The recent decision by a Danish architecture firm to set up its first office in the Americas in the city of Belo Horizonte, capital of the state of Minas Gerais, provides some important pointers and ideas for Australian businesses looking at opportunities in Brazil.
Renowned firm JDS Architecture is hoping to participate in a wide range of projects across Brazil, with owner Julien de Smedt pointing out that they spent a couple of years studying the logistics and conditions of the market before deciding on the move.
He cited the sheer number of developments going on as one of the main reasons for their decision, with the 2014 World Cup and Rio 2016 Olympics preparations driving a surge in demand for architectural services, opening space for foreign groups in Brazil´s well-developed and competitive design market.
Commenting in the industry´s AU magazine, de Smedt provides some interesting insights on their approach to Brazil, including that setting up his business was no different to challenges faced in other emerging markets, that the public selection process for projects in Brazil is still ‘young’ and needs to evolve more to the standards of Europe, and that they plan to share the workload for Brazilian projects between their Belo Horizonte office and Copenhagen headquarters, with the local presence necessary for the all-important contact with clients.
In terms of their choice of Belo Horizonte, de Smedt pointed out that the city is strategically located between Brazil´s major cities Rio, Sao Paulo and Brasilia, while also being a place exploding with business and culture in its own right. He also mentioned the world renowned design and cultural park Inhotim and the city´s rapidly developing fashion industry as key factors in their decision, while adding that they may open additional offices down the track.