Preliminary design
Spatial strategy, functional programme, orientations and massing. The moment when the client understands what they are going to build and why. Sketches, floor plans, section and daylight simulation based on actual orientation.
04 · Service
Architecture studio.
We design the way we build: with material judgement, technical thinking and respect for the place. Project only, or project linked to permits, execution and technical supervision — one single firm, one single point of contact.
Architecture is not style. It is the discipline of making a space work with precision and age with dignity. Every decision at the drawing board has material consequences thirty years later.
We are a studio that also builds. The project ends when the user opens the door for the first time, not when the drawing is signed. The constant feedback between designer and builder produces a quality that neither would achieve separately.
We choose materials that improve with time: limestone, solid timber, concrete with selected aggregate. Material honesty is not a trend — it is an ethical stance towards the craft.
Studio founded in Barcelona · COAC registered · 21 years of executed work
What it includes
Six services. One same rigour.
Basic project
Architectural definition to obtain the building permit. Justification report, planning regulations, CTE, area schedule and complete documentation for the local authority.
Executive project
The technical instrument that enables construction without ambiguity. Materials, dimensions, construction details, installations and finishes with the precision needed so that the build and the drawing are one and the same.
DF
We ensure that what is built matches exactly what was designed. This is not an external architect making weekly visits: it is the same team that knows every design decision from the first sketch.
Interior design
The logical extension of the project to the domestic scale. Bespoke furniture, light fittings, wall finishes and textiles with the same material logic that governs the building. It is not decoration: it is architecture at another scale.
Permits and procedures
We manage the entire relationship with the authorities: professional body stamps, major works permits, occupancy certificate and energy certificate. No intermediaries, no avoidable delays.
How we work
Four phases, no gaps.
Diagnosis
Visit and programme
We visit the plot or existing property with the architect responsible for the project. We listen to the brief, verify regulatory constraints, take measurements and establish the functional programme with the client before drawing a single line.
1–2 weeks
Design
Preliminary design
We define the spatial strategy through sketches, schematic floor plans and daylight simulations. It is presented in a face-to-face meeting and refined with the client until the solution is exactly what is needed, before committing any expenditure on a stamped project.
3–5 weeks
Documentation
Basic and executive
We draft the basic project for the permit and, in parallel or in a second phase depending on the brief, the complete executive project with installations, structure, details and material specifications. The same team that writes it will build it — this eliminates the margin for interpretation on site.
6–12 weeks
Control
DF
Weekly site visits, site instruction log, photographic reports and partial certifications. If Urbancat executes the works, feedback between supervision and construction is daily. If a third party executes it, our supervision is equally demanding of the signed project.
Throughout the entire works
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Signed projects
Residential, commercial and rehabilitation since 2003.
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Stamped projects
COAC registered. No project delivered without a professional stamp.
0years
By craft
Since 2003, without pause, learning from every commission.
"Architecture does not end when the drawing is signed. It ends when the client opens the door for the first time."
Urbancat team · Architecture studio · BarcelonaFrequently asked questions
What they usually ask us.
01 Can you handle only the project without building?
Yes. Although most clients end up linking project and construction under one single firm, the commission can be purely architectural: concept design, basic project, executive project and technical supervision over works executed by a contractor of your choice. We bring the same level of rigour regardless of who builds.
02 Do you handle building permits?
Yes, fully. COAC professional stamp, submission to the local authority, tracking the file, responding to requirements and collecting the permit. We also manage the occupancy certificate, energy certificate and building log. The client never sets foot in any office.
03 Do you do interior design?
Yes, although we understand it as an extension of the architectural project, not as independent decoration. We design bespoke furniture, select light fittings, wall finishes and textiles with the same material logic that governs the building. It can be commissioned as part of the project or as a standalone service for an already-built home.
04 How long does the basic project take?
Normally between 6 and 10 weeks from signing the commission to delivering the stamped project ready to apply for the permit. The timeline depends on the complexity of the programme and the number of revision rounds. Before you commit, we give you the real estimate, not the one you would like to hear.
05 Do you work outside Barcelona?
Yes. We have experience in projects throughout Catalonia, Madrid, Valencia and Mallorca. The project can be developed from the studio with occasional site visits. If technical supervision requires continuous presence outside Barcelona, we assess it case by case and give you the real cost without small print.
Do you have a project?
Let's talk without commitment.
Free first technical visit. Fee proposal within 48 hours. The project begins with an honest conversation.