Welcome to "Camélias, Urban Paradise in Foco" a new private condominium that is being born in the heart of Foco, in Porto, by the hands of real estate developer Dmanán and the architectural studio OODA.
This exclusive condominium will consist of four bodies interconnected by landscaped areas, three completely new and one consisting of the property's original mansion on a plot of land that once housed the so-called "Englishman's factory" of the firm William & John Graham & Co.
The original palace will be restored and transformed into two 4-bedroom townhouses, consisting of two floors above ground and one below, with a 3-car garage, and one 2-bedroom townhouse, with a parking space. The remaining three bodies that are being developed from scratch, are composed of 17 villas (divided into 7, 5 and 5 units), each with five bedrooms, developed on three floors above ground and one below, with private elevator per fraction and box with 2 places. The complex will have private and common garden areas interconnecting the four bodies.
This exclusive condominium will be the first in the north of Portugal to have the demanding BREEAM® certification. A sustainability assessment system in construction, which uses criteria to evaluate the environmental performance of buildings at different stages of their life cycle, namely energy use, water use, environmental impact, user health and well-being, and waste management. The BREEAM® seal, besides being internationally recognized, brings financial and marketing benefits, such as reduced operating costs and increased market value of the property.
Dmanán with many years dedicated to construction in Spain has had projects under development in Porto and Lisbon for a number of years, with a construction team based in the city of Porto. The company has six projects underway in Portugal, with two in Lisbon and four in Porto. In Lisbon, the company is building a 30-story 4-star tourist building and owns the Palácio do Patriarcado, which is being remodeled to become a 5-star hotel with 65 rooms. In Porto, the company has acquired the Palácio de Belomonte for refurbishment and transformation into a 5-star hotel with 50 rooms, in addition to a small residential building and a recently built 4-star, 104-room hotel in the heart of the city, in Bonjardim.
OODA, one of the most recognized architecture studios, was founded in 2010 and is the result of the reunion of Diogo Brito and Rodrigo Vilas-Boas, whose personal and professional paths have episodically crossed and shared. From stays in Europe, respectively in London and Rotterdam, and the contrast between these realities and the Portuguese one, the collective was born. Francisco Lencastre joins in 2011 and in 2018 João Jesus and Julião Pinto Leite expand OODA to five partners. The team currently has more than 50 collaborators of various nationalities working on a wide variety of projects. The vision of this collective aims to promote regional architecture internationally, as well as international ideas in Portugal. It currently has over 400,000 m2 under construction, mainly in Portugal, covering residential buildings, museums, hotels, offices, student residences, single-family dwellings, corporate headquarters and urban planning.
Living in Foco is synonymous with quality of life, close to schools, shopping centers, health services, public transport and the main access routes to the city. Located in the western part of the city, Foco is in the parish of Ramalde, one of Porto's most dynamic and valued areas. This residential neighborhood stands out for its exemplary urban planning, the result of the conversion of the former Fábrica de Fiação e Tecidos da Boavista in the 1960s, giving rise to the well-known Parque Residencial da Boavista. Designed by the architect Agostinho Ricca, Foco has become a landmark of modern architecture in the city, with an urban organization centred on the well-being of residents: pedestrian zones, green spaces, car circulation separated from housing areas, and a quiet and functional neighbourhood experience. Strategically located between Avenida da Boavista and the Via de Cintura Interna (VCI), this area offers excellent access and transport, close proximity to schools, health centers, local shops and major cultural facilities such as Casa da Música. The presence of modern services and infrastructures, combined with the quiet, family atmosphere, make Ramalde - and particularly Foco - one of the most desirable areas to live in Porto.