Joana Rafael is an architect and researcher working on ecological issues related to pollution and contamination in buildings and territories, with a particular interest in the material conditions of construction and environmental contamination. Her research investigates the materiality and limits of physical infrastructures in relation to Earth systems, as well as human–nature relations mediated by dynamics of human impact, with particular attention to radiological contamination. In parallel, she develops a practice of collaboration with artists, research and writing, as well as consultancy on projects in the fields of architecture, art, and ecology. Joana has taught courses related to Contemporary Culture at institutions including ESAP, ISCE Douro, Central Saint Martins, and the University for the Creative Arts. She is a member of CEGOT and CEAA, and co-founder of REFINERY BOARD. Joana holds a Master’s degree in Architecture and Urban Culture from Metropolis, as well as a Master’s in Research Architecture and a PhD in Visual Culture from Goldsmiths, University of London. She also obtained a specialization certificate in Healthier Materials and Sustainable Construction from Parsons School of Design. She is currently completing a Master’s in Visual Arts Education. Alongside her academic work, Joana is a farmer.
Ribeira da Pantanha, Urgeiriça
A Character in EdenX, a project by Joana Pestana e Mariana Pestana and an Online Platform for Discussion and Deliberation - that embodies a social model to rehearse a non-hierarchical and decentralized organization of nature.
Commissioned for Porto Design Biennale 2023.
Extract:
I am the Pantanha Stream, a small watercourse with a torrential nature. With just over 7 kilometres in length, I meander through a predominantly agricultural and forested landscape, following a gentle slope from the Beirão Plateau. My course carves through soils of granitic origin, nestled between the majestic Caramulo and Estrela mountain ranges, and flowing between the rivers Dão and Mondego, where I cascade into.
I serve as one of the central attractions within a network of pedestrian circuits established in the region's thermal resorts, aiming to promote the discovery of the local natural and cultural heritage.
Archaeological remains suggest that I may have once served as a border between a vicus metallum, an ancient Roman mining settlement that evolved into the village of Canas de Senhorim, and its necropolis.
Currently, the need for additional remediation measures to protect me, the health of both flora and fauna and public health in the region cannot be overstated. The necropolis is now downstream, along my watercourse and within my area of influence. I am intimately connected with all underground waters, and the root systems of plants and trees, and I provide hydration for the local animal life and agriculture fields.
I don't want to alarm you, but some species of fish, birds, and mammals feed on the water lentils that grow here, while bees are attracted to the white heather, and humans gather gorse. Few know that this plant biomass can remove heavy metals and radionuclides from aqueous environments through a passive and metabolism-independent process known as biosorption, which can result in the retention of material that causes detrimental effects on those who consume it.
Proposal 1.
Rather than causing alarm, I propose investing in this opportunity: to increase the population of wild ecosystem engineers, including native plant species that can absorb hazardous materials, as well as species that create niches for other wildlife and help protect the environment by mitigating contamination, recycling nutrients, and influencing land use and human practices.