On a tiny sand island known as the Ilha do Farol off the coast of Faro Portugal, lies a seaside community of mostly single storey (not strictly legal) dwellings. The ilhas form the outer edge of the Ria Formosa marshlands and lagoons, and are only accessible by boat.

We took a ferry to meet a dear friend on the island – we hadn’t seen him for over 10 years. The joyful outlines of these dwellings struck me right away. Huddling low in the sand they seemed to push back in a lighthearted battle against the encroaching sand and sea.

I’m always surprised by the unexpected ways in which man-made spaces and structures are sometimes able to speak volumes about the human spirit. The island seemed so strangely devoid of people – it was the buildings alone which seemed incongruously optimistic and full of life.