FAUP professor designs new BIOPOLIS headquarters
FAUP professor designs new BIOPOLIS headquarters
24 March 2025
The project to renovate Quinta do Crasto, home to the BIOPOLIS project, was designed by architect Nuno Valentim, a lecturer at FAUP, with Marta Pupo, Margarida Carvalho and Rita Novais. Marta Figueira, Rita Furtado, Sara Noronha, Nuno Cameira and Adriana Sacramento also worked on the project, while Paulo Farinha Marques was in charge of the external arrangements and landscaping.
Located in Lugar de Crasto, in Vairão, in the municipality of Vila do Conde, Quinta de Crasto dates back to the mid-19th century and is a heritage site that is representative of the local landscape and architecture, showing orders of social representation, from the manorial farmhouse to the agricultural spaces.
The rehabilitation project was based on the principle of preserving and enhancing the heritage character of the complex, respecting the existing spatial organisation, construction systems and decorative elements, while incorporating adaptations to meet current mobility, comfort and safety requirements.
The intervention allowed the main palace to be fully restored, while the more dilapidated buildings underwent a more thorough rehabilitation, with partial replacement of wooden structural elements. In the outdoor spaces, the rural matrix was preserved and adapted to encourage use by researchers.
With this redevelopment, Quinta do Crasto will now house the headquarters of the BIOPOLIS project, a centre of excellence in biodiversity and sustainability research. The new facilities include the first national ancient DNA laboratory, offices and research spaces, administrative services and areas for incubator companies.
BIOPOLIS has established itself as a scientific centre of international reference dedicated to research into biodiversity, ecosystems and the environment. The result of a partnership between the University of Porto's CIBIO, the University of Montpellier and Porto Business School, the project has funding of 86 million euros for the first seven years, the largest budget allocated to a national research centre.
As well as establishing a link between science and business, BIOPOLIS aims to empower academic institutions in developing countries through the creation of twinlabs and international biological stations. Its activities also include environmental assessment and monitoring, the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, and the study of agroforestry systems to protect biodiversity and soils.
The transformation of Quinta do Crasto into a ‘Scientific Threshing Floor’ reflects the convergence of heritage and science, creating a cutting-edge research space set in a historic and rural context. With this initiative, BIOPOLIS aims to establish itself as an international centre of innovation and knowledge, promoting the valorisation and transfer of technology in the area of biodiversity and genetic resources.
The inauguration of the new headquarters will take place on 24 March 2025, in the presence of the Prime Minister, the Ministers of Education, Science and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, and of Environment and Energy, Maria de Graça Carvalho. The event will also be attended by representatives of various national and international organisations that are partners in this project.