As one of the most affected activities during the economic recession, Brazil’s construction sector had to reinvent itself in order to survive: cutting costs, changing forms of land banking, launching fewer new real estate developments—but, above all, looking out for new opportunities. This time, hope lingers in the tiniest of spaces: the market of compact apartments.
In the world’s largest cities, such as New York City and Tokyo, studio apartments have been a reality for decades. In São Paulo, Brazil’s biggest construction market, apartments smaller than 45 square meters are now leading sales in every aspect, according to Secovi,...