Mário Almeida

It is with great joy that Mário Almeida, the director of FERCOPOR, can speak of the return to Boavista, in Oporto, precisely 37 years after the company had constructed its first building in that area. The ‘Pure’ luxury condominium is, as such, its latest jewel in the crown. The successful sales performance (30 of the 34 flats were sold in just two weeks after the project’s official presentation) says a lot about the track record of this company, which already boasts four decades of experience in Brazil and Portugal. Currently, its sights are set on Lisbon and the Algarve. Two bets that, unsurprisingly, have also proved to be the right ones.

The history of this family company is long, full of challenges and full of resilience...
Without a doubt, a very rich history, creating places where new stories begin. FERCOPOR’s story begins with Alberto Ferreira da Costa, a native of Vila do Conde who went to Brazil, where he found success in the construction and property development sector, creating Rio Ave. Later on, the Ferreira da Costa family created FERCOPOR, which took its first steps in construction in Portugal in the early 1980s. The Ferreira da Costa family is still part of FERCOPOR’s management today, in a clear union of both sides of the Atlantic. The family’s origins justify FERCOPOR’s dedication to Vila do Conde, where we have several projects (Conceito VC 55, concepto VC Parque, Concepto VC Jardim and Casa Verde).
However - and curiously - the beginning of our history was also in Boavista, in Oporto, where we built the first building in 1986. I say ‘curiously’ because we ended up returning to Boavista decades later and made it a strategic focus of the company. In recent years, we’ve launched several developments that aim to contribute to recovering the nobility of this area in Oporto. After the Soul project (Bessa Leite), Enlight (Avenida da Boavista) and Pure (Rua Ciríaco Cardoso), we’re preparing a launch that will be the most ambitious project we’ve ever done and (once again, curiously) it stands opposite the building we built in 1986. It’s symbolic, but it shows the path we’ve taken and the progress we’ve made over more than 40 years.  

In the company’s portfolio you can find completed projects that have become landmarks in their locations (real sales successes) and others (under construction) that we believe will follow the same path. Can you tell us about them?
In fact, all our projects - whether built or under construction - have become real sales successes, as they are fully sold while they are still on the drawing board. It’s a privilege to be able to say that, but in fact, we are really being very well received by the market.In Vila do Conde, the «Conceito» trio (VC 55, VC Parque and VC Jardim) is fully sold and only Conceito VC Jardim is under construction. The three projects share the same ambition of bringing modern architecture to the city centre, without forgetting the connection to nature that Vila do Conde provides, namely through its proximity to the sea. Also, in Vila do Conde, we have Casa Verde under construction, a particularly significant project because it is part of an iconic building in the city. We have kept the name by which it was known and we are recovering the original Casa Verde, but we have added three new and modern buildings to the development.
In Boavista, we have FERCOPOR’s most recent venture, also translated into a first trio of projects: Soul, Enlight and Pure. All are currently under construction, sharing what we consider to be the desirable balance of creating an experience in this part of the city that is, on the one hand, cosmopolitan (close to all services and main access roads), but also private, with large areas and good openings to the outside, designed for peaceful family living.
The next step, also in relation to Boavista, will be, as I was saying, the most ambitious project we have developed so far. Located at the crossroads between Avenida da Boavista and Rua António Cardoso, the project is designed by Ventura Partners and will feature around 70 apartments - a much greater dimension than the others. The image of this project will also be very striking, so we believe we are creating an iconic building on this avenue. 

Still with regard to Pure, what can this new luxury development in Oporto, which represented an investment of 18 million Euros, bring back to the city?
In concrete terms, Pure is made up of three three-storey buildings, interconnected by landscaped roads. However, Pure goes far beyond this concrete side of a real estate development. In fact, the project got its name precisely because of the inspiring dimension it exudes, which comes from art - a dimension that we believe is the distinguishing factor. On the façade, the influence of Piet Mondrian’s famous paintings is clearly visible in the simple, pure forms, very much based on symmetry and the exactness of the lines. To these, architect José Carlos Cruz added the humanised side of architecture: a close relationship with the city’s surroundings and nature, very much characterised by the privacy of each unit. 

«We will soon be launching the first of two projects in the Algarve»

The focus on art is one of FERCOPOR’s philosophies. The new development in Oporto also has a surprise in this sense...  
All our projects represent a form of art to a certain extent, materialised by the architecture itself, which sometimes even has a clear inspiration in the work of artists, as is the case of the aforementioned Pure. 
In addition, we aim for each architectural project to be distinctive, involving renowned and experienced studios in the specific geographical area. For example, in Vila do Conde, we have some projects designed by J. J. Silva Garcia, whose studio is also from Vila do Conde. And the new Boavista project, as I’ve already mentioned, is designed by Ventura Partners, who have a proven track record in this prime neighbourhood.
An even clearer connection to art is evident in the Soul project, also located in Boavista. The ‘soul’ that we wanted to give it was expressed in a 20-metre panel painted in the development’s foyer by artist Sílvia Namorado. Soul is the project whose construction was concluded most recently, with the handover of the 30 apartments scheduled for July.  

So, you are returning to Boavista, where it all began. How would you assess the journey so far? What are the main changes in the company?
This return to Boavista, which makes us look back at some of FERCOPOR’s first projects, reminds us of how our journey has developed, consolidated and professionalised.
I believe we have found our path: it is in the premium and luxury real estate segment where we have gained experience and proven our ability to do something unique to the market. 
This certainty gives us the confidence to continue growing in the future, maintaining our capacity to innovate and responding to the needs of a market which, yes, is demanding, but which has made us grow over the last few years. 

Entering Lisbon and the Algarve is also on the list...
Yes, and it is with great enthusiasm that we see these two new steps in the FERCOPOR growth trajectory, which for the first time extends its operations beyond its origins in the North. We will soon be launching the first of two projects in the Algarve. For now, the first development to go ahead will be located next to the Vilamoura Marina and will comprise around 50 apartments. In Lisbon, we’re also going to develop a luxury real estate project right in the city centre - next to the Marquês de Pombal and overlooking the Parque Eduardo VII.

The construction of residential developments in prime neighbourhoods has always been the company’s guideline. What contributed most to the choice of this segment?
It is a segment in which we have strategically invested and grown in the last few years, both in Vila do Conde, which has seen great development, and in Boavista. We believe that the premium and luxury housing segment has great growth potential, due to the attractiveness that our country has experienced and the increasing value that buyers have put on their homes. In particular since the pandemic, the comfort, size and quality of housing (from architecture to finishes) have gained great importance for families. However, it is not only the attractiveness of the luxury segment that drives our focus. In fact, we believe we have ‘some say’ in this field, with projects that are more and more able to make a difference in the market. 

What experience is associated with buying a property from FERCOPOR?
 I believe that it is precisely the capacity for distinctiveness that sets us apart. In other words, each development is thought out in a unique and complete way, where excellence must be present throughout the location, construction, finishes and even the way in which the project is presented to the market. This level of exactingness is reflected in the relationship with the client, whom we want to be ever more involved, from the decision to purchase, through the entire evolution of the project’s construction, to the moment in which a FERCOPOR project becomes their new home, almost like the fulfilment of a dream. We want to be characterised by the closeness and sensitivity to this change of life that an investment in one of our projects represents for our clients. We create «a new way of living», as we often say. 

What is your assessment of 2022 and what are the prospects for this year?
 We had ambitious plans and high expectations for the year 2022, and they were exceeded. It was a very exciting year, because we launched three new projects on the market: Casa Verde (Vila do Conde), Enlight and Pure (Boavista). All were sold in very short periods of time - in fact, they became shorter from project to project. 
At Casa Verde, the sale of 17 apartments was concluded in three months; at Enlight, 70% of the 21 apartments were sold in a month and a half; and at Pure, we experienced a true record in the history of FERCOPOR: 30 of the 34 flats were sold in a fortnight.
We have created a solid foundation of trust with our partners and, at the same time, with all the projects having been sold, great expectation was generated in the market about our next steps.
It is in this context that we are now working: the bar (ours and the market’s) is high, but we are prepared to launch new developments and continue to surprise with them. It will undoubtedly be challenging, because we will be embarking on new areas and, in the case of the next Boavista project, on larger developments, which will give us the margin to also reach international audiences. We will also be expanding FERCOPOR’s operations in this regard. 

«Pure goes far beyond this concrete side of a real estate development»

You operate between Brazil and Portugal, are there intentions to broaden horizons to other countries in the coming years?
 In Brazil there is the company that ended up giving rise to FERCOPOR - Rio Ave - which, due to the success it has achieved, we see as a benchmark for our work. There is much sharing of inspiration and expertise between these two sides of the Atlantic.
At the moment, FERCOPOR’s focus on growth is centred on Portugal, with expansion to new areas and markets, specifically, as I mentioned, with the arrival in Lisbon and the Algarve.  

How many workers does the company employ currently?
To accompany the growth in the number, size and geographical coverage of our projects, we have strengthened the FERCOPOR team, increasing the number of employees and diversifying skills and experience. The main reinforcements have been made in the engineering teams and, in order to focus and improve the connection with the client, in the commercial and marketing teams.
In addition, we have an increasingly large network of external partners, in areas such as construction or architecture, which strengthens the confidence with which we present the FERCOPOR brand and each of our projects to the market.