On Monday, 17 November, from 2pm to 5pm, the espaço AQUI at Convento da Terra once again welcomed academic exploration and interdisciplinary dialogue, hosting a new residency with students from the Environmental Design course at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), led by Professor Manuel de Arriaga Brito Correia Guedes.

This field-based session marked the culmination of a process grounded in listening, observation and proposal-making centred on Torrão, a rural village in the Alentejo increasingly studied as a living territory for envisioning environmental regeneration, sustainable habitability and ecological design solutions.

Throughout the afternoon, students presented their visions for Torrão, offering thoughtful and innovative proposals shaped by the specific cultural, social and environmental context of the village. The projects ranged from green infrastructure and landscape requalification to soft mobility, community activation and adaptive reuse of built heritage.

More than an academic exercise, the session revealed how knowledge rooted in place can become a catalyst for transformation. The presentations sparked meaningful dialogue between students, educators, local community members and project representatives, creating a space of open exchange and mutual curiosity.

Welcoming these academic residencies is part of Foundation DaST’s commitment to making Torrão a site of active learning, a place where ideas take root and have the potential to become real contributions to the village’s future. This initiative also strengthens the role of Convento da Terra as a space of encounter between knowledge, practice and generations.

To the teaching team at IST, the students and everyone who participated with generosity and presence, our sincere thanks.