About Pa.te.os
Comporta might not be so thrillingly under the radar any more but on its outer fringes are scattered villages, including Melides, that still feel wild, empty and out-there. Famed local architect Manuel Aires Mateus has punctuated the Alentejo with a number of his increasingly minimalist houses, and Pa.te.os is his latest work. The four super-modern concrete-cast houses that make up the estate sleep 14 between them. Each is extremely private, self-contained with its own kitchen space, yet close enough together to feel connected. It’s a set-up that works brilliantly well for groups of friends or multigenerational families, who can gather around the saltwater infinity swimming pool. In the houses, one-, two- or three-bedroomed, all is cool and quiet, with natural light flooding in through skylights and huge sliding glass doors. There are outdoor showers and Atlantic-facing terraces, Scandinavian-style furniture and organic linens. Floating fireplaces warm up chilly evenings. Mateus’ signature cutaway shapes in the buildings frame views across the cork trees, olive groves and wildflowers to the sea. The landscape here is rugged and untamed with rough stone pathways leading from each house to the pool, in order that the project could be built with as little intervention as possible. But comfort levels are still high. Housekeepers visit daily and lay out breakfast. And you can add on other services such as visiting chefs, drivers and spa therapists for a Swedish massage on your patio. Immersed in 85 hectares of grounds, close your eyes and the soundtrack of nature roars.