Migration leverages sustainable condominiums in the interior

The migration of residents from large urban centers to the interior during the Covid-19 pandemic gave strength to the launch of projects in smaller cities that bet on sustainability.

The Artesano Galleria Campinas, launched in August in the interior of São Paulo, has 90% of the 233 lots sold, at an average cost of R$ 600 thousand each, according to Artesano Urbanismo, responsible for the project.

Among the differentials listed are the use of engineered wood (the material is industrially processed for use in constructions), a solar farm to generate clean energy, reuse of rainwater, a green roof and two kilometers of cycle paths.

The project will also have 275,000 square meters of preserved native forest, in addition to structures that are still uncommon in large subdivisions in interior cities, including a community organic vegetable garden and orchard.

More than safety, what makes a difference for people today is a healthy way of life, says Marcelo Willer, CEO of Artesano Urbanismo.

“The idea of ​​community has also gained strength. People don’t want to live in huge projects where everyone leaves with their cars. They want space to walk, do outdoor activities, play a sport, they want their children to be able to eat fruit taken from the foot,” says Willer.

Created by three former partners of Alphaville Urbanismo, Artesano has plans to launch similar projects next year: in Londrina, Paraná, in the first half of the year; in addition to Ribeirão Preto and Santana do Parnaíba, both in São Paulo, in the second semester.

According to Willer, the projects will bring shared spaces that value food and healthy living and interaction among its residents. Another trend accelerated by the pandemic will follow: 5G and fiber optics for home office residents.

For Paulo Pinheiro, commercial executive director at Lopes, this exodus towards the interior is a trend with no return, especially in cities closer to large centers such as Itu, Barueri, Sorocaba, Atibaia and Itatiba, in the case of São Paulo.

“Before the pandemic, it was common for people to live in the capital until their children graduated and, with a consolidated family, migrate to the interior. The pandemic has changed that. People can now anticipate this change”, says Pinheiro.

“And the option of moving to sustainable developments allows you to add savings to the comfort that houses in the interior, larger than apartments in the city, provide,” he adds.

Another project to be launched in the first quarter of 2022 is Ybytu, in Campos do Jordão, also in the interior of São Paulo. With 6 million square meters, the complex will bring together facilities for tourists and a residential subdivision, in an area surrounded by greenery.

The entire development will follow the sustainability precepts, as well as the accommodation for rent, which are designed by architect Duda Porto.

Called Cabana by Porto, the installation has a simple architecture and was created as a module that can be added to a pre-existing house. All in metallic structure, it can be built outside the installation site and transported ready.

Construction can take anywhere from a few days to a few months, depending on the size of the planned property.

“It’s not just about living, it’s about occupying a green area, in contact with nature, in a simple way, without causing a big impact. The house becomes just a vehicle for that”, says Porto.

With offices in Rio and São Paulo and a work focused on sustainability since 2013, the architect saw his clients multiply in the pandemic. Currently, he is in charge of 100 single-family house projects. About 70% of them are sustainable.

Although the search for sustainability is stronger in high-end properties, it is also possible to find projects aimed at the middle class, as highlighted by Caio Portugal, president of AELO (Association of Subdivision and Urban Development Companies).

He says that many companies have been complementing the projects with items related to sustainability, such as a rain garden, which uses landscaping to contain rainwater, and photovoltaic energy for both common areas and inside homes.

The Italian-Brazilian company Planet Smart City creates large condominiums open to the public of the Casa Verde e Amarela federal housing program. There are three projects already launched in Brazil, all in the Northeast: the so-called smart cities Laguna and Aquiraz (in Ceará) and Natal (in Rio Grande do Norte).

All use solutions such as waste management, water reuse, solar energy, intelligent public lighting and irrigation, drainage paving, urban gardens, seedling bank, low-maintenance plants, in addition to having an innovation hub where there is a library, cinema and coworking.

There’s also an app for residents with features like a personal safety device, community ride and home automation.

“These are inclusive cities within the reach of everyone and with very high quality infrastructure. We want to build realities. Therefore, we invest in places with a high housing deficit”, says Italian Susanna Marchionni, CEO of Planet in Brazil.

First to be launched, in 2018, the Laguna project currently has 250 houses built and occupied. And another 250 are still to be built there in the coming months. All have at least two rooms and feature sizes ranging from 53 to 85 square meters.

In Natal, the project has 166 built houses and in Aquiraz, there are another 250.

The company should soon launch a new development following the same style of sustainability in Camaçari, Bahia.