Business Daily How modular homes are rebuilding Portugal’s ruins
Feb 26, 2026
Sandra Frank, founding partner at Arvet, explains large timber projects and forestry practices. Amaro Santos, shareholder at Jular, describes factory-built wooden modules and modular construction benefits. Alex de Rijke, timber architecture professor, recounts pioneering CLT projects and flat-pack houses. They discuss modular builds, CLT panels, supply limits and how timber is reshaping rural rebuilding in Portugal.
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Architect Reclaims Ruined Plot With Flat Pack CLT
- Alex de Rijke bought a ruined hillside plot in rural Alentejo and plans a flat-pack CLT house to nestle among cork oak trees.
- He'll use second-hand screw piles to avoid concrete and stand timber columns on stilts to preserve the slope and tree canopy.
Use Screw Piles To Avoid Carbon-Heavy Foundations
- Avoid concrete and steel where possible by using screw piles and timber columns to reduce embodied carbon in foundations.
- Alex plans to reuse second-hand screw piles to further cut environmental impact on his sloped site.
CLT Turns Plywood Logic Into Full Building Panels
- Cross-laminated timber (CLT) scales plywood logic into large structural panels that enable whole walls and floors to be prefabricated.
- Alex's Naked House used CLT panels cut to combine furniture and openings, reducing waste and simplifying assembly.