Ricardo Leal's hempcrete chicken coop perches on stilts in Portugal

In São Pedro do Sul, Portugal, architect Ricardo Leal has finalized the Pestana Chicken Coop, a small building constructed from timber and hempcrete. Elevated on slender timber columns, the coop rests on a gently sloping, moss-covered site and includes a sleeping area, outdoor run, and nesting boxes beneath two angled corrugated roofs. Drawing inspiration from the Segal Method—an innovative timber construction technique by Walter Segal that emphasizes simple bolted connections for easy disassembly—Leal designed the coop with timber columns attached to four small concrete feet, featuring replaceable sacrificial sections. The primary timber used is cryptomeria (Japanese cedar), known for its resistance to weather and insects, while hempcrete infill from Naturamateria enhances thermal mass and breathability. The design also incorporates an open run adjacent to an enclosed area with litter and a roosting bar, with the run's roof extending over the nesting boxes for convenient egg collection. Leal emphasized that even simple structures warrant thoughtful design. Photography by Dinis Sottomayor captures the project.