The status list on the Santana page gives a quick overview of where things stand. Here, we want to give you a little more context and explain what the different stages mean.
Neighbourhood Santana is currently in its planning and design phase. Some important foundations are already in place, while other parts of the project are still taking shape.
Here's where we stand as of November 2026.
What is done
We have purchased the land: 3,840 m² in Santana, in the north of Madeira.
This gives us the starting point for everything that follows: a place, a piece of land and an idea of the kind of neighbourhood we'd like to create.
What we are working on
We are now in contact with our architect and have started the initial phase of the design process: the pre-preliminary study. At this stage, the aim is to explore the possibilities of the land. What could be built here? How many homes could realistically fit? How might the available space be organised?
The study will help us understand the site's potential and establish a more concrete direction for the project. We expect the neighbourhood to have between 8 and 16 homes, but the exact number and the size of each plot are not decided yet. There are still many questions to work through, and nothing has been finalised at this point. We'll share more as the process develops.
What is still ahead
Once the initial study has given us a clearer picture, the architectural design can progress into more detailed planning. The project will then need to go through the necessary steps towards a final design and submission to the local city hall for approval. Only after the relevant approvals are in place can we move towards making individual plots available, followed by construction and, eventually, the first move-ins.
There are still several stages between where we are today and people living on the land. Our goal is that people can move in by 2030. It is a goal, not a promise: we prefer to be transparent about the steps in between rather than give firm dates before we know what is feasible.
What is open now
Although plots are not available yet, the getting-to-know phase has already started. It will continue until the households are complete.
You can join the community to stay connected. There is no commitment or deposit involved, and joining does not reserve or secure a plot. Interested people get to know each other, and us, first. Only after that phase has had plenty of time, and we have seen how the dynamics between people develop, will we choose the households, slowly and consciously. Anyone can opt out if living next to someone does not feel right, although opting out later in the process, once construction has started, can have consequences.
How the plots will be offered, and on what terms, is still being confirmed. As soon as they are, we will share them here and with the community, so sign up to hear first.
Follow the journey
We're at the beginning of turning an idea into something tangible, and there is a lot that will happen along the way.
Our newsletter is where we'll share more personal updates, behind-the-scenes insights and glimpses into the decisions and conversations that shape the project.
If you'd like to follow the process more closely and see how things develop, we'd love to have you along.
