Celma de Almeida
I’m Portuguese, based in Lisbon. My background is in real estate development and I’ve been a real estate developer in Portugal for more than twenty years, mainly for residential areas.
“It’s a very strong program. It has a very holistic approach to the whole of real estate development.”
Enrichment through diversity: how a capstone project created a new destination
When asked what was the best part of the Global Master in Real Estate Development, Celma de Almeida says there were “so many,” adding that it is a “very strong program” with a holistic approach to real estate development. As an experienced real estate developer with her own businesses in her native Portugal, she found the program extremely enriching. Celma particularly appreciated the diversity of her group and enjoyed the face-to-face component of the program.
“All the experiences we have from all over the world enrich the program itself.”
The program also raised Celma’s awareness of the many innovations currently taking place in the area of real estate: not only technological and digital transformation, but also innovation in building materials and in ways of working. Sustainability is also a key aspect of the program: Celma intends to put into practice the “great sustainability base” she acquired in her future projects.
The capstone project Celma’s group worked on was in Bologna, Italy, where the project remit was to create a new hub in an area of the city identified as a challenging site. What makes the project unique, she says, is that they created a new destination within Bologna, decentralizing the city from the historical center and revitalizing the outskirts of the city. “We’ve created a new hub, not only for people to go there as a destination, but also to become a sustainable mobility hub,” Celma explains.
The success of the project was also largely due to the strength of the project team. “I was lucky enough to work with a group of people who were five stars,” Celma states. The group was composed of two architects, an ESG director, a project manager and two real estate professionals, resulting in a good mix of expertise and experience. As well as being part of a very strong team, Celma also proved herself as an individual when she was awarded the Best Student award for the class of 2023—a testament to her very strong work ethic and dedication to her program.
Celma’s advice for anyone thinking of enrolling in the program is to take as much as possible from it and to learn to question. “Don’t be scared of asking questions,” she emphasizes, “because you will get answers, and you will get answers from very different perspectives.” She describes the Global Master in Real Estate Development as “a program which has a holistic approach to real estate, from all aspects,” adding that “I think in the future, that’s how we will have to approach real estate.”
