Seaside Buildings in Portugal

Portugal mainland has 1230 Km of coast, almost half of its borders. The human pressure upon the seacoast is a growing phenomenon – recent estimates show that more than 80% of the population will live in these coastal areas in the near future. This human pressure upon the coast is a true challenge in terms of sustainable development (cf. Fig. 6.1). It often leads to the degradation of the living space, and valuable natural resources. Also, global warming is a serious threat for seaside areas, with the increase in frequency and intensity of extreme phenomena such as strong winds and hurricanes, floods, and sea level rise. The following chapters will present an overview on the evolution and present situation of seaside building in Portugal, both at urban and building level, showing good and bad examples, and pointing out best practice design strategies.