SHIFT 2026: Fernando de Mello Franco Advocates for Landscape as a Tool for Socio-Ecological Recomposition
The upcoming fourth installment of SHIFT, the International Seminar on Architecture and Sustainability, spearheaded by Brazilian architect and urban planner Fernando de Mello Franco, is poised to explore the transformative power of landscape design. Scheduled for October 16-17 in Matosinhos, Portugal, this gathering will unite a diverse group of architects, researchers, and specialists. Under the guiding principle of "Continuities—Socio-ecological recomposition through landscape design," participants will delve into the critical role of design in reshaping our environments and confronting pressing environmental and societal issues, emphasizing the interconnectedness of natural and built spaces.
The seminar, a brainchild of Casa da Arquitetura, challenges conventional approaches by posing a fundamental question: how can design practices be harnessed to restore the intricate ecological, social, and territorial balances essential for sustaining life? This inquiry forms the bedrock of the 2026 program, which deliberately shifts its gaze from the urban core to the broader territories that support it. This includes the often-overlooked peri-urban, rural, and natural zones that serve as crucial reservoirs of water, food, energy, and raw materials.
Fernando de Mello Franco's curatorial vision for SHIFT 2026 underscores the inherent vulnerabilities and critical importance of these peripheral areas. While indispensable for human well-being, these territories are simultaneously subjected to escalating environmental degradation, severe biodiversity loss, and immense pressure on their soil and water resources. The accelerating impacts of climate change further exacerbate these challenges, making the seminar's focus on socio-ecological recomposition through landscape design particularly timely and urgent. The discussions are expected to generate innovative strategies for mitigating these adverse effects and fostering more resilient and harmonious coexistence between human settlements and their natural surroundings.
This event serves as a crucial platform for interdisciplinary dialogue, bringing together diverse perspectives to forge solutions for environmental and social crises. By re-evaluating the landscape not merely as scenery but as an active agent in territorial transformation, SHIFT 2026 aims to inspire actionable insights and collaborative efforts toward a more sustainable future. The seminar's focus on continuity and recomposition highlights an imperative need to mend fractured relationships between humanity and nature, fostering a holistic understanding of our planet's intricate systems and our role within them.