With a population of a little over ten million people, of which almost two-thirds are living in urban areas, Portugal is still one of the most rural countries in Europe to this day. A significant part of the population is distributed along the Atlantic Ocean coast, concentrated mainly in Lisbon and Porto, which account for almost half of the country's residents, resulting in a large and sparsely populated inland area with predominantly rural characteristics.
Despite the low density and the countryside atmosphere, these regions are not lacking in quality architecture. Many buildings - mostly residential - stand out for their ability to blend into the landscape, repurpose old structures, or pay homage to local vernacular techniques. The following 15 country houses are examples of this:
Eco Houses / Luís Rebelo de Andrade
Location: Vila Pouca de Aguiar
Twin Houses / extrastudio
Location: Sesimbra
House in Meco / Atelier RUA
Location: Aldeia do Meco
Treetop House / João Marques Franco
Location: Ponte da Barca
Eco Tróia Resort House / GSS arquitectos
Location: Península de Troia
Forja House / Pablo Pita Arquitectos
Location: Cinfães
AB House / FCC Arquitectura (in Portuguese)
Location: Paredes
Villa Além / Valerio Olgiati
Location: n/d
House in Melgaço / Nuno Brandão Costa
Location: Parada do Monte
Ring House / CSAA
Location: Corroios
Casas Caiadas / Pereira Miguel Arquitectos
Location: Arraiolos
House in Águeda / nu.ma | unipessoal
Location: n/d
Mima House / Marta Brandão + Mário Sousa
Location: Algarve
Casa dos Caseiros / SAMF Arquitectos
Location: Mesão Frio
Houses Etosoto Cabo Espichel / Studio Combo
Location: Sesimbra
