Natura March - April 2012 | Page 71

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