Signature · Developer · São Paulo
Upcon
A fast-growing São Paulo developer with an appetite for signature architecture — and one that Gafisa absorbed in 2020.
Who they are
Upcon is a São Paulo developer that, by its own account, brought together in a little under a decade of existence 40 projects, more than 5,000 units and around 450,000 square metres built. It operated through dozens of special-purpose companies, based in Vila Nova Conceição, and became known for seeking signature architecture in products that did not belong to the absolute top of the market — which is what led it to the Franco-Brazilian Triptyque Architecture on Upcon Itacema.
In December 2019 Gafisa announced its intention to acquire Upcon; the deal was approved without restrictions by CADE, and the definitive agreement was signed in March 2020, structured as a share swap with no cash outlay. The Upcon brand has since orbited Gafisa.
Product vision
- Positioning: residential and commercial in São Paulo, with a strong presence in Itaim Bibi and surrounds; mid-size scale and fast turnover, rather than boutique.
- Differentiators: hiring signature architects for products of varied typology — Upcon Itacema brings together five typologies in the same building, from compact apartments to garden houses; a declared interest in new construction technologies; and common areas delivered furnished and decorated to the architect’s design, rather than a stand-in decorator’s.
Launches
- Upcon Itacema (2019, Itaim Bibi), also called the Itacema Project, with design and interiors by Triptyque Architecture and landscaping by Mera Arquitetura.
