After years of braving huge traffic jams to get to their manses-by-the-beach, São Paulo natives decided that driving two hours from the city to their beach houses had become too great of a hassle. Many are flocking to the "campo". Hence the flurry of new ultra-luxurious developments in Sao Paulo's countryside.
The most high-profile of'em all, of course, is the one that bears the Fasano seal of quality. The Fazenda Boa Vista, so named because it is being built in what once an actual fazenda, or farm, is a gated community of weekend homes for the ultra rich, located in Porto Feliz, two hours west of São Paulo.
JHSF, the developers, even tennis pros Maria Sharapova and Gisela Dulko (da Argentina) to be the stars at the official launch, this weekend.
Lot owners must choose from a list of renowned architects who have been recruited for this project, so that the resulting look of the place is harmonious in its elegant modernity (Marcos Tomanik, Marcio Kogan, Erick Figueira de Mello, Thiago Bernardes and Paulo Jacobsen, Cândida Tabet, Antônio Scarpa, Sig Bergamin, Carolina Maluhy and Isis Chaulon).
Some houses will be built by the developers themselves, and will be called Villas Fasano. These will all be designed by Isay Weinfeld, Fasano's signature architect.
Why would any of this interest someone visitting Brazil? It wouldn't. Unless the person knows someone who's bought one of the fazenda's lots. Only their friends and acquaintances will be able to book a room at the first ever country-style Fasano, a small hotel to be run by the Fasano family with a mere 26 rooms.
The hotel, also designed by Isay Weinfeld, will have an adjoining Fasano restaurant, bien sûr, and also an outpost of the famed Baretto, São Paulo's chicest piano bar.
We'll keep you all posted on the progress.
