In Comporta, just outside Lisbon, is a retreat situated in a seaside province on a seemingly endless stretch of white sand. The architects of Studio 3a created four cabanas amongst the pine trees with simplicity and elegance. “We were inspired by the traditional fisherman’s huts because they are very functional and easy to build,” explains the architects, who also focused on sustainability, both during construction and for subsequent use of the property. The four cabanas were completed by using a chemical free process which requires minimal maintenance, while the architects chose dark concrete floors for the interior in order to utilize the thermal mass of the materials. At the same time, the location of the cabanas was chosen to maximize both solar orientation and direction of wind flow, while inside, photovoltaic units and heat pumps are used to heat and cool the homes.