This project aims to create adaptive landscape design in a sustainable, resilient, nature-based way in response to climate change and sea level rise in Fajã da Caldeira de Santo Cristo.
Under the circumstance of climate change and sea level rise, low-lying coastal areas around the world will be exposed to varying degrees of vulnerability and coastal risk, and the Fajã da Caldeira de Santo Cristo is no exception. The land use pattern of this fajã is a markedly agricultural and pastures landscape, and the soil use now consists mainly of abandoned natural pastures and a highly degraded built habitation nucleus, which constitute the historical and cultural value of the site. As a sensitive, fragile site with little human presence, excessive development can cause irreparable damage to the ecological environment. Based on the inaccessibility of the site caused by the uniqueness of its location, the design attempts to focus on humans and more-than-human, exploring native species, materials and technologies, using these existing resources to give the site "new life" in the future. In this landscape design project, a series of measures will be implemented in the future to deal with the problems that the site may face in a century.
According to the IPCC (2021) document, the sea level will rise 2 meters in the extreme condition in the next 100 years. This dramatic change will cause the coastal area of the fajã to suffer coastal risks, such as flooding, coastal erosion, more intense storms, etc. The first strategy is to use shellfish reefs to address these coastal risks. The shellfish reefs are constructed to provide a diverse habitat for marine life while softening the waves and protecting the fragile coast from erosion. The second strategy is to use wet grassland to improve water quality. At the same time, through lightly rotational grazing, the trampling of cattle creates different grass structures, creating a microenvironment for invertebrates. The third strategy is the reuse of buildings on the site. Except for a few restaurants and hotels, as well as the church, most of the stone houses are abandoned because of the evacuation of residents. Some of these abandoned houses will be converted into bird shelters, and the rest will be demolished, gardens will be built on these reserved foundations.
In conclusion, in this project I created landscape spaces based on nature, designed for all life, in response to climate change and sea level rise.
