Student Applications | Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) - ONAC 'Hyperfocus (fragmented landSCAPES in Manteigas)'

until May \5th, 2025

APPLICATION FORM
[participation includes transport, accommodation, and meals, provided by the organisers]

As part of the Blended Intensive Program Erasmus+, the international workshop BIP ONAC – HyperFocus (fragmented landSCAPES in Manteigas), organized by the LAP LAB – Laboratório de Arquitectura do Porto, will take place from June 28 to July 4, 2025, in Manteigas. The entire program will be conducted in English. Applications will be open from April 22 to May 9, 2025.

 An online presentation and Q&A session dedicated to the BIP ONAC will be held on June 6, 2025, providing an opportunity to understand the scope, context, and structure of the program, as well as to clarify any doubts prior to the beginning of the preparatory phase.

The international laboratory fosters new dynamics between architecture faculties and the mountain village of Manteigas. By strengthening education and research activities, it amplifies regional interests and reinforces the relevance of the discipline of architecture in and its areas of study. In the creation of an expanded field of reflection, enriched by different approximations and perspectives is possible to emerge one of the key axes of action: a bridge between civil society and academia.

The awareness, recognition, and territorial activation event for the establishment of the National Observatory on Climate Change (ONAC) in Manteigas—scheduled for the summer of 2025—takes the form of an international laboratory dedicated to exploring collective pedagogical practices, disciplinary experimentation, and personal reflection.

Located at the heart of the highest mountain range in mainland Portugal, this research structure is primarily focused on developing pedagogical strategies that connect the concepts of village/city, their natural surroundings, and the emerging conditions of human comfort within architectural practice.

This moment is an opportunity to understand the living conditions of the present time.

The initiative seeks to establish meaningful relationships between the event’s participants, the village/city, and the supralocal territorial context, fostering a set of exploratory practices. By deepening individual knowledge and activating a network of interconnections within a cause-and-effect system, the Serra da Estrela region — and in particular, the unique setting of Manteigas — emerges as a site of interest due to its inseparable system of natural and cultural values.

The proposal is driven by the intention to expose both the material and immaterial dimensions of this territory to participants as well as the broader community. Through the activation of the ONAC project’s implementation, it embodies a tangible and measurable act of resistance against the current socio-climatic crisis.

The ONAC research complex program is based on fostering a dynamic of scientific residencies, as well as the exchange and dissemination of both formal and informal knowledge. This knowledge-building system establishes interconnected frameworks of thought and scientific production that extend beyond the conventional relationships between academia and society.

In essence, it acts as the necessary bridge between observed realities and the potential heuristic solutions developed in collaboration with local communities.

By embracing a stance of deliberate vulnerability — of the territory, the community, and, above all, the participant — in the face of the contemporary crisis, a set of strategic action axes is defined, aiming at the operationalization of disciplinary production.

Pedagogical Methodologies

The challenge-based learning methodology offers a learning opportunity in a tangible environment through direct and continuous engagement (over the course of one week) with the intervention site.

1. Practical Component
The visit and analysis of the local context, specifically the municipality of Manteigas, will facilitate the identification of key study and debate topics, serving as both a stimulus and purpose for the development of the project.

2. Laboratory Component
This will allow participants to engage directly with the central issue under discussion through sessions that introduce core questions and transdisciplinary domains.

3. Theoretical Component
Cultural assemblies emphasizing the relevance of decentralized, small-scale spatial formats, focused on the production of local knowledge to build communities and inform political decision-making within the context of the socio-ecological transition.

A call for applications will be launched for 18 international students to participate in the workshop. The selection will be based on the following criteria:

• Field of study and level of education;
• Motivation letter and demonstrated interest;
• Commitment to ensuring diversity and representativeness among participants from the various partner institutions.
• In the case of a tie, priority will be given to students enrolled in more advanced years of their respective study cycles.

Program Schedule

June 28

• Morning: Arrival in Manteigas
• Afternoon: Immersion in Manteigas
• Evening: St. Peter’s Celebration

June 29

• Morning: Open exploration
• Afternoon: Urban trek
• Evening: Informal discussions

June 30

• Morning: Nature trek
• Afternoon: Briefing session
• Evening: Bathembly

July 1

• Morning: Manifesto workshop
• Afternoon: Foodembly
• Evening: Strategy planning

July 2

• Morning: Strategy development
• Afternoon: Public forum
• Evening: Talk sessions

July 3

• Morning: Design workshops
• Afternoon: Design implementation
• Evening: Forum discussions

July 4

• Morning: Design finalization
• Afternoon: Public presentation
• Evening: Closing event & celebration

July 5

• Morning: Departure
• Afternoon: Return to Porto
• Evening: Farewell: “Hola Valencia!”

 

+INFO

Apresentação – BIP ONAC

LAP LAB – Mnemosyne