voc – samuel delesque & luna mangan – traditional dream factory
Samuel and Luna on Building Traditional Dream Factory
valley of the commons – 9.9.26 – samuel delesque & luna mangan – traditional dream factory
more on samuel, luna, and tdf bottom of this page
notes/quotes from 3:00 video s&l are first 2:00 then maksym zalevskyi [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24ifZDgNdlY]:
felix: intro – dream factory gave us lots of inspriation to dream big., i have been 2 times.. one time right after this place was destroyed 2 yrs ago. how i processed this disaster/feelings.. accepted me there when i was 1/2 present.. these people dedicated 1/2 there life to build a community.. viable structures to reproduce this.. to make this financially viable.. a root of the challenge.. work on more abstract plan.. challenging but also potentially rewarding downstream..
3 min – felix: sam has tech background.. spent some days in ny.. quest for land and people who want to dare.. luna joining 4 yrs ago and growing into role of co founder that works on architecture and social of co living
8 min – luna: building over last 6 yrs at tdf.. lot of info.. want to share as much as i can in one hour.. easy to talk about amazing things but also want to share the challenges for those aspiring to do something like this.. the truth of the journey
9 min – luna: wtf is tdf – a regen village prototype in abela (very small village) alentejo in s portugal.. built since 2020 out of a 1972 chicken factory we’re slowly renovating.. owned by a swiss non profit, operated by a portuguese company, what is pioneering about tdf is that we are governed by a dao and the software we are building called closer.. so governed by its citizens and token holders, run on its own software.. today: 60 citizens actually global.. keep coming back year after year, a food forest, 320 guests a year, an even space, also building out the coliving.. a permitted co living still waiting for capital, and dealing with a leaking roof.. 25 hectors
why we need tech w/o judgment – tech as it could be
11 min – luna: right now buildings are what we own and 25 ha we are leasing w right to buy over past 5 yrs.. location picked specifically by sam and annie 6 yrs ago.. it was never suppposed to be some off grid bubble in the middle of nowhere trying to step out of society.. there was an intention in tdf to build bridges/connections.. we are directly connected to the village and 1.5 hours from lisban so you can easily get to us by train.. 35 min to beach.. 5 miles to any highway.. 20 min to san tiago.. has hospital/schools.. all the infra you need.. so in connection w local comunity
13 min – luna: tdf is made up of diff layers: citizen token holders and token holders governing, team are building .. avg of 30 people on the ground.. so not 20 people that just live there.. there is rooting/belonging that is happening.. it is a space for nomads.. came from sam’s background of being a digital nomad.. opp to opt into a regen community
14 min – luna: core team on the ground: sam, luna, ofer (master of land regen), tonya (holding the space as sam & i step back), julia (carpenter), joao bara (garden), nuno, (tech), lupa (mushroom farm)..
16 min – luna: showing images of farming the land starting in 2021 – all rocks, degraded land thru over developing ness.. to 2026 – lots of green, rows, art, filtration farm, water tower, et al.. one of our biggest successes.. our north star of what tdf is trying to accomplish.. our focus is land regen while very diverse group of people.. but all agree on mission to support biodiversity and create more life to the land
18 min – luna: 6 yr old prototype.. not finished.. grown our own culture et al.. but still long way to go
luna: 5 areas we have been building: 11\ the 3 bodies 2\ tech 3\ archistecture 4\ social/cultural 5\ land regen 6\ governance and stewardship – piece that is making us quite unique
19 min – luna: 3 bodies that make tdf what it is: 1\ oasa (swiss assoc because recognizes legally what we’re trying to do.. tokenize the project) 2\ closer (tech, operating system, indvidually/uniquely built by sam to support villages – booking/governance/voting – allows us to run smoothly day to day.. run events, governing, marketing) 3\ tdf (1st village w vision to expand)
22 min – luna: reason we have theses (3) is to design for resilience.. too often communities can fail.. and the land can be at risk then.. we wanted a system that is not held by a couple of founders.. most important that the land itself is held/protected.. oasa is entering its own rules.. nothing can transcend that.. that land will stay inside of oasa.. protected from any distructive development
24 min – money from community goes into oasa,, if any profit in future can buy more land
25 min – luna: 2\ tech – an access token: a *proof of $presence/sweat.. and governance page on our own domain.. this is the part that makes tdf very unique.. in that we are a tokenized village.. trying/testing for 3 yrs.. trying to figure it out along the way
perhaps seemingly unique.. but actually.. same song.. if any form of m\a\p ie: token ness et al.. (bravo for doing what you’re doing.. just to me – warning ness)
*more here: luna on presence and sweat ness
graeber violence/quantification law et al
there’s a legit use of tech (nonjudgmental exponential labeling) to facil the seeming chaos of a global detox leap/dance
legit freedom will only happen if it’s all of us.. and in order to be all of us.. has to be sans any form of measuring, accounting, people telling other people what to do
findings from on the ground ness deep dive on why we need tech w/o judgment
ie: the dance won’t dance unless/until it’s 1\ all of us 2\ legit free
nothing to date (ever since that day) has gotten to that root of problem
ie: whatever for a year.. a legit sabbatical ish transition
otherwise we’ll keep perpetuating the same song.. the whac-a-mole-ing ness of sea world.. of not-us ness.. of part\ial ness.. perpetuating survival triage.. for (blank)’s sake..
39 min – luna: tech challenges – ie: takes time.. it was a lot.. we were trying to do it all
the all ness we need is the unconditional ness.. the unconditional part of left to own devices ness.. otherwise.. may be all the work/tech/whatever we think we need.. but not able to get to all the people.. (what we need most)
what the world needs most is the energy of 8b alive people
for that.. humanity needs a leap.. to get back/to simultaneous spontaneity .. simultaneous fittingness.. everyone in sync.. the dance
we keep disturbing the dance/ecosystem because we can’t seem to let go enough to see/try the unconditional part of left to own devices ness.. aka: baan leave law
need to try a sabbatical ish transition.. sans any form of m\a\p.. to not get wrapped back up into the whac-a-mole-ing ness of takes a lot of work/time ness
42 min – luna: 3\ architecture – plans approved to build since 2022 – 13 suites, 4 studios, maker space, industrial kitchen. green house, garden, cafe, natural pool.. approved – huge win in portugal.. where it is notoriously hard to build
city sketchup ness.. in the city.. as the day.. via baan leave law
46 min – luna: rchitecture challenges
luna: 4\ social & culture – roles of people, citizenship process, and who does the dishes and who doesn’t
to me (again.. from on the ground ness.. deep dive.. warning ness).. this is all a cancerous distraction
49 min – luna: roles: visitor, volunteer, resident, steward, citizen (highlighted), team member, director
informed populace/citizenry ness et al.. and voluntary compliance ness et al.. if any form of m\a\p.. even if any raised eyebrow.. any naming the colour/labels.. ness and the need for baan leave law
51min – luna: becoming a citizen in 5 phases
57 min – luna: the social architecture – on needing to take time to rest.. et al..
need to try/see: art (by day/light) and sleep (by night/dark) as global re\set.. to fittingness (undisturbed ecosystem)
1:06 – luna: land regen – alentejo is desertifying .. eerything we do on teh land is moving mtns.. not gardening
1:13 – luna: land challenges – reality is it’s hard.. really really hard
just like us though – takes a lot of work nessbecomes irrelevant.. ie: if we had the energy of all of us
1:14 – 6\ governance & stewardship – building new decent systems based on proof of presence/sweat and not proof of bank balance
to me.. seems more humane for sure.. but in the long run.. same song.. if proof ness of anything.. ie: graeber can’t know law et al
1:17 – luna: the decision flow – proposal, comment, refine, vote (highlighted) – everyone w a token can vote, vote check, execute, report
yeah see.. takes a lot of work if we continue with cancerous distraction .. like voting ness and the finite set of choices of decision making because all that is unmooring us.. keeping us from us..
too much ness et al
luna: wins – taking people out of hrs/hrs of discusions/decisions.. give that time back to humans to connect and be in nature.. support dm to be faster/fairer
huge to why we need tech w/o judgment..
1:18 – luna: – gov challenges
1:26 – luna: don’t underestimate how much work is going alongside if you go on this journey
1:30 – luna ends q&a starts
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more on samuel, luna & tdf via google:
The Traditional Dream Factory (TDF) is a 25-hectare regenerative ecovillage, co-living space, and co-working campus located in Abela, within the Alentejo region of Portugal. Co-founded and directed by Samuel Delesque and Luna Mangan, the project transforms a former industrial chicken farm into a modern, climate-resilient neighborhood that bridges ecological restoration with community living and Web3 technology.
Key Concepts & Infrastructure
- Regenerative Ecology: The land uses syntropic agroforestry, contour swales for water retention, and biochar production to sequester carbon. They have planted thousands of trees and operate organic food forests and a mushroom farm.
- Web3 Integration & Tokenomics: TDF operates as a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) under the OASA Network. It features a unique asset model where holding a $TDF token grants governance rights and guarantees the owner one night of stay per year for life.
una on dao ness et al
- Living Spaces & Expansion: The property features 12 en-suite rooms, a communal dorm, artist studios, and a 30-seat restaurant. TDF is actively expanding its concept from a short-term nomad coliving space into a full co-housing village with plans for 23 permanent eco-homes.
Community Operations
The community brings together a diverse mix of digital nomads, tech founders, hackers, farmers, and healers. They regularly host major open gatherings—such as the Citizen’s Gathering and Confluência—to test alternative, post-capitalist organizational structures and build regional networks
why we need tech w/o judgment .. nothing legit alt to date.. all just perpetuating survival triage
via tdf site [https://www.traditionaldreamfactory.com/]:
We are building a place where land is held in common, community is intentional, and belonging is not left to chance.
need brown belonging law.. so need to try the thing we’ve not yet tried/seen: the unconditional part of left to own devices ness
[‘in an undisturbed ecosystem ..the individual left to its own devices.. serves the whole’ –dana meadows]
there’s a legit use of tech (nonjudgmental exponential labeling) to facil the seeming chaos of a global detox leap/dance
ie: whatever for a year.. a legit sabbatical ish transition .. via baan leave law
otherwise we’ll keep perpetuating the same song.. the whac-a-mole-ing ness of sea world.. of not-us ness.. of part\ial ness.. perpetuating survival triage.. for (blank)’s sake..
note: on survival ness: survival is a means to survive things as they are.. so to me.. not a legit alt.. it’s triage.. perpetuating survival triage.. so a temp band aide per se.. that will /can help now.. but only for short term.. because it still doesn’t get to the root of the problem.. so it won’t offer/lead-to legit change/life/freedom.. et al.. so.. to me.. it’s still a cancerous distraction to the dance
samuel delesque @samueldelesque: co director – i design ecosystems: the land, teh governance, and the software
via twitter bio [https://x.com/samueldelesque]: Building villages that heal land and help people thrive. @oasaliving Traditional Dream Factory samueldelesque.me
via his site [samueldelesque.me]: Villages that heal land—and help people thrive. I design ecosystems: the land, the governance, and the software. Founder of OASA, Traditional Dream Factory, and Closer.
via closer site: Run the village. Regenerate the land. Bookings, members, events and governance on your own domain. Steward your land under OASA principles and qualify for matched funding.
Building living villages
In the Alentejo, we’re proving that villages can function like ecosystems—where water, soil, governance, and economy reinforce each other. Three organizations, one feedback loop.
OASA — the compass
OASA is the steward: a conservation non‑profit that holds the long‑term compass—protect ecosystems, align incentives with the commons, and keep decisions legible and fair. It shapes constitutions, centers rights‑of‑nature, and ensures assets serve the future—not just the moment.
to me.. cancerous distractions.. as above
Traditional Dream Factory — the field site
TDF is where ideas hit soil. A living lab in southern Portugal where citizens co‑live, co‑create, and restore land. We terrace for water, plant syntropic rows, build commons infrastructure, and keep iterating on how people share kitchens, workshops, and responsibility.
living spaces ness via baan leave law.. and again.. all we could be being sans ie: responsibility ness.. so that we would have the energy of all of us
Closer — the operating system
Closer is the operating system for regenerative communities—bridging indigenous wisdom with exponential technology. It reduces operational complexity and increases transparency, participation, and resilience. It includes a booking system, events & ticketing, subscriptions & payments, inventory, a learning hub, and governance tooling like native tokens, Proof of Presence, and Proof of Sweat.
operating system we need most – tech as it could be to facil the dance
Together they form a loop: OASA sets guardrails, TDF experiments and learns, and Closer encodes what works so it’s repeatable. Feedback cycles tighten until the village behaves like a healthy ecosystem.
to me.. a healthy ecosystem (aka: the dance) is irrational.. non repeatable.. graeber unpredictability/surprise law et al
New book · crowdfunding on Artizen
Becoming Keystone
A book exploring our techno‑cultural context through one question: can humans become a keystone species again?
It’s the long‑form version of what we practise at TDF—how technology, governance, and land can be arranged so that human presence makes an ecosystem richer instead of poorer. The project is raising support on Artizen; backing it helps get the book written and printed.
What I help with
- • Land project structuring (SPVs, leases, co‑ownership, grant pathways)
- • Governance & legal architecture (constitutions, DAO‑lite, decision rights)
- • Regenerative site design (water systems, syntropic agroforestry, phasing)
- • Finance & tokens (utility design, staking, treasury flows, reporting)
- • Product & ops with Closer (bookings, memberships, on‑chain approvals)
Engagement formats
- • Diagnostic Sprint (2–3 weeks) → roadmap + governance/finance plan
- • Stewardship Retainer (quarterly) → standing advisor for decisions
- • On‑site Residency (1–2 weeks at TDF) → co‑design with your core team
About
I’m an ecological designer and community builder with an engineering background. Over the last decade I’ve worked hands‑on on regenerative projects worldwide. I care about tangible outcomes: water retention landscapes, living soils, lightweight governance, and software that lets communities self‑organize.
Today I split my time between building the Traditional Dream Factory village in Portugal, stewarding OASA’s regenerative commons, and shipping Closer—software for sovereign communities.
Get in touch
Tell me a little about your project or question and I’ll get back to you by email. You can also write directly to sam@oasa.co.
linkedin for sam [https://www.linkedin.com/in/samueldelesque/]
luna mangan: co-director I’m here for the change making and building community that puts protecting nature at it’s core.
linkedin for luna [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lunamangan/]
tonya gorman – operations director
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