Parque del Engranaje — A Plaza Designed for the Neighbourhood and Its People

A vibrant public plaza and sensory park designed to bring the neighbourhood together — integrating green infrastructure, cultural activation, and sustainable drainage into a single, community-centred space.

• Project: Parque del Engranaje

• Programme: Public Plaza / Sensory Park / Urban Infrastructure

• Design: @illustrarch.studio

• Instagram: @illustrarch.studio

Project Overview

Parque del Engranaje is a public space proposal that seeks to create an active, community-oriented plaza where neighbours can gather, spend time outdoors, and take ownership of their surroundings. Rooted in the concept of the sensory park, the project weaves together green zones, spaces for cultural activities, areas for traditional sports, and sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) that manage rainwater runoff in an ecologically responsible manner.

More than a plaza, the ambition is to establish a genuine meeting point — a place to stroll through on a quiet afternoon, sit beneath the trees, hang out in the open air, and share moments whilst the neighbourhood comes together.

The Sensory Park — Identity, Activation, and Integration

At the heart of Parque del Engranaje lies the idea of a sensory park — a landscape conceived not merely as visual scenery, but as a space that engages all the senses. Textured planting, water features, aromatic gardens, and tactile surfaces combine to produce an environment that draws people in and encourages them to linger. The design is structured around three guiding principles: identity, activation, and integration.

Identity refers to the cultural and spatial character of the neighbourhood — the proposal draws on local traditions, street life, and community memory to shape a park that feels distinctly rooted in its context. Activation describes the programme of uses embedded within the park: areas for traditional sports like tejo, flexible event spaces, playgrounds, and informal seating zones that keep the park alive throughout the day. Integration addresses the relationship between the park and the surrounding urban fabric, ensuring seamless pedestrian connections, accessible green corridors, and a coherent transition between public infrastructure and natural landscape.

Sustainable Urban Drainage and Green Infrastructure

A defining feature of the project is the incorporation of sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) into the park’s landscape. Rather than treating stormwater management as a purely technical exercise, the design transforms it into a visible, educational, and aesthetic element of the public realm. Bioretention gardens, permeable surfaces, rain gardens, and vegetated swales work in concert to capture, filter, and slowly release rainwater — reducing the burden on conventional drainage infrastructure whilst enriching the biodiversity of the site.

This ecological approach complements the sensory ambitions of the park: water becomes a dynamic, living presence — flowing through channels, pooling in planted basins, and nourishing the greenery that defines the park’s character. The result is a landscape that performs ecologically whilst remaining inviting and beautiful for daily use.

Tactical Urbanism and Community Appropriation

Parque del Engranaje embraces tactical urbanism as a design methodology — using lightweight, adaptable interventions that empower the community to shape and transform their public space over time. The masterplan proposes renaturalised corridors, greener streetscapes, and ecological connection zones that extend the park’s influence beyond its boundaries and into the wider neighbourhood.

Pedestrian permanencias — lingering zones designed for rest, conversation, and observation — are distributed throughout the site, encouraging residents to slow down, meet their neighbours, and develop a sense of belonging. The design recognises that a successful public space is one that people feel is truly theirs — a place they return to, care for, and celebrate.

About the Studio

This project is by @illustrarch.studio. Follow them on Instagram for more of their work in landscape architecture, urban design, and community-driven public space projects.