Renovating a home in Ciutat Vella

Begin with the building file

In La Seu, La Xerea, El Carme, El Pilar, El Mercat and Sant Francesc, the starting document is the record for the particular property. A street address, cadastral reference, existing plans and photographs let the architect compare what is there with the applicable planning and protection documents. A listing that calls a flat “fully renovated” cannot establish whether earlier alterations were authorised or whether original features remain protected.

The structural catalogue’s central historic ensemble and Islamic-wall entries explain why two checks are necessary: protection of the wider setting and protection of an individual feature. The wall entry does not mean every apartment contains archaeological remains. It means a basement, ground-floor excavation or intervention beside its mapped line should be assessed against the relevant record before a contractor gives a fixed demolition scope. The current special plan and any subsequent amendments must also be checked for the address.

Decide what is worth retaining

A useful first survey records floors, joinery, shutters, ceiling details, stair connections and any visible historic masonry. We distinguish features the owner wants to retain from elements whose conservation is required by the property record. Those are different design constraints, and both belong on the drawings. Where a finish is to be preserved, specify how it will be protected while plumbing and electrical work proceed nearby.

An open living room may be possible, but an attractive rendering cannot identify a load-bearing wall. The designer needs a measured survey and, where the structure is uncertain, targeted investigation or structural advice. Possible options include retaining a wall and enlarging a doorway, reorganising furniture, or moving a lightweight partition elsewhere. The choice should account for permissions, floor levels and the route of building services, not just the area gained.

Bring comfort into the existing envelope

The 2025 district report records 13,681 dwellings in age bands through 1980 out of 19,429. That establishes a substantial older housing stock; it does not tell us whether your roof, wiring or drainage has already been renewed. Ask for the community’s recent works records and inspect the installations serving the flat before deciding which upgrades belong in the private renovation.

For windows, compare repair, draught reduction, compatible secondary measures and replacement against the protection requirements. For cooling, show the proposed equipment, condensate drain and external components on the plan. A courtyard or roof is not automatically a permitted place for a condenser. Likewise, lowering a ceiling to hide ducts can affect decorative fabric, daylight or usable height. Discuss those trade-offs while alternative layouts remain inexpensive to test.

Organise the works around the actual access

Measure the entrance, stair turns and lift before ordering large kitchen worktops or bathroom panels. Confirm the delivery route and where waste can lawfully be collected. A central address does not itself prove that a lorry may stop outside or that a skip can occupy the street. Any public-space occupation, scaffolding or access restriction needs its own practical review.

Agree protection of communal floors and doors with the building representative. Photograph shared areas before works and record arrangements for keys, noisy tasks and service interruptions. For a vacant apartment, decide how progress will be reported when you are away; for an occupied one, assess whether safe sanitation and access can realistically be maintained during the proposed sequence.

A quote and handover suited to an old-town home

Separate conservation work, structural investigation, installation replacement and decorative finishes in the quotation. Where concealed conditions cannot yet be established, identify the investigation needed and the procedure for approving a change. At completion, collect the final scope, installation documentation, product details and maintenance instructions for retained features. This creates a useful record for both the next owner and the community, instead of leaving the history of another renovation undocumented.