The most recent initiatives are being developed in the village of Torrão, in the municipality of Alcácer do Sal, where projects such as Torrão LAB and Convento da Terra operate as living laboratories for co-creation, learning and territorial regeneration.
With the aim of ensuring the continuity and expansion of this work, the Foundation DaST was formally established in 2024, in Torrão, to institutionalise and scale these initiatives. The Foundation promotes strategic partnerships, applied research and new projects focused on the sustainable development of territories and communities at risk.
The Foundation advances a vision in which natural and cultural heritage coexist in harmony with local communities, fostering resilience, wellbeing and the strengthening of place-based identities through education, co-creation and the sharing of knowledge.
Statutory Purposes
The Foundation DaST pursues the preservation of historical, artistic and cultural heritage, the promotion of culture, social and community integration, scientific research and technological development, the arts, European and international dialogue, entrepreneurship, innovation and economic, social and cultural development, as well as the protection of the environment and natural heritage.
vision
With a holistic and collaborative vision, the Foundation DaST seeks to position itself as an agent of change, promoting the integration of culture, sustainability and innovation for the benefit of present and future generations.
mission
The mission of the Foundation DaST is to create a sustainable future through projects that integrate urban and territorial regeneration, social innovation and post-growth economic models. The Foundation aims to foster cooperation between specialists, institutions and communities, promoting a development approach that values both natural resources and cultural heritage.
To achieve these objectives, the Foundation DaST focuses its activity on the development of a wide range of initiatives, including educational programmes, awareness-raising actions and applied research projects. These activities are designed to strengthen the resilience of the communities in which the Foundation operates, while advancing innovative approaches to sustainable development.
Beyond delivering direct benefits to the communities it serves, the Foundation seeks to create replicable case studies and sources of inspiration applicable across diverse global contexts, contributing to a lasting legacy of sustainable growth, resilience and social and environmental balance.
key areas of intervention
Conduct field research on ecosystems, cultures and conservation techniques, and share knowledge and innovations across wider regions.
Oversee and implement strategies and practices that safeguard natural ecosystems and biodiversity.
Develop and implement climate resilience strategies and mitigation efforts.
Engage communities broadly, create green economic opportunities and ensure meaningful local involvement in conservation efforts.
Develop and manage comprehensive educational programmes and raise public awareness on conservation and sustainability.
Oversee infrastructure development with a focus on sustainability and cultural sensitivity, ensuring that all projects align with conservation goals.
Collaborate with diverse groups and organisations, including universities and non governmental organisations, to research and promote sustainable development, and to build and maintain relationships with local communities, institutions, governments and international partners.
Regularly assess the effectiveness of projects, gather feedback and document and share progress and outcomes.
Secure resources and build partnerships that sustain and expand conservation efforts.
a sustainable tomorrow in our eyes
"Economies that prioritise the wellbeing of people and nature, supported by accounting systems that recognise the value of social and natural capital. Places and communities around the world strengthened by economic and cultural resilience. Education that inspires and empowers the next generation with the awareness and capability to continue designing a sustainable tomorrow."
Beyond growth
The Foundation maintains that the value of an economy should be centred on human wellbeing and the balance of the natural environment, requiring a critical assessment of economic growth and its long-term impacts. The dominant model of continuous expansion is understood as unsustainable, generating diminishing returns, increasing dependence on borrowed resources and significant risks for ecosystems and for present and future generations. In this context, the Foundation promotes the development of alternative economic models that recognise the intrinsic value of cultural and natural capital, integrating this value into decision-making through a holistic approach aligned with thermodynamic principles and oriented towards the protection and enhancement of these essential assets.
Understanding the continuum of time, heritage in a contemporary context
The Foundation explores the relationship between past and present, recognising that communities exist within a continuous flow of time and that sustainability requires a critical integration of heritage into contemporary life. Without rejecting the past or idealising it uncritically, its research focuses on understanding how traditional knowledge and practices, from crafts and festivities to vernacular agricultural methods and architectural solutions adapted to local ecosystems, can make meaningful contributions to a sustainable future. This approach seeks to embed historical knowledge within present-day contexts, acknowledging the complexity and value of vernacular knowledge systems, which often extend beyond the boundaries of contemporary scientific frameworks.
the identity of place
The Foundation recognises that cultural diversity and biodiversity are deeply interconnected and that preserving the identity of a place is essential to community resilience. Its research examines how local identities contribute to natural, cultural and economic sustainability, while questioning the homogenising effects of global consumption and valuing dialogue between internal and external perspectives as a means of enriching territorial understanding. Maintaining a place’s identity does not imply stasis or isolation, but rather the capacity to remain open, adaptable and evolving while safeguarding its essential character. In this sense, the regeneration promoted by the Foundation seeks to strengthen distinctive local attributes, build economic resilience from existing assets and traditions, foster a culturally rooted ethic of environmental care and encourage cultural exchange as a source of enrichment rather than dilution.
Our connection to the land, restoring a vital relationship
The Foundation identifies the growing disconnection between people and the land as one of the most urgent sustainability challenges of our time, evident in industrial agriculture, intensive livestock systems and in the ways the built environment relates to the landscape. This separation, which overlooks the land as a living system, has direct impacts on soil fertility, biodiversity, ecosystem services and, ultimately, human wellbeing. Recognising that this crisis affects both present and future generations, the Foundation explores pathways to restore this essential relationship through research and action on the ground, promoting regenerative practices, landscape restoration projects, educational initiatives and new models of agriculture, architecture and spatial planning grounded in territorial awareness. Re-establishing this connection requires not only technical solutions, but a profound transformation in how we perceive and engage with the living systems that sustain us.
The impact of art
The Foundation recognises art as a unique force capable of transforming how we perceive, understand and reimagine the world, and embraces artistic practice as an essential tool within its sustainability processes. Through artist residencies, creative workshops and integrated projects, art functions both as a lens and as a bridge, enabling communities to rediscover the value of their place, foster intercultural dialogue and communicate the spirit of projects beyond conventional methods. By engaging emotion and critical reflection, artistic practice offers powerful ways to question and share ideas about sustainability, generating energy, hope and collective engagement. In this way, abstract concepts become tangible, complex ideas become accessible and shared visions for a sustainable future become possible.
Education, the essential solution
Education is a central pillar of sustainable development and, for the Foundation, extends beyond traditional academic models by transforming sustainability projects into living classrooms. In these experiential learning environments, students engage directly with real-world challenges, developing not only technical skills but also personal awareness, confidence, respect for diverse perspectives and intercultural understanding and communication abilities. By embedding learning within concrete territorial projects, the Foundation promotes a holistic approach that strengthens the connection between knowledge, people, heritage and nature, preparing new generations to apply knowledge in practice, understand the complexity of sustainable development and contribute responsibly to the construction of a more balanced shared future.
strategic alignment
"For the Foundation, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the principles of the New European Bauhaus (NEB) are not treated as abstract targets, but as strategic frameworks applied on the ground, tested in real-world contexts and designed to generate knowledge, local impact and replicable models for other communities."
The Torrão LAB translates the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the principles of the New European Bauhaus into territorial practice, bringing together environmental sustainability, social inclusion and cultural valorisation through concrete and collaborative actions.
SDGs ↔ NEB ↔ Application within Torrão LAB
- SDG 4: Quality Education
NEB: Inclusion · Transdisciplinarity
Experiential learning in real-world contexts, engaging students, researchers and the local community in processes of co-creation, applied research and knowledge sharing.
- SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
NEB: Sustainability · Aesthetics · Sense of place
Urban and territorial regeneration, reinterpretation of vernacular heritage, reinforcement of local identity and the creation of people-centred spaces of wellbeing.
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
NEB: Sustainability · Circular economy
Promotion of sufficiency-based practices, resource reuse, valorisation of local materials and the development of post-growth economic models.
- SDG 13: Climate Action
NEB: Just ecological transition
Integration of climate adaptation into territorial planning, conservation of water and soil, and the strengthening of the landscape’s environmental resilience.
- SDG 15: Life on Land
NEB: Ecosystem regeneration
Biodiversity conservation, protection of cultural and natural landscapes and the promotion of regenerative practices in close collaboration with the local community.
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
NEB: Co-creation · Participatory governance
Collaboration between the local community, universities, specialists, cultural organisations and national and international institutional partners.
Below, the video of the making of “When West meets the Orient” theme. A landscape pulse from the Palacio Belmonte, by Philippe Fournier and Guo Qian, on the 31st of July 2011 in the Belmonte Cultural Club, Lisbon, Portugal.