INFOCUS#12_04.2014

N.12 . APRIL . 2014

A FOCUS GROUP PUBLICATION

FOCUS GROUP PREPARES PROJECTS FOR SPORTS COMPLEX OF THE OLYMPICS 2016

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THE GROUP

APRIL.2014

THE GROUP IN PORTUGAL FOCUS GROUP IN CONSTRUCTION AWARDS FOCUS GROUP was distinguished in the category of the Award for the Best Restoration Project for the work developed for Edifício Maxmara, situated on Av. da Liberdade, in Lisbon. The event was held in November at FIL, in the context of the International Festival of Innovation and Creativity, and in the presence of hundreds of guests. This achievement demonstrates that we deserve the praise and public recognition given by our partners and customers to our work.

FOCUS GROUP CONCENTRATES ON INNOVATION AND PRODUCTIVITY FOCUS GROUP has recently invested in the implementation of a Microsoft Sharepoint platform, aimed at enhancing its productivity and efficiency in project development and management. This concentrated effort is part of a broader strategy of investment in information technologies which enable achieving competitive gains and offering the customer a service of even higher quality.

WARM UP OF THE FESTIVAL IN During two days, 29 and 30 May, FIL was the centre of the discussion on the creative industries at a period of time dominated by information technologies. The architect Nuno Malheiro da Silva, chairman of the Board of Directors of FOCUS GROUP, was invited to participate in this conference as a speaker on the topic of “Art, Technology and the Future of Portugal”. Over 1.000 people visited FIL to attend and participate in this event which marked the opening of the Festival In - International Festival of Innovation and Creativity, held at FIL between 14 and 17 November 2013.

FOCUS GROUP IN THE ASSOCIATION OF PORTUGUESE ARCHITECTS Publication number 229 of the architects bulletin was launched on 2 May 2013, at the national head office of the Association of Portuguese Architects, in Lisbon. The edition was dedicated to the theme of Internationalisation and included a guest panel, among which the architect Nuno Malheiro da Silva. The debate discussed “How, where and why Portuguese architects project their know-how throughout the world?”.

INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITY NEW INSTITUTIONAL IMAGE

ŽŶĞ ƐƚŽƉ ƐŽůƵƟŽŶ Visit us in www.focusgroup.eu

FOCUS GROUP's internationalisation strategy and its growing international activity led the group to unify and centralise its institutional image. We began 2014 with a new logo, common to all activities of the group, and strengthened our presence on the internet with a new website, that is more dynamic and directed towards our customers.

QATAR In 2013, FOCUS GROUP established a partnership with FOCUS DESIGN PARTNERS, a company with head office in Qatar, which has created numerous opportunities, both in the public and private sector, representing potential that will soon transform into an important source of work. One of the main objectives of this partnership is the development of the infrastructures required for the Football World Cup that will take place in Qatar in 2022.

ALGERIA FOCUS GROUP and COBA established a partnership in 2013 that enables boosting and diversifying the services they offer in this market. COBA has had activity and an office in Algeria for various years, and is thus perfectly integrated in the local reality. This partnership seeks to complement and increase the areas of action of the two companies and open the doors to a new emerging market, both in the public and private investment sector.

SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE One of the smallest Portuguese-speaking countries of the world, São Tomé e Príncipe is classified in 2nd place by the IMF in the ranking of countries whose economy will show strongest growth over the next few years. FOCUS GROUP already has various projects in this archipelago, and expects to consolidate a solid and long-lasting base in this country.

ANGOLA After some slowdown of activity, Angola continues to offer good opportunities and growth showing considerable work potential.

Leveraged by our experience in planning and urbanism, we expect that the projects in which we are involved will multiply, in a country where spatial planning should be a priority.

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EDITORIAL

APRIL.2014

NEW YEAR, NEW LIFE

Never before has the popular saying “New year, new life” made as much sense to me as when stepping into this year. I can state with all certainty that 2014 will definitely be a noteworthy year, on the positive side, for FOCUS GROUP due to various reasons.

In the first place, because we shall celebrate our 10th anniversary. FOCUS GROUP emerged in 2004 by incorporation of existing consulting firms and projects, but with complementary skills, under the same corporate structure, creating a cluster of companies, thus increasing productive capacity and enabling access to new markets. The principal objective was to create an innovative solution in the national market, gain scale and develop a strong and operational concept for the international market. Since the very beginning, we have created new companies, both in complementary areas and outside Portugal, and established partnerships in various markets considered strategic.

In the second place because, ten years later, our implemented defined strategy has started to show good results, in spite of the crisis that has swept through our country for some years now. After having achieved, with great effort on the part of our team, overcoming these last 5 years of profound crisis in Portugal, we had excellent results in our commercial activity in 2013, primarily outside Portugal, which will now be reflected, both in our turnover, which we expect to triple in 2014, and naturally in or financial results and ratios, recovering the investment that has been made. One of the most evident signs and which began to mark the beginning of this year is the fact that, in contrast to what we have done in these last years, we are once again recruiting people to strengthen our team.

While we can look back on these past 10 years with pride, we continue to focus our attention on the future. With the improvement of our financial situation, we shall reinforce our concentration on the international market, where there are currently more opportunities and where our value has been recognised.

Ana Marta Clemente, who has lived in Cape Verde since 2009, will now combine the responsibility for our company in this country with our focus on São Tomé e Príncipe where we intend to strengthen our existing activity which dates back to the end of 2012.

Miguel Marques Pereira, who was invited in early 2013 to the position of director of FOCUS GROUP, will now begin to monitor the Algerian market where we have a partnership with COBA since 2013.

Luis Moreira, who is responsible for our company in Romania, has been managing our activity in Brazil, ensuring the management of the Deodoro Olympic Complex project in Rio de Janeiro.

Rita Pires and I recently obtained a residence permit in Qatar which enables us to register as architects in this country and boost our activity in this region of the globe together with our local partner.

With our eyes set on the next 10 years, we created a Steering Committee in 2013, composed of individuals of recognised merit, which has debated and contributed to assisting both the Board of Directors and partners in defining the strategy to be followed over the next few years.

Words cannot express my gratitude to my partners and our employees for having believed, even during the most difficult times, in the future of FOCUS GROUP. In addition to being able to see the novelties of our business in this edition of INFOCUS, I also invite you to browse through our new website at www.focusgroup.eu.

Nuno Malheiro da Silva, Arqº.

CEO of FOCUS GROUP SGPS, S.A.

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SPORTS AND LEISURE

APRIL.2014

RIO 2016 Sports complex for the Olympic and Paralympic Games The consortium Vigliecca Marobal, composed of the technical installations company of FOCUS GROUP and by the Brazilian architectural practice Vigliecca & Associados, won the international tender for the preparation of the Master Plan and projects of the Deodoro Sports Complex for the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2016.

Is the second Olympic centre in terms of number of types of sports and public attendance after Barra da Tijuca Olympic Park. The contract has already been signed with the municipality of Rio de Janeiro.

The consortium is also responsible for defining the public areas and facilities to be built specifically for the Olympic Games in 2016, as well as designing aspects concerning legacy after the games have been held.

The FOCUS GROUP companies involved in this project are responsible for the preparation of the infrastructure projects and all the engineering projects of the complex.

During the international event, the Deodoro facilities will accommodate the competitions of ten different types of sports.

Equestrianism and Cross Country will be held at the existing equestrian centre, built for the Pan American Games of 2007, which will be remodelled and enlarged for this purpose.

Modern Pentathlon, Rugby Sevens, Field Hockey, Basketball, Women's Preliminaries, and Shooting will be held at the new facilities, of definitive or provisional nature, or at existing facilities remodelled and enlarged for the effect.

Mountain Bike, BMX and e Canoe Slalom will take place at totally new facilities which will be part, after the event, of a new urban park with a strong focus on radical sports, one of the great legacies of the Olympic Games to the city and population of Rio de Janeiro.

Celebrations square

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SPORTS AND LEISURE

APRIL.2014

The “Olympic Bulevar� is the structural element of the Park and main axis of connection between the various sections of the Park and different sport facilities.

The planned work includes, in particular, the new Deodoro Arena, a multipurpose sports hall with capacity for 5,000 places during the games and for 2,000 places after the event, and a new Canoe Slalom, a unique facility in South America, which will have a standard Olympic competition course and a training and initiation course that will become an aggregating centre of the future Radical Park and development of this type of sport in this continent.

In addition to the urban park, the winning project foresees the integration of the remaining sports facilities of the complex through the implementation of an urban design solution that identifies and unifies the entire complex.

The Rio de Janeiro Olympic and Paralympic Games 2016 will leave, in legacy to the Deodoro region and to the whole city, a new sports and leisure infrastructure, centralised in the Radical Park and other facilities that will remain after the event.

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SPORTS AND LEISURE

APRIL.2014

PESSEGUEIRO ISLAND Coastal environmental development plan completed The PAOC (coastal environmental development plan) of Ilha do Pessegueiro has been completed. This plan was promoted by the company POLIS Litoral Sudoeste with a view to the environmental rehabilitation of an area of approximately 5 hectares along Pessegueiro beach and involving the Fort of Nossa Senhora da Queimada, in Sines.

The key idea behind the concept involves the creation of a totally integrated visiting experience of the zone. Currently, apart from the unique scenic assets and architectural heritage centred on the Fort, this place has nothing to offer visitors, due to the lack of facilities and accesses, and the deterioration of the existing infrastructures.

The proposal will involve endowing the area with conditions to transform a visit into an educational experiences directed towards ecology, nature conservation and naturally leisure based on the beach. In this perspective, new accesses and car parks were foreseen in areas of lesser ecological value, as well as the demolition of all the existing buildings, which are currently fairly decrepit. The restaurant will be relocated to a zone further away from the cliff, being replaced with a multipurpose square visually aligned with the axis of the island, opening up the views over this fantastic coastline.

VASCO DA GAMA THEMATIC PARK Collaboration in the new thematic park in Albufeira FOCUS GROUP's landscape design company is collaborating in the Block Plan of the Economic Development Centre (NDE) of Vasco da Gama Thematic Park, which covers an area of close to 16 hectares on the eastern side of Albufeira, and is the first park with this features operating in Portugal.

Based on the Portuguese discoveries, this park will be structured in various thematic zones, relative to the African continent, Middle East, Brazil and India. This shall be a reference project in a national context, not only due to its uniqueness, but also due to its strategic importance for the country's development of tourism and the creation of direct and indirect employment.

In terms of the Plan, the proposal adapts the master plan of the thematic park to the biophysical and regulatory constraints of the location, safeguarding the existing natural heritage along the waterline, and promoting the appropriate landscaping design of the thematic park in the urban structure of Albufeira.

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HOSPITALITY

APRIL.2014

MACACO RESORT FOCUS GROUP in São Tomé and Príncipe

FOCUS GROUP is carrying out, for HBD STP - Investimentos Turísticos, the project management of 5-star luxury tourist resort.

Named “Macaco Resort”, this enterprise is located close to Macaco beach on Ilha do Príncipe, in the north-east of the Autonomous Region of Príncipe (Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe).

The project is composed of a Boutique Hotel with 54 bungalows (35 units of 65 m2 and 19 suites of 90 m2) and a main building of services and common areas. The project also includes the first phase of development of a SPA (of around 700 m2), a fitness centre, supporting services and a swimming pool.

This project is inserted within a broader regional development strategy that the HBD Group is implementing on Ilha do Príncipe, aimed at sustainable development and the preservation of nature, where the promotion of high quality ecotourism is one of the components that are coordinated together with the encouragement of agriculture, education, vocational training and conservation of heritage.

The experience and technical capacity of the different companies of FOCUS GROUP which are engaged in this project (architecture, hydraulics, technical installations and worksite management) constituted an important advantage during the selection process.

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT

APRIL.2014

MAXMARA New MaxMara store and office building in Lisbon FOCUS GROUP was responsible for the preparation of the projects and worksite management of the building between Rua Alexandre Herculano and Avenida da Liberdade where the first flagship store of the Maxmara brand was inaugurated on 17 October 2013. The installation of this renowned international store followed the trend of recent years, transforming Avenida da Liberdade into a reference luxury shopping zone in Europe and promoting the progressive renovation of the real estate in this artery of Lisbon.

The project foresaw, in addition to the installation of the mega store in its lower floors (ground floor, mezzanine and first floor), the alteration of the use of the upper floors, from residential to offices. The alterations were based on the creation of a new elevator and the suppression of a service staircase which, combined with the reformulation of the adjacent areas, enabled a consolidated structural intervention, improving the anti-seismic properties of the building. These alterations focused on the rear faรงade of the lobby, originally a service area and of no particular interest in architectural terms.

The proposals also aimed to endow the lobby with quality and bright light. For this purpose, its level was elevated, making use of the lower area for storage space of the Maxmara store. The patio was thus placed at ground level, enabling direct access through the atrium of the building, and turning it into the scenery and context of this sequence line.

The roof was also modified, not only for the purpose of improving the conditions of the attic but also because it was deteriorated and required intervention. The roof design changes the attic into a mansard of an area similar to that of the lower floors and creates spatiality with a contemporary image. This was, indeed, the intervention logic to restore the existing elements while, at the same time, clearly identifying the principal areas of intervention with simple and contemporary language.

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT

APRIL.2014

RESIDENTIAL BUILDING Project management of the rehabilitation of a detached house FOCUS GROUP worksite management is responsible for the coordination, management and safety of the rehabilitation of a detached house situatedin Cascais.

The scope of this intervention includes the follow-up of the contract, establishing with the contractors a realistic work programme for the defined objectives, as well as the administrative and financial control of the work. We also assured all the contacts with the licensing entities to obtain the license to use the building.

BUILDING REMODELLING Worksite management of a building of Rua Garret in Lisbon FOCUS GROUP worksite management assured the general coordination of remodelling work in Rua Garret. The intervention in this eighteenth century building, whose ground floor houses the oldest book shop of the world, Livraria Bertrand, involved the preservation of the structure and restoration of its first occupation as a residential space. The former offices of Livraria Bertrand have now returned to being 8 apartments. The building underwent full rehabilitation, while maintaining Livraria Bertrand always open to the public.

RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS Worksite management in a historic district of Lisbon FOCUS GROUP worksite management is managing the remodelling work of two builds in the Historic Centre of Bairro Alto and Bica, located at Rua de S. Boa Ventura, no. 19-25 and Rua da Vinha no. 6-8 in Lisbon.

The building of Rua de S. Boa Ventura, initially composed of 6 apartments, now has 13 smaller apartments. This is a building with 4 floors, which currently has one T2, nine T1 and three T0 units. The second building is composed of two floors with two T2 in duplex.

The objective of these works is to contribute to urban and environmental valorisation, preserving the representative architectural language of the district.

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HOUSING

APRIL.2014

“BAIRRO DA BOAVISTA� ARCHITECTURAL PUBLIC TENDER Lisbon, Portugal FOCUS GROUP participated in the Architectural Public Tender for Bairro da Boavista, promoted by Lisbon City Hall, where it was shortlisted as one of the first five classified, having received an Honourable Mention by Dra. Helena Roseta.

The tender stipulated the replacement of the current masonry district by a new district of social housing but characterised by great architectural quality and optimal ecological performance, in a challenge of compromises between cost control, spatial quality and its suitability to the specific social context.

The proposed buildings are multi-family structures with up to 4 floors, with 10 housing units of various types (T1, T2, T3 and T4) and with attached garden plots. The submitted proposal upholds the commitment to increase the notion of private space and feeling of belonging and ownership, and minimise the volumetric impact, using the natural gradient of the land so that in each road there is only the perception of a volume of three floors, drawing it closer to the scale of the current urban design.

In order to achieve these objectives, autonomous units were defined with direct entrance from the road, eliminating the existence of constructed common areas on the one hand, and promoting the exterior garden plots and private spaces adjacent to the housing units, on the other hand. We also sought to draw the multi-family housing closer to the current single-family units which the residents are used to.

The exterior surroundings, namely the existing road and pedestrian layout, were restructured and redesigned giving priority to pedestrian and bicycle circulation, eliminating the segregation between road and pedestrian pavement, thus transforming the exterior space into an extension of the interior. The construction project was studied in order to show efficient energy performance and incorporate current technologies, assuring a pleasant building in terms of image and comfort while not making it overly expensive, either regarding its implementation or maintenance.

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HOUSING

APRIL.2014

“CASA PARA TODOS” Inauguration of works in Cape Verde Various buildings have already been inaugurated whose projects were produced by FOCUS GROUP under different design /construction public tenders of the “Casa Para Todos” (“House for All) programme. In this edition, we highlight the recently inaugurated enterprises of Pedra Badejo and Tira-Chapéu, both in Santiago Island and developed by the construction company Monte Adriano.

Pedra Badejo housing estate in Sta. Cruz, on Santiago Island

Housing estate developed for Tira-Chapéu district, in Praia, Santiago Island

FOCUS GROUP wins new design/construction tenders The architecture, engineering, planning and landscape design companies of FOCUS GROUP were entrusted with the development of the urban design, architecture, landscaping and general infrastructure projects of yet another two winning proposals, under the coordination and direction of the company FOCUS GROUP.CV, the construction of which is already underway.

Promoted by the Ministry of Decentralisation, Housing and Spatial Planning (MDHOT) of Cape Verde, the objective of the "House for All" programme is to increase access to housing by fostering construction at controlled costs.

Praia 4 housing development, built by the Luís Frazão construction company, consists of 64 housing units, a student residence in Terra Branca (44 students), condominium room, exterior arrangements and children's playground. The need for the coexistence of different programmes (housing and student residence) led to the creation of two spaces, enabling the opening up of the block and its connection with the surrounding urban grid in the zone of the student residence, promoting the integration of the inhabitants in the housing centre and use of the exterior space by the residents of the zone.

Praia 4

Praia 5 Praia 5 housing development, built by the construction company CVC, has 72 housing units, 4 commercial spaces, a condominium room, a square with a children's playground, access road and infrastructures of a 3,890 m² plot of land.

The underlying approach led to the creation of a structure similar to a block, enabling the creation of an exterior space protected from the surroundings. Also, the large and inviting accesses to the north and south of the complex open the way to future connections with the rest of the urban grid.

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IN SHORT

ABRIL.2014

AXA BUILDING Remodelling and rehabilitation of the building FOCUS GROUP was responsible for preparing the projects of different engineering specialities, and also carried out architectural consulting for a Spanish practice in charge of the overall project preparation, FM (company of the CBRE group), with a view to the remodelling of the AXA Building located at Praça do Marquês de Pombal, in Lisbon.

The building of the 1950's is integrated in one of the blocks of the architectural ensemble of Praça Marquês de Pombal, bordering with Av. Duque de Loulé and Av. Fontes Pereira de Melo. Composed of 11 floors, (2 parking floors and 9 floors above the ground), it is divided into a ground floor and upper floor for shops / services with the remaining 7 floors for offices.

The implementation projects have already been produced which, together with the tender procedure, were used for market consultation of national and foreign companies for the implementation of the work.

The exterior intervention shall merely involve rehabilitation and conservation of the building's façades. The interior intervention concerns conservation and renovation, without any alteration of use. The foreseen work refers to the replacement of flooring, removal and reorganisation of walls and ceilings and remodelling of electric, communications, hydraulic, ventilation and air conditioning installations, with no intervention at all in terms of the structure of the building.

BOMBARRAL SCHOOL CENTRE Completed and inaugurated work The new School Centre of Bombarral was inaugurated on 14 September 2013, the projects of which were developed by FOCUS GROUP after having won the public tender, promoted by Bombarral City Hall.

This complex is composed of 18 classrooms for first cycle education, 6 activity rooms for pre-school education, a room for the multi-disability unit, a library, dining room with capacity for 200 students, gym, as well as various supporting rooms and sanitary facilities. With capacity to receive around six hundred students, during the present academic year, approximately five hundred students attended the new education establishment.

Integrated in the Fernão do Pó School Group, this School Centre also received an investment of close to 4.5 million euros, part of which financed by European funds. Regarding this intervention, the Mayor of the City Hall, José Manuel Vieira did not conceal his satisfaction with the implementation of this project which will “offer better educational conditions for our children” and that represents “the focus on a new paradigm which marks the future of elementary education in our municipality”.

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IN SHORT

APRIL.2014

HEAD OFFICE, OFFICES AND RESIDENCE Remodelling and rehabilitation of buildings FOCUS GROUP was responsible for the design of the architecture, landscaping, civil engineering and technical installation engineering projects of the new head office, offices, residence of the spiritual representatives of the Swaminarayan Hindu Mission (Sadus) and respective temple, in Lisbon.

The building of the mission head office and residence is a detached house on Avenida Gago Coutinho, which was subject to thorough remodelling, since only the façades remained of the original building. The intervention maintained the façades and roof in conformity with the original project, and transformed the interior into a modern and comfortable space.

HEAD OFFICE OF THE ELEVO GROUP IN CAPE VERDE Completed and inaugurated work FOCUS GROUP.CV was responsible for the architecture projects and specialities of the head office of the Portuguese group of civil construction and public works companies Elevo, carried out on plot 4, zone 6 of Palmarejo Grande, in the city of Praia, Cape Verde, whose inauguration was held on 30 November 2013.

Located in a new housing development in the zone of Palmarejo Grande, this building with 4 floors plus a mezzanine, implanted on a 300 m² plot of land with a gross construction area of close to 1.500 m², also includes the residences of the employees on mission abroad, and will be an integral part of a row of three buildings, to be developed at a later stage.

With a base body covered in sheets of natural VIROC, endowing the façades with a rhythm of characteristic spans, the volumes of each apartment exceed the implantation polygon in different directions, acting as peep-holes projected over the landscape.

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IN SHORT

APRIL.2014

INSTITUTE OF GEOGRAPHY AND SPATIAL PLANNING FOCUS GROUP participates in the project of the new building The technical installations and hydraulics companies of FOCUS GROUP prepared the implementation projects of the specialities (electricity, security, communications, water and sanitary installations, energy certification, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning) for the Building of Lisbon University intended for IGOT (Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning) located in Lisbon.

CENTRUM SETE SÓIS SETE LUAS FOCUS GROUP in a cultural project in Cape Verde FOCUS GROUP.CV, together with the Group's companies in Portugal of technical installations and hydraulics prepared the project of the base programme for the Centrum Sete Sóis Sete Luas building. This is a cultural centre, located in the town of Ribeira Grande, on Ilha de Santo Antão, in Cape Verde.

With a total area of 2,307 m², the spatial distribution of the different functional areas was determined by its accesses and relationship with the sea and other surroundings.

MOREHOTEL FOCUS GROUP participates in a new hotel in Sintra FOCUS GROUP, through its technical installations company, is preparing the electricity, communications, energy certification, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning projects for a 4-star hotel establishment called MoreHotel to be built in Sintra.

The building is composed of 2 underground floors, ground floor with common areas, a conference zone, supporting areas and guest rooms, and 2 upper floors also for guest rooms.

The complex also has an outdoor swimming pool, SPA with an indoor swimming pool, a gym and covered car park.

BAR DO RIO FOCUS GROUP designs a commercial establishment in Lisbon FOCUS GROUP developed the technical installations, structural and hydraulic projects for a commercial and tourist establishment, named Bar do Rio, located at Cais do Gás in Lisboa.

Recently inaugurated, the ground floor has capacity for 120 people and the first floor for 184 people, reaching a total maximum occupation of 304 people. The building has two principal façades, one with a view over the River Tejo southwards, and the other, looking over the Riverside Station, westwards.

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IN SHORT

APRIL.2014

PRAIA PRIVATE HOSPITAL FOCUS GROUP with a new project in Cape Verde FOCUS GROUP was invited to develop the projects of all the specialities for the new Private Hospital of Praia, promoted by Idealmed CV. This project will be implemented in the city of Praia, Ilha de Santiago, in Cape Verde.

The plot of land is situated in the K zone of Palmarejo Grande, an area still under development with little construction.

The construction area should cover around 6.500 m² for the Hospital, supplemented by 500 m² intended for a medical residence for doctors on mission abroad. The Hospital will have an internment capacity for 40 rooms, 3 operating theatres, outpatient medical appointments and permanent attendance.

AREAL GORDO Proposed Plan under completion The Proposed Plan for the Urbanisation Programme of Areal Gordo was submitted in December 2013, which is currently under analysis and being adjusted with the different entities with jurisdiction in the area.

It should be recalled that this Urbanisation Programme recommends the following spatial planning options: consolidation of the industrial zone in two phases; enhancement of the existing networks (road and other urban infrastructures); safeguarding the natural resources; valorisation of the industrial units, services and storage that have already been installed; and integration of the existing residential buildings.

The plan's intervention area covers approximately 133 hectares, in a choice location of the municipality of Faro, due to excellent accesses to the urban centre of the city and proximity to the municipality of Olhão.

FARO RIVERSIDE PARK Project already in construction The work for Faro Riverside Park is underway, with its completion being forecast in March 2014.

The phase relative to the placement of new water supply and sewage and rainwater drainage infrastructures has already been concluded.

It should be recalled that the project was awarded through public tender, promoted by the company Pólis Litoral Ria Formosa, by the urban planning and landscape design companies of FOCUS GROUP, and was a highlighted news item of the last publication of INFOCUS. The first phase of Faro Riverside Park was consigned in February 2013, one year after the launch of the public tender for the contract work. This first phase of the work involves zone 1 (Fishing Centre, Docks and Amphitheatre) and zone 2 (Natural Park), where a court for traditional games, an amphitheatre, entertainment and maintenance facilities, among others have been proposed.

FOCUS GROUP offers a unique service for consultancy, design and project management combining, in a single and integrated work environment, a group of architects, engineers, urban planners and landscapers - a concept called "One Stop Solution" .

“The provision of consultancy, design and project management services results from a joint effort and from interaction by a team comprised of architects, engineers, landscapers and urban planners. For this to result in a well-conceived project or well-managed project, it is fundamental for the various specialties and their specific needs to be well-integrated."

Nuno Malheiro da Silva, CEO FOCUS GROUP

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www.focusgroup.eu INFOCUS - a FOCUS GROUP publication | N.12 April 2014 | supervision. Nuno Malheiro da Silva | edition. Olga Dias | design. FOCUS GROUP