DBPR interviews the world-renowned property & tourism grandee André Jordan, the man behind Quinta do Lago and the Belas Country Club (Belas Clube de Campo), a ‘Global Village’ concept.

Q: What are the five most important things to make a new development successful?

A: “Unlike tackling the development of one single building project, a true development is composed of multiple elements from the initial concept and design through the construction to the completed product. To achieve an outstanding practical design, it is essential that no one aspect of development is ignored or treated casually.

As a guide urban planning is one of the key elements essential to the quality and desirability of any project. In my experience, if you get the aesthetics and the functionality of the buildings right and pay attention to the protection and sustainability of the environment, you are more likely to end up with a successful development.

Q: If you could pick out your top developments around the world where are they and give a brief reason for your choice?

A: As I have always passionately believed in the projects I have undertaken which as a developer of mixed residential and leisure property mean combining both aspects skillfully, I would have to name Quinta do Lago and Vilamoura XXI in the Algarve, Belas Clube de Campo, in the Sintra hills of Lisbon and La Manga, in southern Spain.

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