Modular construction is the solution and has been done for years around the world.

Paulo Santa Maria began and ended the interview with idealista/news placing the emphasis on the same narrative: “necessity makes the cause.” Thus, if traditional construction at the moment does not have the capacity, the solution is modular construction, he argues.

But this was not the only aspect his discourse focused on. The general manager of Pureblok also stated that there is a gap in construction in terms of insulation, and it is in this context that he presents this modular construction company as the “most complete solution.”

However, it is important first to get to know Pureblok in order to understand why.

Who is Pureblok?

What sets them apart: How does Pureblok’s panel work?

Speed, insulation, and energy savings: the advantages
Homes take 6 months to build
Did the Urbanistic Simplex work?
Modular solutions have existed for years

Who is Pureblok?

Purever
Part of the Purever family, a multinational specialized in the sector of isothermal solutions, with 70 years of experience in France and 30 years in Portugal.

With a strong presence in the pharmaceutical, food, and hospital industries, they brought the accumulated know-how and applied technology into the production of houses, giving birth to Pureblok.

When asked about the market need they identified to launch houses, the response was quick and concise: “it is not a matter of need, but of seizing the opportunity,” said Paulo Santa Maria, continuing:

“Pureblok was born precisely as an alternative branch of what we do every day. If we have the best equipment on the market, used, for example, in large logistics warehouses to store food at minus 40 degrees, and it works, why not use these same materials to build houses?” questioned the general manager of Pureblok. “What we did was take advantage of what we were already doing and adapt it over some time,” he stated.

What sets them apart: How does Pureblok’s panel work?

In the same interview, the general manager pointed to failures in the market in terms of insulation—something that, according to him, Pureblok’s technology addresses.

Paulo Santa Maria explained that the panels of the houses have several layers, including the PIR isothermal panel; cork; rock wool; and plasterboard. “It’s a sandwich with several solutions,” he said, also emphasizing its good smoke-resistant performance.

Pureblok also notes that, thermally, the company’s panel is equivalent to more than 15 to 30 times the thickness of a traditional cement block or brick wall. The general manager insisted again: “we have the best of both worlds in terms of thermal, acoustic, and fire performance.”

Speed, insulation, and energy savings: the advantages

Paulo Santa Maria highlighted that the younger generation continues to be the one with the greatest demand for modular construction, but also the one that shows less concern about heating or cooling, ultimately not thinking long-term.

This is because, according to modular company data, about 40 to 50% of the energy consumed in a building is destined for heating or cooling spaces.

“People want a house just because, because it’s needed. But the cost of heating and cooling a house over a year is enough to pay for a holiday,” he noted, stressing that Pureblok ensures thermal comfort and, consequently, a reduction in the energy bill.

Homes take 6 months to build

The speed of modular home construction is another point raised by the general manager. Paulo Santa Maria gave the example that if a person pays about €1,000 in rent in Lisbon and intends to build a traditional home, on top of the rent paid to the landlord, they will also pay the bank loan for approximately two years until the house is ready to live in.

“Therefore, this increases expenses until you have a product you can use. With Pureblok, the house will take at most six months to build. That way, you save about 18 months, or €18,000,” he explained.

It is important to highlight, however, that this is the estimated construction time, which Pureblok can control. It does not include licensing deadlines, which depend on city councils, since all the principles used in traditional construction are applicable to modular construction.

In terms of cost, Paulo Santa Maria clarified that it depends on the level of finishes chosen by the client, but the houses fall within a price range of €1,500 to €2,500 per square meter.

Did the Urbanistic Simplex work?

According to the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, Miguel Pinto Luz, “the simplex did not work,” the official acknowledged during the conference “Portugal 2030: Strategic Future for the Construction Sector” in February this year.

Paulo Santa Maria both agrees and disagrees. From his perspective, on one hand, “there is a bit more speed and efficiency in the process,” but on the other hand, the biggest obstacle lies in the lack of people in municipalities to handle the demand.

“A bit like what happens with immigration—they want papers. If the department only has four people, and those four can only handle thirty cases, it doesn’t matter if there are a hundred waiting outside, we will never get an answer. So the same thing happens with the Simplex. More and more processes are being submitted to councils,” he explained.

To sum up? “People can’t handle everything, but it’s faster.”

It is worth recalling that the objective of the urbanistic simplex was to simplify licensing processes—the same which will be revised and brought before the Council of Ministers in the coming weeks.

Modular solutions have existed for years

Unsure whether people are giving in “to evidence or to necessity,” Paulo Santa Maria admits that there is a paradigm shift happening in mindsets.

In recent months, 35% of consultations were from people over 50 years old, “not as a second home, but as their primary residence,” the general manager revealed.

“With the urban rehabilitation happening in major centers, with municipalities rebuilding old buildings for controlled rents and people needing homes, the capacity to respond is this: modular solutions,” he stressed. “Otherwise, people will be waiting two years. So this also makes people adapt. In the past, everyone wanted diesel cars, now almost everyone has an electric car,” he concluded.

The businessman did not end the interview with idealista/news without stressing that in Portugal and worldwide, construction with prefabricated elements has already been a reality for many years. “In Paris, if we stay in a hotel that is already 10 or 15 years old, the construction of that hotel is modular. It has been part of our lives for years,” he pointed out.