“The traditional house and sustainable development”

Seia is located on the northwest side of Serra da Estrela and is one of the main

entry points in this mountain range characterized by a unique natural environment in

Portugal. These characteristics contributed to its being established as a Natural Park.

Several villages in the municipality of Seia integrate this Natural Park, the largest

established in Portugal, with a total area of about 1,000km2.

Serra da Estrela is part of the great peninsular central mountain range and its

maximum altitude is 1991 meters. To complete the 2000m a tower was built at the

highest point.

Geologically the mountain is mainly granite (aged between 340-280 million

years ago) surrounded by metamorphic rocks to the NE, South and SW (Pre-cambric-

Cambrian, between 500 and 650 million years ago). The highest area corresponds to a

plateau with traces of glacial action, left by the last glacial of the late Neogene, the so-

called Wurm, which peaked about 20,000 years ago. The nature of the existent rocks

and geodynamics it has been subjected to gave origin to natural landscapes of great

beauty and magnificence.

Changes in precipitation and temperature reflect the influence of temperate and

Mediterranean macroclimates. However, its climate is also influenced by altitude,

proximity to the Atlantic and the effect of continentality exerted by the interior of the

Iberian Peninsula. In winter it is covered with snow, which makes it an important centre

of tourist attraction, allowing, for a period of time, the practice of snow sports. The

various climatic factors originate frequent storms that greatly affect this practice and

consequently its economic profit.

Flora in the Natural Park of Serra da Estrela shows unique characteristics in

Portugal, as there are several strictly endemic species and subspecies to the Serra da

Estrela including Campanula Herminii, true symbol of this mountain, which was once

called "Montes Hermínios ". Altitude contributes to the existence of different levels

with a particular flora each. Fauna is diverse and is divided into five major areas: rural,

forest, shrubbery, subalpine, and water courses.

The climate of the Serra makes it "a huge castle of water." The mountain is an

important centre for water spreading, formed by several lakes and a dense river network

which includes three major rivers - the Zêzere, Alva and Mondego -, besides numerous

watercourses. Part of this water is used to produce electricity.

Despite its prime location, Seia municipality, as is the case of the interior of

Portugal, lives difficult times, due to lack of public and private investment in projects

that can revitalize the economy, and aggravated by the economic and financial crisis the

country is going through. The last censuses show that the population has left the

municipality (from 2001 to 2011 there was a reduction of 12.2% in the number of its

inhabitants); however, the situation has worsened. Several factors, including the

collapse of agricultural income, the closure of many textile factories and the lack of job

opportunities, have changed the balance of framework which has existed for centuries.

The fact is we have a built heritage as well as villages now completely

abandoned whose recovery and renovation could help requalify those places, boosting

local economy. It is important to restore this heritage and keep its unique characteristics

so that the population can identify themselves with that legacy and so maintain their

cultural identity.

There is already some initiative in this rehabilitation and preservation either for

own use or for tourism purposes, associated with regional high quality products such as

honey, rye bread, traditional sausages, weaving, and the famous Serra da Estrela

Cheese, curd and lamb (these latest products connected with an old traditional activity,

grazing in the Serra da Estrela).

The region has natural potential, but depopulation remains despite some focus

on tourism.

From the reflection on the characterization of the local environment, "Traditional

housing and sustainable development" came up as the theme for the research; as a

problem we formulated the following: “Does the preservation of the traditional houses

contribute to a sustainable development?".

Several study cases were formulated, which were translated by the following

questions: 1) What is the traditional house like? Is there one or more than one type of

traditional house? 2) How do people see the traditional houses? Do they like them? 3) Is

the traditional house sustainable? What is a sustainable house? 4) What is the tourist

value of the traditional house? 5) What is the added value of preserving of the

traditional style of the houses in a village? 6) What support / strategies are there for the

protection and promotion of the built heritage?

The overall structure of the study is illustrated in Scheme I.

Scheme I - Structure of the study.

Methodologically a bibliographical research is being made; fieldwork and

instruments are being built, including surveys and interview scripts. Some of the data

will be worked out in Excel. Apart from that, photographic records will be made.