Grupo Casais starts 75 affordable rental homes in Guimarães

Grupo Casais has broken ground on a 75-unit affordable rental housing project in Lugar de Mataduços, Guimarães, under Portugal's 1.º Direito housing support programme. The five-storey building, to be completed within 359 days, uses a hybrid timber-concrete structure and off-site prefabrication, which the company says cuts concrete use by about 40%, waste by 70% and site noise by over half. The scheme incorporates recycled materials and has a preliminary LiderA class A energy rating, aligned with PRR efficiency targets. The builder is separately developing the Minho Innovation and Technology Hub in Azurém, also focused on sustainable housing and an energy community.