Rehabilitating rural landscapes: the recovery of rural earthen architecture for the sustainability and resilience of the alentejano rural landscape. An experimental educational project

The paper presents the scientific and educational outcomes of an international learning experience conducted in the summer of 2024 within the framework of a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP). The initiative focused on the recovery of traditional rural buildings for food production in the Alentejo region, located in southern Portugal. The project stems from the collaboration between the Centro de Estudios de Arquitectura y Urbanismo and the Centro de Inovação em Arquitectura e Modos de Habitar at the University of Porto. The dwellings analysed in Alentejo, strategically located on hilltops (monte), historically served as territorial outposts, ensuring food supply and security. Today, however, many of these settlements are abandoned, leading to a loss of crop biodiversity and a decline in landscape quality. These buildings, once central to family life and the management of the productive landscape, are characterised by local materials, notably taipa (rammed earth), which provides both excellent thermal performance and a low environmental impact. The workshop held in Odemira promoted the contemporary reuse of traditional architectures by integrating vernacular techniques with innovative approaches. The overarching goal is to rediscover the cultural, environmental, and identity value of these places as resources for the sustainable and resilient design of the territory.