This villa in rural Melides rethinks the ‘country house’.

Its monolithic, concrete forms might look modern but architect Manuel Aires Mateus took cues from the traditional countryside architecture of Alentejo for the four-structure compound’s design. The bungalows’ silhouettes evoke the outlines of barns and agricultural store sheds.

Interiors too are a blend of the contemporary and traditional, with a mix of vintage and modern furniture providing texture and colour in the buildings’ otherwise crisp white spaces.

The main living area – incorporating a kitchen – is an open-plan volume that opens up onto an outdoor patio. Three independent bungalows house the bedrooms. Accommodating a total of eight guests, the bungalows also have their own patio terrace.

Completed last year, the villa sits at the edge of a chain of hills roughly an hour’s drive south of Lisbon.

The bungalows are orientated towards to the sea and sit within 17 acres of olive, lemon and orange groves.

If you don’t fancy the short drive to the coast, you can cool off in the property’s 18-metre swimming pool with views over the surrounding landscape.

The villa is available to rent via Boutique Homes.

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