Company

About us

In 1978 the idea was born for the first wooden house that would give shape to the rusticasa® project. A completely handmade house, made from 30cm diameter wooden logs. The ‘Log House’, as it then became known, is still the company's ultimate ex-libris.

Producing quality

An extensive investment process followed with the acquisition of 10,000m² of industrial land and the construction of a modern factory equipped with semi-automated production lines.

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Industrialisation will allow us to make the definitive leap into the national market with a quality product, certified ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

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Innovating and perfecting

Over more than 40 years of experience, rusticasa® has acquired unique and internationally recognised know-how, as evidenced by a number of awards that have distinguished the company over four decades. From the AITIM quality label to the CE mark and LNEC approval.

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  • The first building, designed in 1978 and finished in 1981, will give rise to rusticasa®

    Built entirely by hand using maritime pine logs 30 cm in diameter, this house is the seed of the rusticasa® project.

  • Between 1981 and 1987 several houses followed with a clear technological evolution

    From artisanal construction to pre-industrialised models. These years represent the laboratory on a natural scale that will allow rusticasa® to develop.

  • The rusticasa® project is formally launched with the incorporation of the company

    In 1987, RUSTICASA-Construções, Lda. was born. The name was chosen to allude to the origins of wooden constructions and the handmade, rustic character of the first houses. The logo was designed in harmony with this spirit and rusticasa® was registered as a national trade mark.

  • First house exported to the German market

    Built near Munich, this house marked the start of exports and was distinguished by a specialised magazine for its integration and preservation of traditional architecture. This year also saw the start of exports in Spain, with the first house built in Santander.

  • Organisation of the 1st Iberian Technical Seminar ‘Wood as a Building Element’

    Held at Europarque in Santa Maria da Feira in November 1996, the event was attended by more than 150 Portuguese and Spanish architects and engineers and featured some of the leading specialists in wood construction from Finland, Italy, Hungary, France, Spain, Portugal and the United States, such as Alpo Ranta-Maunus, Guglielmo Giordano, Imre Makovecz, Jan Söderlund and Juhani Pallasmaa, who came together for a pioneering debate in Portugal.

  • rusticasa®'s 1st website

    Present on the Internet since 1997, with domains in Portugal and Spain.

  • First house exported to France

    Followed by many others that would turn this market into rusticasa®'s second export market.

  • Award of the AITIM Quality Seal

    The quality mark of the Spanish Association for Technical Research in the Wood Industry.

  • rusticasa® referenced in the ranking of the 500 largest companies

    In the construction industry published by Exame magazine and in Público newspaper's list of the 1000 largest national non-financial companies.

  • RUSTICASA is referenced in the ranking of the 500 largest companies

    rusticasa® is certified by Bureau Veritas, the world leader in conformity assessment and certification applied to the areas of Quality, Environment, Health and Safety and Social Responsibility. ISO 9001 certification is awarded for the quality management system and ISO 14001 for environmental management.

  • Awarded PME Excellence status 2010

    The PME Excellence status is awarded by IAPMEI to the best national companies with an AAA or AA rating.

  • First granting of PME Líder status

    The PME Líder status is awarded by IAPMEI to companies pursuing growth strategies and strengthening their competitive base.

  • LNEC homologation DH 915

    The National Civil Engineering Laboratory has granted approval for rusticasa®'s industrialised construction system. The homologation document is intended to assess the quality of construction innovations in Portugal.

  • Publication of the book rusticasa® | 25 years in 25 houses

    Book commemorating the 25th anniversary of rusticasa®'s foundation. A journey through 25 houses representing the company's development over 25 years.

  • rusticasa® obtains French qualification 2312 from QUALIBAT

    For the manufacture and assembly of traditional and other wooden structures with proven technical expertise.

  • Archilovers' Best Project 2017

    The Casa do Rio hotel, built by rusticasa®, selected in Archilovers' Best Project 2017.

  • Best private project award

    For the Casa do Rio hotel, in the Construir ‘18 architecture awards.

  • Rebranding

    And defining rusticasa®'s new visual identity.

  • 1st PNAM'19 Award

    And nomination in the EU Mies Award ‘19 for the Casa do Rio hotel.

  • European Technical Assessment (ETA 18/0984)

    Of the ITS (Insulated Timber System) construction system developed by rusticasa®, carried out by ITECONS and confirmed by the European Organisation for Technical Assessment (EOTA).

  • 1st ENOR 2020 architecture award

    And 1st prize AIT Award 2020 in the Hotel category for the Casa do Rio hotel.

  • Registration in the European Union Trade Marks Register

    Registration of the rusticasa® trade mark in the European Union Trade Marks Register.

  • New ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certifications

    Certified by SGS (Société Génale de Surveillance) for the design and manufacture, with or without assembly, of the ITS construction system for wooden structures, and for the design, manufacture and assembly of wooden constructions and their technical installations and carpentry products, and maintenance services for wooden constructions, respectively.

  • CE Marking

    Of the kits for prefabricated timber-framed buildings, with the trade mark ITS (Insulated Timber Frame) produced by rusticasa®.

  • European Technical Assessment (ETA 22/0889)

    Of the TFS (Timber Frame System) construction system developed by rusticasa®, carried out by ITECONS and confirmed by the European Organisation for Technical Assessment (EOTA).

  • New ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and CE Marking certifications

    Certified by SGS (Société Génale de Surveillance) for the design and manufacture, with or without assembly, of ITS and TFS construction systems for timber structures, and for the design, manufacture and assembly of timber constructions and their technical installations, maintenance services for timber constructions, manufacture of carpentry products, and kits for prefabricated timber-framed buildings under the TFS (Timber Frame System) trade mark produced by rusticasa®, respectively.

  • Innovative Statute 2023

    Awarded to rusticasa® by COTEC Portugal.

  • European Technical Assessment (ETA 24/0070)

    Of the LTS (Laminated Timber System) construction system developed by rusticasa®, carried out by ITECONS and confirmed by the European Organisation for Technical Assessment (EOTA).

  • Construction of the new model house

    With the latest advances in wood construction and designed to respond to current trends and market demands.

  • Launch of the new website

    With online configurator, new virtual tour and references map. Today rusticasa® has more than 21 domains on the Internet, 12 of which are national in 8 countries, with a presence in 4 languages, receiving thousands of visits a week.

Our philosophy

The quality of the execution determines the durability of the construction. If this statement can be applied to masonry constructions, it can also be said about wooden constructions. In this sense, the quality of our products, our services and our supervision has truly established itself into a true company culture.

From the choice of wood from certified and sustainably managed forests, to continuous training of our employees, through research and constant development of the most appropriate constructive solutions, rusticasa® has given itself as a mission from its conception, to offer a quality service that respects the environment, while integrating social and economic concerns.