['Go Beyond']
Go beyond what is expected or required; To be more than or not limited to something
The Go Beyond program reflects a relationship of appreciation and respect for the planet's natural resources, the local community and cultural heritage.
Fully aware of the different effects associated with hotel activity and tourism, NINE DOTS is committed to adopting concrete measures and actions that have a positive impact in environmental, social and cultural terms .
During the construction phase there was a commitment to using local labor, using those who knew best the art of building. Decorative elements were sought first on the islands, then in mainland Portugal and only occasionally outside Portugal.
Mãos Que Criam is a space for productive occupation, located at the Instituto S. João de Deus - Casa de Saúde de São Miguel, aimed at people with mental illness and/or problems linked to addictive behaviors.
Through artistic expression, creativity and systematization of production, this program promotes the maintenance and development of personal, social and relational skills.
The main objective is to carry out maintenance work and acquire skills with users who do not yet demonstrate them, contributing to their reintegration into the community.
When we talk about sustainability, we also talk about social responsibility and generating a positive impact on society. It is in this context that the collaboration between NINE DOTS and the Mãos Que Criam project was born.
Every piece of ceramics from ETC. Osteria Bar is produced by hand by users and collaborators of Mãos Que Criam , transforming clay into unique pieces.
The creation process is divided into several phases and tasks, so that all project users are included, according to their skills, abilities and motivation.
In this way, from printing the stamp to placing the ceramic glaze, all the work is valued, recognized and contributes to a final, unique and meaningful piece.
Simple and elegant in character, the ETC chairs. Osteria Bar are part of a traditional line of furniture from São Paulo, the well-known "Cadeiras das Furnas", contributing to the preservation of the Azorean cultural identity.
It is in Povoação, in the paradisiacal Vale das Furnas, that we find the artisan who creates them - António José Carreiro, known as Mestre Paivinha . An artisan all his life, he belongs to the third generation of a family of artisans and now passes on the knowledge of his craft and more traditional techniques to his son Paulo.
In the hands of Master Paivinha , who carry one of the legacies of traditional craftsmanship, acacia wood, one of the species present in the forest landscape of the Azores, is worked from its rawest state, until it is transformed into chairs of unique beauty.
In ETC. The bar features nine tables made by this self-taught artisan from São Paulo, designed especially for this space and made up of basalt stone slab bases reused from the original building, with regional acacia wood tops.
In addition to producing items in basalt, ignimbrite and other rocks from the region, Luís Caetano works exclusively with wood present in the Azorean forest, such as Cryptomeria (Cryptomeria japonica), Acacia (Acacia melanoxylon) and Regional Pine (Pinus pinaster) .
At the NINE DOTS Wellness Center, the side tables come from a single trunk of Cryptomeria that washed ashore and were worked with the Japanese "Sugi Ban" technique, which, by flaming the wood, improves its durability and resistance.
This artist's pieces are produced exclusively by hand in his studio, in Ponta Delgada, and no two are alike.
Oficina 26 was created by master José Luís Silva, who dedicated his entire life to his passion for joinery and carpentry, having collaborated with large entities in the
construction.
His son Bruno joined his father in 2020, bringing youthfulness, energy and a pulsating desire for innovation.
Throughout the Hotel, there are pieces that came to life by the hands of this duo, using woods such as Oak, Kambala and Cryptoméria.
ETC. Osteria Bar is a testament to the mastery of his work, in the production of wooden tables and elegant stools.
Likewise, Reading Corner reveals the meticulous care and extreme dedication of Oficina 26 . A place where wood is the expression of a legacy united by intrinsic knowledge and a contemporary vision.
The Fábrica de Cerâmica Vieira is one of the oldest ceramic factories in the Azores. Its origins date back to the 19th century, remaining in the same family since then. The current owner, António José Vieira, belongs to the fourth generation of the family, and has the collaboration of his three daughters.
With very characteristic designs, in which the color blue predominates, the well-known "Louça da Lagoa" is produced through artisanal processes, from modeling, painting and baking in the oven.
Here, in this "ex-libris" of the municipality of Lagoa, the ETC tile panel was produced. Osteria Bar, designed by the NINE DOTS architecture team. A contemporary work, designed for this space and produced manually by the artisans of Cerâmica Vieira , which honors and transposes to the present day the history and traditions that have lasted since the factory's beginnings.
The set of approximately 80 works of art that make up the hotel's base collection was exquisitely treated and framed by Ângelo Valério , a local craftsman with extensive experience who has collaborated with different Azorean galleries and museums for several years.
In addition to the frames of works of art, his creations extended to some pieces of furniture and the boxes that frame the televisions in the rooms.
MUSA AZORES aims to promote the sustainable and socially inclusive use of an important resource that exists in abundance in the Azores - the banana tree, Musa species - through the creation of artisanal pieces and the promotion of experiences around it.
According to statistical data from SREA - Regional Statistics Service of the Azores (2019) 1 , in 2018 the Azores produced around 5053 tons of bananas, which represents 22% of national banana production.
Each ton of banana generates around 4 tons of waste, since banana trees do not allow for a second harvest, thus becoming biomass waste.
The need to promote greater sustainability in the use of this resource has become a growing concern for the promoters of the MUSA AZORES project, António Braga and Vanessa Melo.
The search for sustainability was also joined by the desire and opportunity to promote local traditions and cultures, often involving vulnerable local communities in converting this waste into handcrafted or manufactured pieces, with a view to their social inclusion and socioeconomic development.
Exploring different transformation techniques, the dry fibers from the banana stem and leaves are intertwined to create different decorative and utilitarian pieces.
One of these extraordinary creations is present in your room – the small fruit basket that was born from the use of what was previously waste to give it a new life, representing a healthy, simple and respectful relationship with nature.
1 Regional Statistics Service of the Azores. Regional Secretariat for Finance, Planning and Public Administration (SRFPAP). The Azores in Numbers. Angra do Heroísmo, 2019.
Zouri is a Portuguese eco-vegan footwear brand that uses plastic waste from the Portuguese coast combined with ecological and sustainable materials.
Each pair of shoes reuses the equivalent of 8 plastic bottles from the Ocean, with 80% of the plastic waste collected coming from fishing activities.
With more than 600 volunteers from local institutions, non-governmental organizations and schools, Zouri has already removed more than a ton of plastic from Portuguese beaches, giving it a new purpose.
At NINE DOTS, we embody the values we believe in. Our employees use Zouri footwear, produced by hand, fairly and ethically, in Portugal.
We also occasionally carry out cleaning activities on the beaches of São Miguel, forwarding the plastic found here to Zouri , to be reused.
Every day, at every step, we honor the noble mission of protecting the oceans.
In vehicles with combustion engines, in addition to the known carbon dioxide (CO2), several atmospheric pollutants are emitted, namely carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, among others, which damage the ozone layer and contribute to global warming.
Honoring its commitment and responsibility to carbon neutrality, NINE DOTS has its own 100% electric vehicle , a responsible alternative, without pollution and noise.
According to the report "Plastics, circular economy and the environment in Europe – a priority for action", prepared by the European Environment Agency 2 , greenhouse gas emissions associated with plastic production in the EU are responsible for 13, 4 tonnes of CO2, or around 20% of EU-wide chemical industry emissions.
Additionally, the majority of plastics, often used in a disposable manner, have been accumulating, either in landfills or in our oceans.
NINE DOTS is committed to reducing the use of single-use plastic products as much as possible and contributing to their recycling, whenever possible. We count on our guests to help us in this mission.
2 European Environment Agency. Plastics, circular economy and environment in Europe – a priority for action. Report No 18/2020. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2021.
In ETC. Osteria Bar we seek to use mostly local products, benefiting from the island's agricultural wealth and, at the same time, offering fresh, authentic and quality food.
In this way, we are able to not only contribute to the local economy, but also reduce the environmental footprint associated with transporting food from different regions.
