The document summarizes a student exchange program where students investigated traditional houses in Seia, Portugal and their relationship to sustainable development. The students applied questionnaires and interviewed locals and officials. They found that while people like traditional houses, they are small and renovating them has costs. Traditional houses provide economic and tourism benefits. Local policies aim to preserve traditional houses through tax reductions and promoting tourism. However, strategies are not well known and joint work between municipalities could be improved. At a public debate, participants agreed traditional houses contribute to sustainability if renovated and integrated into the social experience.

1. Palermo - Italy
May 8th - 14th 2017
Fifth Exchange of Group of Pupils

2. “The traditional house and
sustainable development”

3. “Does the preserving of traditional
houses contribute to the
sustainable development?”
Is there one or more than one
type of traditional house?
How do people see the traditional
houses? Do they like them?
Does the traditional house have any
touristic value?
Is the traditional house sustainable? What is a
sustainable house?
Is there any added value when the traditional
architectonic style of the houses in a village is
maintained?
Which supports/strategies are there for the protection and
promotion of this built legacy?

4. Granite
Schist
Seia
Beira
Alta
The municipality of Seia is part of a region called Beira Alta
where traditional construction is influenced mainly by
abundance of rocks such as granite and schist.

5. The houses present:
 Walls made of granite and schist
 Roofs covered in ceramic tiles and slate slabs
 Doors and windows made of pine / chestnut wood

6. Due to the harshness of the winter, houses were built on the slopes of the
valleys facing south, to increase solar gains and obtain protection against cold
winds. Therefore, windows and doors had very small dimensions and were
scarce.

7. The rehabilitation of these houses enhances the main
principles of the environmental sustainability when we…
Therefore…
These architectural solutions have been adapted to the
climate and culture of each region, adapting the materials
and spaces to the surrounding environment.

8. reuse existing
building
structures
reduce CO2
emissions
recycle
materials,
avoiding
wastage and
resource
consumption
reduce the
natural
impact of
maintenance
operations
reduce soil
occupation
with new
buildings
use natural
materials
(regenerative
and bio-
degradable)
reduce the
consumption
of energy

9. We formulated the following hypotheses:
 People like traditional houses though they don’t fit in
the patterns of the recent construction.
 Perhaps the traditional houses have a tourist value
capable of contributing to the sustainable
development locally.
We applied two questionnaires to the population.

10. Some conclusions… :
 People consider the houses small although habitable. They could become
comfortable despite a relatively high cost comparing it to a new the construction.
 Most people enquired would prefer living in a traditional house.
 There are some difficulties in renting the houses, mainly, because the region is more
attractive in the winter than in the other seasons.
 Although not all owners depend entirely on the income of these houses, they´re an important
economic contribution. Even though some of the owners could make a living only with the
renting contribution, they don´t, because they enjoy their current job.

11. We formulated another hypothesis
Local policies find it difficult to promote the
rehabilitation of the traditional houses.
To test this hypothesis we
interviewed people with
responsibilities in the local
places, namely the Town
Mayor.

12. From the analysis of interviews, we could verify that
There are some local
policies to support the
preservation of traditional
houses
 Tax reduction on urban spaces in the town
center.
 Limitations to the Municipal Director Plan.
 Some support in the restoration of façades
and interiors.
 Some attention to the framework, as far as the
communities themselves and the landscape are
concerned.

13. There are some strategies that
seek to promote tourism for
the whole year
 Project "Mountain Villages“
 Promotion of events that seek the
involvement of different actors
 The signaling on the ground of a network of
mountain pedestrian trails and bike routes.
 Creation of river beaches.
 Promotion of Serra da Estrela as a year-
round destination.

14. Some problems identified
based on the interviews
 Policies and strategies are not common
knowledge, there being only the recognition of the
mountain villages project.
 Everyone recognizes that local people like
traditional houses. However, there seems to be no
strategy to captivate this feeling.
 Difficulties in promoting joint work among mayors
in favor of these houses.

15. On May 5th, we organized a debate at Seia’s own
Council to discuss the traditional houses and
sustainable development.
The students presented the
work done. Its conclusions
were discussed at the debate.

16. We invited the Town Council’s Mayor, a landscape
architect of the Natural Park of Serra da Estrela, an
architect, a sociologist and entrepreneur in the area
of Tourism and two presidents of parish councils.
The students were the moderators.

17. Traditional houses are part of the populations’ identity and make an important contribution to
the sustainable development because:
 Their rehabilitation allows clear sustainability in the environmental area, but also in the social
and economic area.
 Measures have been taken to avoid significant deviations from traditional building standards.
However, it is not possible to close the doors to evolution and the introduction of new urban
elements.
 There won’t any real interest in traditional rehabilitation unless it is made in an environment
of social experience.
Some conclusions of debate

18. From all the work done we can globally conclude
– traditional houses are important for sustainable
development but require their integration into
asocial experience.