Sementeira Ambulante mobile greenhouse roams around Braga
Located between the rear facade of a shopping center and a residential building, the Quinta da Armada urban farm in Braga, Portugal, operates as a compact but active green space within a dense urban setting. For the Festival Forma da Vizinhança – Braga 25, Portuguese Capital of Culture, LIMIT architecture studio developed the Sementeira Ambulante (Mobile Seedbed), a modular, mobile greenhouse structure designed to support seed germination, promote biodiversity, and extend the presence of the farm into the city.
The project originated from site visits and discussions with the farm’s community prior to the design phase. These exchanges highlighted the farm’s social, ecological, and economic role within its immediate context. Surrounded by built infrastructure, the cultivated plots provide space for planting, food production, and shared activity. A graffiti message discovered near the site: ‘Who sows illusions, reaps disappointments,’ informed the project’s conceptual direction, prompting a proposal focused on cultivating awareness and collective participation. Rather than remaining confined within the farm’s boundaries, the initiative sought to disseminate its practices and values throughout Braga.
all images by Adriano Ferreira Borges unless stated otherwise
Mobile Seedbed by LIMIT acts as a shared traveling greenhouse
The resulting structure by LIMIT architecture studio consists of eight modular units mounted on wheels. Each unit is constructed with lightweight aluminium frames, internal shelving for seed trays, translucent yellow polycarbonate panels, and a curved sheet metal roof. The roof profile references traditional greenhouse typologies while enabling effective rainwater drainage. Variations in height and configuration allow the modules to be assembled in multiple arrangements according to programmatic needs.
When positioned within the farm, the Mobile Seedbed functions as a shared greenhouse, supporting seed germination and small-scale cultivation. When transported through the city, it operates as a travelling device for seed distribution and environmental education. By relocating a fragment of the farm into different neighbourhoods, the structure increases the visibility of urban agriculture and encourages the replication of similar initiatives.
Conceived as a pilot project extending beyond the festival timeframe, the Sementeira Ambulante operates simultaneously as agricultural infrastructure, educational platform, and mobile public installation, linking local food production with broader urban engagement.
LIMIT architecture studio developed the Mobile Seedbed, a modular, mobile greenhouse structure
the modular system supports seed germination and biodiversity
the structure extends the presence of the urban farm into the city
the structure consists of eight aluminium modular units mounted on wheels
the compact green space operates within a dense urban context
a graffiti message informed the project’s conceptual direction
translucent yellow polycarbonate panels enclose the modules
the travelling structure increases the visibility of urban agriculture | image by ArtWorks – Equipa audiovisual
when stationary, the Mobile Seedbed functions as a shared greenhouse
the modules vary in height and can be assembled in different configurations
project info:
name: Sementeira Ambulante
architect: LIMIT architecture studio | @limit_architecture_studio
location: Braga, Portugal
photographers: Adriano Ferreira Borges | @adriano_ferreira_borges, ArtWorks – Equipa audiovisual | @aw_artworks
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edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom
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