- Engineering & Construction
- Environment
- Telecommunications
- Renewable energies
- Ventures
- Real estate
Respect. (from the lat. respectu) n. 1. respect; 2. consideration; high regard; 3. deference; compliance; veneration; 4. honour; worship; 5. relation; refererence...
We believe that everyone should be respected for their work, for their attitudes, opinions and options.
Rigor. (from the lat. rigore) n. 1. harshness; strength; 2.fig., severity; punctuality; accuracy.
There is no "more or less levelled", "more or less upright”, "more or less clean" or "more or less safe", but rather “levelled”, "upright”, "clean” and “safe". The rigour is reflected in our procedures, in time and in the rules to follow. In the light of moral and principles, being severe means being rigorous.
Passion. (from the lat. passione) n. 1. intense and usually violent feeling (affection, joy, hate, etc.) which hinders the exercise of impartial logic; 2. derived from a feeling; 3. great predilection; 4. partiality; 5. great grief; immense suffering...
Under the sign of passion – a text of the Portuguese poet Regina Guimarães – is our icon. Passion is to reveal great enthusiasm for something, favourable encouragement or opposite to something.
It is the sensibility transmitted by an architect or engineer through work.
Passion is the dedication to a project. Passion is a state of warm soul.
Loyalty. (from the lat. legalitate) n. the quality of being loyal; fidelity; sincerity.
Respect for the principles and rules that guide the honour and probity. Faithfulness to commitments and agreements undertaken, staunch character.
To remain loyal to the business partners because we depend on them and they depend on us.
Being trustworthy for being loyal.
Solidarity. (from the lat. solidare) n. 1. the quality of being solidary; 2. reciprocal responsibility among the members of a group, namely social, professional, etc.; 3. sense of sharing another’s suffering.
Being solidary is being a friend, offering our hand with genuine generosity and bringing joy and human warmth to those who, somehow, are marginalized. Being solidary is being more human. A solidary company is recognized as a fair and non-selfish company. A solidary company is a preferred choice in business. It is a more competitive company. Volunteering is a vehicle to solidarity. It is modern, fair, cultured, friend, it is a noble gesture of moral elevation.
Courage. (from the lat. coraticum) n. 1. bravery facing danger; intrepidity; to have audacity; 2. moral force before a suffering or setback; 3. [fig.] to input energy when performing a difficult task; perseverance...
Courage is essential in our life. Courage to face less pleasant situations when complex issues come up, not expecting random resolutions.
It is a value that we must highlight as opposed to the fearful, cowardly and laziness.
The courage to react to criticism not with an attitude of demotivation or sadness, but rather to search for the means and the action to overcome its own reason. This kind of courage, which is also an intellectual courage, is highly recommended.
Ambition. (from the lat. ambitione) n. 1. vehement desire of wealth, honours or glories; 2. expectation about the future; aspiration; 3. lust; greed…
Vehement desire to achieve a particular goal. Ambition not to resign ourselves. Ambition to take the best potential from ourselves. Ambition to deserve ourselves. Ambition to be athletes in our top-level competitive jobs. Ambition to beat our brands. Ambition to get the best deals with the maximum value, due to the high levels of proficiency and efficiency.
Esthetics. ESTHETICS (from the Greek aisthetiké, "sensitive") n.f. 1. Philosophy branch of philosophy that studies the beauty and nature of artistic phenomena; 2. author's own style, time, etc.; 3. harmony of shapes and colors, beauty; 4. set of techniques and treatments that aim to beautify the body.
We decided to build the company's economic foundations under a cultured, cosmopolitan and cool image. Because it is a charming state of being. Good taste because we are sustainable and we respect the planet. Good taste because we are sensitive. Good taste just because.
Responsibility. (from the lat respondere) n. the trait of being answerable to someone for something or being responsible for one's conduct; a form of trustworthiness.
We must be certain that, before a choice, we chose what is best for both of us and not just the best for each one. Each employee is responsible for his negotiated activity and co-responsible if the co-worker does not fulfil his own task, thus preventing the common goal. A team is a set of individuals - is a whole. In the business game, as in social or family contexts, everyone must comply with their own relative position and we shall not permit that one of ours fails to be in our team.
Expresso
Brands such as Krear and Zethaus are trying to establish themselves in the modular construction market. In the view of architects Luís Reis and Maria Luísa Barbosa, from Zethaus (DST Group), “it is essential to ensure rigorous planning, good resource management and a production scale that justifies the investment.”
The Zethaus brand, created by the Braga-based DST Group, and Krear, launched by the Casais Group and Secil in May 2024, are developing several projects linked to industrialized construction, based on modular and prefabrication concepts. This approach is considered one of the ways to accelerate solutions to Portugal’s housing crisis. However, these businesses need scale to become competitive.
Although industrial construction promises a 20% to 30% reduction in building timelines, the final price remains “the same or even higher than traditional construction,” warns Hipólito Sousa, civil engineer and professor at the University of Porto’s Faculty of Engineering (FEUP).
Speaking at the workshop Construction Materials Industry Beyond 2030 – NextGeneration MC Project, recently organized by the Association of Construction Materials, Hipólito Sousa stresses that prices in industrialized construction will only decrease when “there is scale” and “factories produce in larger quantities.”
But for this to happen, many things must change in Portugal’s construction paradigm, which suffers from the “lack of a defined strategy that would allow the sector to invest in targeted prefabrication and industrialization,” especially considering the country’s peripheral location and limited size.
In other words, central administration must define policies and strategies that enable both public and private demand to be foreseen and strengthened “for at least a decade.” At the same time, he notes, “the rigidity of public procurement and control models needs to be adjusted,” as these are currently hindering affordable housing tenders launched by municipalities.
Other aspects must also change, such as the “stigma among users regarding prefabricated and lightweight solutions, often perceived as having poorer performance and durability.” Improving the sector’s image through strong communication campaigns is essential. Simultaneously, it is necessary to “clarify and stabilize the VAT regime,” Sousa added.
International Outreach
The DST Group is promoting the Zethaus brand internationally. According to architects Luís Reis and Maria Luísa Barbosa, Zethaus “does not aim to be just another construction system,” but rather “a future in which architecture is not limited to mere functionality.” They emphasize that for industrial construction to be profitable, “rigorous planning, good resource management, and a production scale that justifies the investment” are essential.
The brand is strengthening its ties with architecture and expanding its international presence. After participating in a symposium at the Milan Triennale (November 7), Zethaus also took part in an event at the Faculty of Architecture of Venice (November 19), which brought together architects, artists, curators and thinkers to rethink how we build and inhabit our cities.
With support from Portugal’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), DST is leading a consortium of companies aiming to drive a paradigm shift in construction.
To this end, the group created the “Living Lab,” a laboratory dedicated to researching, developing and testing industrializable, sustainable and inclusive construction solutions.
“We challenged architect Norman Foster and the international engineering group ARUP to define a new industrial construction system that, in a world governed by numbers, allows us to extend quality to everyone,” says DST’s president, José Teixeira.
This system combines 3D volumetric construction, where modules are delivered to the site fully finished, with 2D construction, which allows for flexibility and customization. Structurally, it uses steel, timber and concrete.
The Living Lab site is located on the DST Group campus in Braga, where projects for senior housing, student housing, multifamily housing, a hotel and a healthcare center are currently being tested.
According to José Teixeira, “the student residence building has already been assembled on site, and the senior residence is nearing completion.” He adds that “the remaining three buildings are being produced in the factory and will be installed on the site by mid next year.”