underground steam vents, that is felt in the Furnas Valley. Thanks
to the diversity of its sources of water, experts consider the Furnas
Valley a hydrological paradise. The village is also known for its
outstanding parks, gardens and sights.
Recently this area has come under threat from excessive use
as the issue of sustainability in the environment of Furnas
in São Miguel has become critical. Economic interests and
agricultural activity in the area have reduced soil fertility, led
to the disappearance of vegetation, caused land erosion and
contamination of water sources. The small lake in Furnas has
become important for ecologists for these reasons. To be able
to be focus on recycling and sustainability issues around the
Furnas Lake, the SPRAçores company was formed with an
interdisciplinary professional team derived from financial,
landscape, architecture and biological experts. SPRAçores, a public
company with 100% capital owned by the regional government of
Azores was established in October 2006 to manage and promote
areas of environmental interest in the Azores, has focused its
attention on the Furnas region. Approximately 250 hectares that
consist mainly of pastureland have been acquired and are being
intervened by SPRAçores. Importantly the Furnas Lake shores are
under a process of architectural and landscaping transformation.
As a part of the first phase of the ecological strategy of
revitalization of the shores of the Furnas Lake SPRAçores
constructed the Furnas Research and Monitoring Center, 2010,
designed by the Lisbon, Portugal practice of Aires Mateus led by
Manuel Aires Mateus and Francisco Aires Mateus. One of Aires
Mateus’ architectural strategies has been to try to find sustainable
attitudes towards projects from the beginning of design. In this
project, their idea was to transform the land not by physically
transforming it but occupying it with a new presence and
experience. According to the architects, “The project intends to
evoke the architectural landscape of the Azores, drawing upon
the form and material that embed the collective memory of
this island and archipelago, that have become, with time, a
second nature of this place.” Using this strategy Aires Matues
designed the Research and Monitoring Center and the nearby
Res V&6