The contribution of typological studies to the integrated rehabilitation of traditional buildings: Heritage enhancement of urban centres in inner Alentejo, Portugal

Abstract

The urban centres of inland Alentejo (southern Portugal) have long faced a depopulation crisis which, besides undermining the cohesion of the communities, compromises the conservation of the architectural heritage. The tendency to apply the discourses on tourism and population pressures from coastal cities to these inland territories can be detrimental to their analysis given the sheer difference in demographic dynamics. Transformations in traditional architecture—a key facet for defining these historic urban landscapes—require analysing within this social context. The imperative need to rehabilitate traditional buildings, endowing them with the living conditions communities today require, must be guided by morphological analysis, knowledge of housing history, typologies, and traditional construction techniques. This rehabilitation concept integrates into the transformation processes that traditional architecture has been undergoing for centuries, constituting adaptable and flexible structures across their organisational variants, which should be studied through a prospective approach. The article characterises the transformation of urban domestic architecture in the region, from the early modern period to the present. The results of various research projects are summarised, gathering over 500 cases. The conclusion argues that the historical process itself results in a set of themes, tools, and opportunities for these buildings’ adaptation to current needs.