The vernacular architecture of Montesinho natural park: building typologies and passive energy strategies

Abstract

The objective of the paper is to understand the most representative typologies of vernacular buildings at the Montesinho National Park (MNP), in the north of Portugal, based on information obtained from field research. The vernacular architecture in rural villages has suffered an important transformation process in recent years due to significant socioeconomic changes, depopulation trends, alterations and adaptation of the existing building to the new living standards, and import of non-local and non-traditional materials, among others. Located on the northeastern border of Portugal with Spain, the climate of “Terra Fria Transmontana” of MNP is cold in the winter coupled with the abundance of rain, while it is hot and dry during the summer period. This paper will present a statistical analysis of the building typologies observed in the selected villages and the potential passive energy strategies identified in the area. The first part details the strategies, criteria and assumptions used in the categorisation process for building typologies. Based on the information collected, the most representative vernacular architecture typologies were identified. The paper describes not only the main construction materials used for vernacular buildings in the region but also the prospective impacts of modern constructions and modifications that took place. Following that, common passive energy strategies in MNP are also discussed in general. Some preliminary illustrations of the typical typologies will also be shown in 3D models. The main findings reveal that Protruding staircase (PS) is the most common typology followed by Slope 2 Storeys (S2S) and 2 Storeys (2S) typologies among the 8 villages surveyed. Lastly, the paper also serves as a first step of a broader research project that aims to understand the energy performance of representative vernacular typologies of rural villages of Portugal in MNP and the attempt in providing retrofitting strategies to improve its thermal comfort while balancing among vernacular building ́s heritage authenticity and sustainability.