Your architect is the one person who accompanies you throughout the entire project – from the first ideas to the completion of your home.
The architect coordinates all other professionals involved, ensures that every stage of the project runs smoothly, and remains available to you long after construction has been completed.
The Aparejador (also known as Arquitecto Técnico) is responsible for the technical supervision of the construction works. During the planning stage, they prepare the structural calculations, and throughout construction they oversee the technical execution on site.
Their responsibilities include supervising structural elements, monitoring construction quality, and ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations.
For an Obra Mayor, Spanish law requires the appointment of both an architect and an Aparejador, who together supervise the construction project.
The topographer surveys your plot and its surroundings, including existing infrastructure. Their GPS-referenced survey forms one of the most important foundations for our planning, allowing us to position your home in the most suitable location on the site.
The topographer also sets out the position of the foundations before construction begins and, once the building has been completed, carries out the final survey required for the Declaración de Obra Nueva (Declaration of New Construction).
Before the structural calculations can be completed, Spanish law requires a geotechnical site investigation. The geologist determines the number and location of the required boreholes and soil tests and carries them out on site.
The collected samples are then analysed in a laboratory, and the results are compiled into a detailed geotechnical report, which provides the structural engineer with the information needed to design the building's foundations.
Some projects require additional specialist reports or technical designs to comply with local regulations. Whenever this is the case, the relevant specialist is brought into the project to prepare the necessary documentation.
For example, if a plot is not yet fully urbanised — meaning that infrastructure such as pavements, street lighting or other public works is still missing — a specialist engineer prepares the corresponding technical project.
Properties in rural or environmentally sensitive areas may also require additional reports, for example relating to wildfire protection or the restrictions imposed by Spain's Coastal Law (Ley de Costas).
Independent laboratories verify the quality of key construction materials, such as concrete, and confirm compliance with the applicable energy efficiency and building performance standards.
They issue the official certificates required for the project, which are provided to you by your Aparejador / Arquitecto Técnico once construction has been completed.
For most projects, we recommend appointing a single general contractor to carry out the construction works. This ensures that both you and we have one central point of contact throughout the project and during the warranty period. Communication remains clear, responsibilities are well defined, and unnecessary coordination issues are avoided.
The choice of contractor is, of course, entirely yours. If you wish, we are happy to assist you with our experience and recommend trusted local construction companies.
Owner participation in the construction works, on the other hand, is highly unusual in Spain and generally not compatible with the way building projects are organised. The administrative requirements, legal responsibilities and quality control procedures are designed for work to be carried out by qualified contractors. For this reason, construction work is normally entrusted entirely to the appointed building company.
Every home is the result of the skill, experience and dedication of many different trades. Bricklayers, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, tilers, painters, photovoltaic specialists and many others all contribute their expertise at different stages of the project.
While drawings, calculations and permits provide the foundation, it is these skilled craftspeople who transform ideas, materials and plans into the place you will one day call home.