The idea for the Mobile Seedbed (Sementeira Ambulante) emerged from early site visits and conversations with the community of the Quinta da Armada urban farm in Braga, conducted before the design process began.
Direct immersion in the site made evident its psychological, social, ecological, and economic relevance. Enclosed by residential buildings and a shopping centre, the farm stands as a rare green enclave — frequently described by its users as an “oasis,” a place of refuge, rest, and daily escape through contact with nature and collective cultivation.
The routines of planting, caring for vegetables, and sharing time with other growers revealed a powerful sense of community and belonging.
A graffiti found on a nearby wall — “Who sows illusions, reaps disappointments” — became an unexpected conceptual trigger.
Positioned beside the farm, the phrase inspired a counter-proposal: to sow awareness and collective engagement, demonstrating the positive impact that urban farms can generate within cities.
The project sought both to highlight the value of the Quinta da Armada farm and to encourage the creation of similar initiatives throughout Braga.
The response was to bring a fragment of the farm into the city itself — transforming it into a travelling seedbed capable of disseminating ecological knowledge and urban farming practices.
The Mobile Seedbed consists of eight modular units built from lightweight aluminium frames, internal shelving for seed trays, and translucent yellow polycarbonate panels. A curved metal roof references traditional agricultural greenhouses while allowing efficient rainwater drainage. The modules vary in height and configuration, enabling flexible assembly according to the needs of users.
When stationary, the structure functions as a shared greenhouse supporting seed germination within the farm. When mobile, it becomes an itinerant educational device — a travelling machine for seed distribution and environmental awareness.
The Mobile Seedbed, designed as part of the Festival Forma da Vizinhança – Braga 25, Portuguese Capital of Culture, and conceived as a pilot project beyond the festival itself, acts simultaneously as agricultural infrastructure, a pedagogical platform, and a catalyst for new forms of urban community.
