Biocultural Cyprus University/Architecture Department. 2015 adelaidadelpuerto@gmail.com Landscape and sustainability: traditional architecture and nature in `Montes de Toledo´, Spain Adelaida del Puerto García Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid. UPM Spain / contact: adelaidadelpuerto@gmail.com Abstract Isolated vernacular architecture shows how historical processes and the evolution of the relationship between man and territory have materialized over time. The aim of this study has been to find out the influence of isolation and vulnerability on this architecture, based on the study of the different cultures and peoples that occupied this particular area through history. Traditional architecture is always strongly related to territory, as local resources are the only means for materials for their construction. Both premises make it a broad study area to analyze history and landscape in relation with construction and sustainability. The variety of soils, botanical species, topography and distances between river Tagus and the Toledo mountains in Spain has been a crucial factor for the development of local traditional architecture. This paper analyzes how the landscape heterogeneity has determined its different building types and construction details, and how the strong relationship man‐territory has influenced the architecture sustainability. Decisions that determine the sustainability of buildings are in close relation with the way nature is interpreted. Roofs are the maximal expression of resources minimization. From intuitive trusses to technical structures, wood consumption is minimal as it is a scarce resource. All the isolated buildings studied, related to farming activities at the north‐west side of the Toledo mountains, have been extremely dependent upon a harsh environment in the surroundings of the mountains, and a source of permanent economical resources on the banks of the river Tagus. The results of this research project show that creating a descriptive map of this architecture does not only require the definition of the different construction details, but also the analysis of the progressive changes that happen as we descend from the mountains to the river. These variations enable the integration of man, architecture and nature in a mutually respectful existence . Keywords: sustainable; traditional architecture; landscape; Toledo; Tagus