While many visitors to Portugal head for the beaches of the Algarve or cities like Porto and Lisbon, the mountainous region of Arouca has surged in popularity in recent years thanks to its stunning landscape and hiking trails. This was the location for a new vacation rental designed by architect Marta Brandao on behalf of her mother-in-law. Built-in partnership with Brandao’s own modular housing company, MIMA Housing, the two-bedroom guesthouse is a rustic yet contemporary escape located in dense forest. The build uses a timber post and beam structure, wrapped in a double façade that includes walls of glass doors and accompanying wooden screens that can be opened or closed to achieve the desired amount of privacy for residents within. Darkened wood on the slatted exterior was heat treated to achieve a rich depth of color, its burnt grain creating a texture that speaks to the architect’s will for the building to reflect the vernacular of the region.

Inside, an open-plan ground floor features kitchen and living areas, decorated in muted tones that allow the details and textures to shine. Walls are covered in fine sand-toned micro cement, while fixtures and furnishings go heavy on wood, lending the home the scent of the trees. A spiral iron staircase transports guests to the upper level to bedrooms and a covered balcony terrace, which features seating areas and an outdoor bath, the perfect spot for some literal forest bathing for guests after long walks in the woodland.   

Photography © Jose Campos