Dear Wise Earth · TERRA · Sustainable real estate
Alheira e Igreja Nova, Barcelos, Braga
Buildable · Plan and verify
Buildable. The weakest of the six parts is what building well can claim, at 85.
94Development fit · of 100
| Ground to build on | 100 | 100% of the land lies at or under 10°; the steepest tenth runs past 4.2°. |
| Legal and environmental limits | 95 | Trees cover 27%: felling any of them needs a permit. |
| Hazards | — | No hazard screen was read for this district. |
| Access and services | 90 | The nearest main road is 0.1 km from the centre of the land. |
| Climate and water | 90 | 1,602 mm of rain a year, 2 dry months; +1.5 °C by 2050, -12.2% rain. |
| What building well can claim | 85 | Trees stand on 27% of land that would carry about 66%: planting back is a measurable gain. 1,602 mm of rain can run the buildings' water. |
The fit weighs ground 25%, legal limits 25%, hazards 15%, access 15%, climate and water 10%, what building well can claim 10%.
The figures
| Area | 3.53 ha | as drawn; the registry holds the legal figureDerived |
| Largest flat piece | 3.57 ha | all the ground at or under 10° (100% of the land), in one piece; at about 97 m, faces south-westEstimate |
| Steepest tenth | 4.2° | steepest cell 6.8°Estimate |
| Relief | 9 m | mean elevation 97 mEstimate |
| Access | 0.1 km | to the nearest main road, from the centre; local streets not countedEstimate |
| River strip | None reaches it | nearest mapped watercourse 420 m from the centre; the law keeps 10 m on level ground, 10 m on steep; springs are checked on siteEstimate |
| Tree cover | 27% | about 66% if left aloneEstimate |
| Earthquakes M5 or more | 0 | within 100 km in 50 yearsEstimate |
| Rain | 1,602 mm | a year; 2 months under 50 mmEstimate |
| By 2050 | +1.5 °C | -12.2% rain, climate modelsEstimate |
| Emergency services | 6.4 km | nearest fire station or emergency post, mappedEstimate |
| Ground surface heat | 31.5 °C | the ground's skin, read by satellite on 5 October 2026; hotter than the airEstimate |
What the flat ground could hold
Scenarios on the largest flat piece, not permissions: the zoning plan sets coverage, height and density.
| Coverage | 2 floors | 3 floors | 4 floors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30% · 10,710 m² | 21,420 m² | 32,130 m² | 42,840 m² |
| 50% · 17,850 m² | 35,700 m² | 53,550 m² | 71,400 m² |
| 70% · 24,990 m² | 49,980 m² | 74,970 m² | 99,960 m² |
Flat piece: 35,700 m² Derived
How to build well here
Build on the 3.57 ha flat pieceEstimate
It is the one continuous stretch of gentle ground, and it faces south-west. Keep the footprint there and the cuts, walls and runoff stay small.
Keep every tree, then plant backDerived
Trees stand on 27% of the land; left alone it would carry about 66%. Planting toward that line is a gain the project can measure and show.
Let the rain run the buildingsDerived
Every 1,000 m² of roof catches about 1.3 million litres a year at 80% capture. Size the storage for the 2 dry months.
Risks, ranked
| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | What settles it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoning allows the project: use, coverage, height, densityVerify | Medium | High | A zoning certificate from the local planning authority |
| Water, power and sewage are available for the projectVerify | Medium | High | Availability letters from the water and power utilities |
| Title and registered area match the surveyVerify | Low | High | A title search at the land registry, and a surveyor re-staking the corners |
| Tree felling permits for the footprintEstimate | Medium | Medium | A tree inventory, then felling permits |
| Environmental approval and its conditionsVerify | Medium | Medium | The environmental assessment the project size calls for |
| Archaeological finds during earthworksVerify | Low | Medium | A heritage check with the national authority before earthworks |
The diligence plan
1 · Before spending real money
| Title search; liens, mortgages, easements | Counsel |
| Zoning certificate and planning limits | Counsel or architect |
| Water and power availability letters | Developer |
| Site visit: boundary, trees, drainage, neighbours | Dear Wise Earth |
2 · Before signing
| Surveyor re-stakes the corners against the registered plan | Surveyor |
| Geotechnical study (soil, bearing, slopes) | Geotechnical engineer |
| Environmental assessment | Environmental consultant |
| Tree inventory and felling permits for the footprint | Forester |
3 · Structuring the purchase
| Purchase structure and transfer costs | Counsel and tax adviser |
| Permit timeline and the price conditions it sets | Developer |
Documents to ask the seller for
- Title certificate for each property
- The registered survey and any newer surveys
- The zoning certificate, with its date
- Water and power availability letters already held
- Property tax and municipal fees, paid to date
- Registered easements and rights of way
- Any studies: soil, foundation, topography, environmental, traffic
- Earlier designs, permits or permit refusals
- Any tree permits or forestry notices
- Disputes, claims or notices on the land
Questions for the owner
- What does the land-use certificate allow here, and when was it issued?
- Do you hold water and power availability in writing?
- What studies or designs exist for this land?
- Why sell now, and what has stopped a project here before?
What TERRA does not read
- The price, and what nearby land has sold for
- The zoning plan's coverage, height and density for this lot
- Water, power and sewage capacity
- The title's state: liens, mortgages, disputes
- The soil's bearing and the depth to rock
Documented: the owner's papers. Estimate: a remote dataset. Derived: arithmetic on those. Verify: not readable from orbit. Flag: a fact that cuts against the plan.
Computed from this reading's own record when the page is drawn. No figure is estimated by a language model.
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