FARO’S ISLAND - AN OPEN INTERNATIONAL DESIGN COMPETITION OF URBAN PLANNING

A – SITE AND CONTEXT

The Municipality of Faro enjoys a privileged relation with ‘Ria Formosa’ – a local river branch.

The ‘ Ria Formosa’ increases Faro’s potential but also brings a large complexity of environment, landscape and touristic relations.

Almost one third of the Municipality of Faro is the natural park of ‘Ria Formosa’ – the river branch constitutes swamps, canals and barrier islands.

The beach of Faro, located in the ‘Ancão Península’ is the south limit of the lagoon system of the natural park of ‘Ria Formosa’.

There are several reports of previous settlements of fisherman and tuna facilities but the most intense of this area began after 1975 – since then, that area has been a summer destination, an area for the construction of popular summer houses.

The original plan for built-up of the Faro’s Island is, today, unsuited and enable to meet the natural, environmental and landscape values.

During the summer period is quite obvious that Faro’s Island infrastructures are no longer suitable and is highly urgent the recover and renewal of this area.

A qualified touristic offer is one of the vectors of the competition.

The understanding of the importance of the renewal of this area is reinforced by a protocol established by several government departments, Secretariats of State, Municipality Association of the Algarve and the Municipality of Faro.

B – CHALLENGES OF THE COMPETITION

“ Faro’s Island – an open international design competition of urban planning”  - is an open design competition for renewal Faro’s Island.

The design proposals must establish a whole definition of the intentions for the area as well as establish the design environments proposed.

After the results of the international competition there will be further plans to develop by local authorities. These future plans, to develop in a short and medium term, set a fundamental strategy for this first plan: the development goals are to be done in several stages/ by sectors in a way that it will be possible to make a plan and to progressively to fulfil it.

It is supposed to be an integrated progress of the intervention, in space and time.

The solution must give a special care to the accessibilities (on foot, by bicycle, by private cars, by public transport) and must reinforce the natural connection between the built facilities/construction and the beach.

 

In short, the competition intends to:

-establish an outline-proposal of interventions of urban renewal landscape integration and sustainable resources;

-set-up the guideline for future detailed plans;

-develop a qualified touristic offer;

-connect with the existing fishing facilities and its renewal;

-renew the site area by recovering the necessary construction;

-restructure the sea front attending the vulnerability of the dune system;

-maintain the fisherman communities site, even dough, they’re renewed;

-create conditioned parking areas for private vehicles and commercial suppliers;

-creation of a parking area in the north urban perimeter, near the airport – the number of parking spaces must be compatible with the average number suitable for the local area;

-promote alternative access(es) to the area through public transport (bus, ferries) and bicycles;

-restructure the access to the Faro Island but observing the circulation of the river branch water;

-promote sea sports and the set-up of facilities suitable for the beach and the urban construction (the renewal of existing structures is considered a plus);

-define the zoning of the area considered as touristic equipment and provide them special connection with the rest of existing structures as well as the one’s that will be proposed;

-rethink the access and the traffic ways;

-consider alternatives of rehousing in case of demolition of existing structures;
-give special care to endogenous vegetation.

 

 

 

 

 

C – SUBMISSION REQUIERMENTS

The following elements must be included:

C1 - Identification must be submitted in a sealed, non-transparent       envelope, with only the title ‘DOCUMENTOS’ on the envelope:

•  Identification form;
•  Certification of approved university / college education;
•  1 CD/DVD containing:
                    - one powerpoint file with no more than 35 slides;
                    - one PDF file of the 4 presentation boards.

C2 - BOX with only the title ‘PROJECTO’

Written elements:
•  approach to the preliminary briefing paper; 
•  description of the concepts and solutions of the submission proposal.

Graphic elements:
•  plans at scale 1:5000 or a larger scale;
•  Perspective sketches, 3D-sketches or photomontages.

C3 - 4 (four) A1 horizontal presentation boards, numbered (1-4 ;2-4 ;    3-4 ; 4-4), used single sided;

[ C1+C2+C3 ] must be packed in a non-transparent paper and identified with the full name of the competition:

‘CONCURSO PÚBLICO DE IDEIAS PARA A REQUALIFICAÇÃO E ORDENAMENTO DA FRENTE DE MAR DA PRAIA DE FARO ‘

Models should not be submitted

D – COMPETITORS

The competition is open to all Portuguese registered architects with approved university/college education, and all foreign architects and landscape architects that meet the educational requirements, according with Directive 2005/36/EC of 7th September 2005 / Chapter III.

The design team must forcibly include an architect, a landscape architect, a structures engineer, a geologist and a biologist.

Portuguese is the official language of the competition.

E – JURY PANEL

Entries will be judged by the folowing jury:

-Jury leader nominated by ‘Secretaria de Estado do Turismo’;

-One architect and a landscape architect nominated by ‘Comissão de Coordenação e Desenvolvimento Regional do Algarve’;

-  One member nominated by ‘Direcção Regional da Economia do Algarve’;

-One architect nominated by ‘Câmara Municipal de Faro’ – the Municipality of Faro;

- One member nominated by ‘Associação de Munícipios do Algarve’;

- One member nominated by ‘Turismo de Portugal;

- One member nominated by ‘Instituto de Conservação da Natureza’;

- One architect nominated by ‘Ordem dos Arquitectos’ (OA) – Portuguese Architect’s Guild.

F – HOW TO REGISTER

Registration and digital attachments can be ordered by mail, fax or e-mail to the hereunder address, AFTER, PREVIOUSLY, FILLING REGISTRATION FORM (A) and COMMITMENT FORM (B); Request these elements to:

Ordem dos Arquitectos - Secção Regional do Sul (OA-SRS)
Serviços de Concursos
Travessa do Carvalho, 23-1º
1249-003 Lisbon - PORTUGAL
Tel:  +351 21 324 11 64   |  Fax: + 351 21 324 11 65   |  E-mail : [email protected]

G – ENQUIERIES / COMPETITION ADDRESS

Questions regarding the competition can be sent to the jury panel, in Portuguese, by mail, fax or via e-mail to:

Direcção Regional da Economia do Algarve
Direcção de Serviços do Comércio dos Serviços e Turismo
Rua Professor António Pinheiro e Rosa
8005-546 FARO
PORTUGAL

Tel: + 351 289 896600   |  Fax: + 351 289 896690   |  E-mail: [email protected]   |  http://www.dre-algarve.min-economia.pt

All questions, with answers from the jury will be sent by mail to the address given on the Registration Form (A).

 

H – DELIVERY

Submissions must be delivered to the competition address given in ‘G’.
The deadline for the delivery of entries is defined in ‘I’ – COMPETITION TIMETABLE.

Submissions sent by mail:
It is not the date stamped on the Entries that is valid.
Entries, sent by mail, must be delivered to the ‘Competition address’ till the established deadline.

I - COMPETITION TIMETABLE

The competition timetable, which may be subject to change, is as follows:

Competition Launched…………………………….  15 / 07/ 2008
Site visit…………………………………………….  20 and 21/ 08/ 2008
Questions deadline………………………………..  till 25 / 08 / 2008
Replies to questions………………………………  19 /09 / 2008
Registration deadline……………………………..  12 / 11 / 2008
Submission deadline……………………………..  12 / 11 / 2008 (17h00)
Submissions opening…………………………….  13 / 11 / 2008

J – DISQUALIFICATION

Any design shall be excluded from the competition:

-If received after the latest time stated under competition timetable;
-If a competitor discloses his or her identity, or attempts to influence the decision;
-If any of the mandatory requirements of the competition are disregarded.

K – AWARDS / PRIZE MONEY

The jury has at his disposal a total amount of 32 500,00 € (thirty two thousand five hundred euros) for prizes. This total amount is distributed in:

1st prize ..............….. 15 000,00 €
2nd prize…................. 10 000,00 €
3rd prize….................  5 000,00 €

‘Honourable Mentions’ can also be given and distributed by 2 submissions: in an amount of 1250,00€, each.