Reclaimed before bought.
Every build starts by asking what we already have or can collect for free. New material is the last resort, not the first.
Building with the Land · Upcycled Retreat
Designed
Built from what others throw away.
Pallets, granite, old doors, fish-boxes, drums and barrels — the retreat is raised almost entirely from reclaimed, donated and salvaged material. Not because it is cheap (though it is), but because everything here should carry a story.
- Reclaimed-first
- Near-zero material cost
- Every object a story
- Raised in 21 days
What it is
A functional, beautiful retreat made from almost nothing
Instead of buying a retreat new, we build one from what the region is throwing away. Twelve build areas — fire, kitchen, gym, sauna, caravans, water, garden, paths and more — are each designed around salvaged material first. Every €1,000 of free or reclaimed material is €1,000 of capital we do not spend. It is honest and rustic by design, not glossy resort luxury — and the salvage itself becomes the story we film.
“Every object should have a second life and a story.”
Honest, not glossy.
Marks, patina and old timber are features, not flaws. The retreat looks made — by hand, from this place.
Land-led.
Granite cleared from the ground, rain off the roofs, wood from the region. The site supplies most of what it needs.
Every object a story.
A door, a drum, a pallet — each carries where it came from. That story is the brand and the content.
Where it goes
Twelve build areas, one reclaimed material palette
From the fire circle to the guest cabins, every zone is designed around what we can salvage. Here is what each area is built from.
Fire pit
Cleared granite and gabions become a safe fire circle with bench seating.
Outdoor kitchen
A pallet-and-granite counter, an IBC-cage larder and a barrel sink stand.
Outdoor gym
Atlas stones, scaffold-tube rigs and tyres — the PEDRA FORTE wild gym.
Sauna & chill
A stone stove base, pallet-clad walls and reclaimed-window glazing.
Caravan units
Tired caravans re-clad in pallet wood with reclaimed-window porches.
Water system
Food-grade IBCs and barrels harvest rain; greywater feeds a reed bed.
Dry toilet & shower
A twin-chamber compost toilet and a gravity-fed solar shower.
Garden & aquaponics
Stone herb spirals, bathtub raised beds and an IBC aquaponics loop.
Paths & signage
Granite stepping-stones, woodchip paths and pyrographed pallet signs.
Storage & workshop
A pallet tool wall, IBC-cage lockers and a cable-drum workbench.
Guest experience
Refurbished furniture, pallet daybeds and bottle-and-jar solar lanterns.
Story & brand
Each object gets a second-life tag — the salvage is the story we film.
Reclaimed, but safe
What we happily take · what we never use
Upcycling is only worth it if it is safe. We are generous about what we will collect — and strict about what never makes it onto the site.
Green · We will happily take
- Heat-treated (HT) pallets, clearly marked
- Clean offcut timber and old doors / windows
- Granite, rubble and stone
- Food-grade IBCs and barrels (for water)
- Fish-box EPS, cable drums, tyres, scrap steel
Red · We never use
- Asbestos / pre-2000 fibre-cement sheeting
- MB (methyl-bromide) or unmarked pallets
- Ex-chemical containers for any water
- Mains-voltage salvage improvised on site
- Anything rotten, load-bearing or overhead without competent sign-off
See it
Salvage, rebuilt
A few of the builds — each one started as something headed for a skip. Click any image to open it.
Lusitano Retreat
Come and build from nothing
The reclaimed build happens in the 21-day September sprint. Come and learn to salvage, sort and rebuild — or follow the whole masterplan.