The Architecture of The Women of My Country. For a More Inclusive Architecture History of Portugal 1940s to 1950s

In The Architecture of The Women of My Country, I argue that considering a broader body of literature makes it possible to create a more inclusive and comprehensive architectural history that provides space for unheard voices to be heard. The book that I wish I had on my reading list as a student of architecture is titled As Mulheres do Meu País (The Women of My Country) and was authored by the feminist journalist Maria Lamas (1893-1983) in 1948. Written during the Portuguese dictatorial regime Estado Novo (1933-1974), Lamas aimed to portray and highlight the experiences of the women of her country, which is also mine. Without being the main focus, Lamas describes architecture as inextricably linked to the individuals who inhabit and use it, which is in this case, the women and their built environment: farm houses, rural granaries, collective washing spaces, communal ovens. As a woman and an architect, my aim is to emphasis the importance of perceiving architecture the way Maria Lamas did and to highlight the importance of writing not only history, but the many stories of architecture.

With a re-reading of Maria Lamas’ As Mulheres do Meu País through the lens of architecture I analyse how Lamas uses architecture in her book by understanding what she evokes with it. Beginning with a historical contextualisation of her book within a Portugal ruled by social control and oppression, my re-reading also incorporates books on vernacular architecture in Portugal, particularly Arquitectura Popular em Portugal published in 1961. This publication in particular, documented similar rural spaces during the same period in Portugal. Despite similarities in the observed objects, Lamas focuses on the subjects – women and their experiences – and offers us a distinct perspective on architecture history.

One of the most important findings of this thesis is understanding that agency in architecture comes in more ways than the traditional practitioner – especially in a country where architecture was almost exclusily a male profession during the 1940s. Maria Lama’s work invites us to recognise the importance of lived experiences, conversations, observations, shared knowledge, complicity and intimacy. Acknowledging As Mulheres do Meu País as a source for architecture history is a step to write women back into architecture history of Portugal and globally.