Village Yard is a project that Warehouse has developed since February 2015 in collaboration with the Village Underground Lisboa team based in Museu da Carris in Alcântara.

The main goal of the project is to create a friendly atmosphere around Village Underground’s exterior areas.

For this purpose and following the recycling and re-using leitmotif of this creative hub, the whole creative process focuses on searching and designing items using a maximum of reused materials. Carris, Lisbon’s main Bus and Tram Transportation Company provided some of the materials. However, new materials had to be bought to incorporate with old ones and thereby create an attractive combination.

The project is divided into several phases with different goals, which together result in a transformation of the site by creating a terrace for the cafeteria, a playground and offering several places for leisure and rest among the containers.

Making Squares

The first part of the intervention focuses on rearranging the numerous interstitial spaces between containers on the ground floor and redefining the main space of the new terrace.

For the renewal of this area, we proposed a wooden deck with integrated outdoor furniture to enhance Village Underground’s get-together point.

This living space spreads across multiple cores that promote different leisure areas. The use of wood as the main material enhances the degree of comfort, unlike the previous coldness of the containers set in concrete slabs.

This first step was completed with the varnishing of the furniture with help from friends and local residents. This phase improved the first space to be made comfortable and enjoyable for residents and the general public.

Green Up!

This second phase named “Green up!” refers to the action of making a greener and more organic space with some climbing plants.

We also thought of planting specific green plants to fill the lower and surrounding areas near the maritime containers mainly in order to serve as decorative elements of a new garden that will grown and climb naturally with time and cover the metallic surfaces. Flowerbeds and small garden areas enhance this green area. In this phase, we involved the local community because planting is fun and above all easy to perform in groups.

Borders

The last phase focuses on the issue of boundaries. In order to mark out the exterior space and separate it from the car park and remaining Carris private area, we proposed to build an iconic object to demarcate the limits of outer space and also work as an artistic and decorative piece.

This structure is planned for the northern side to signal the separation of the areas and will conclude the set of three phases proposed to Village Underground Lisboa.

Team: Warehouse
Partners: Village Underground Lisboa, Carris, Carmo, Ikea
With: Rúben Teodoro, Ricardo Morais, Sebastião de Botton, Antoine de Maulmin
Collaborators: V.U. Residents, Samuel Boche, Gonçalo Onofre, Marisa Oliveira, Fernando, Miguel Prudêncio, Laura Falcão