Design and structure
Architectural design and coordination for your València renovation
We coordinate architectural input around your renovation, working with independent, appropriately qualified professionals. The appointment sets out the feasibility work, drawings, required technical documentation and construction-stage responsibilities before you commit.
Architectural design in València: how the rules apply
Each rule below comes from a municipal, regional or national text listed in the sources. The note says what it means for this job; open a rule to read its full wording.
Permission and paperwork
- Pre-checks (art. 13)
When a purchase or a design depends on a planning or heritage question, a municipal report or consultation can answer it first, within one and three months respectively.[1]
Rule wording
Before buying or designing, the Ajuntament offers an informe urbanístico and planning or heritage viability consultations. Article 13 sets response periods of 1 month for the report and 3 months for the consultations; these are statutory periods, not promised project dates.
- Comisión de Patrimonio (art. 99)
For an ECUV-certified intervention on a protected building, the favourable Comisión Municipal de Patrimonio opinion comes before filing; the design programme allows for it.[1]
Rule wording
For an ECUV-certified heritage intervention licence, article 99 requires the municipal heritage annex with a favourable Comisión Municipal de Patrimonio opinion before filing. This is a specific route, not a substitute for checking the property’s protection.
- Documents follow the scope
For a declared layout change, the design package includes the technical report, drawings, safety and waste studies and the technical direction appointment.[3]
Rule wording
Under UR.LC.140, layout changes, specified secondary structural repairs and works affecting general installations require additional technical documents. These include the relevant technical report and drawings, basic safety study, waste study and technical direction appointment listed by the procedure.
- Compulsory college visa
The visa is compulsory only for specified documents, such as the execution project and final-works certificate of a LOE project; the appointment says which of your documents need it.[5]
Rule wording
For building work, a professional college visa is compulsory only on the execution project and the final-works certificate of works that need a project under LOE article 2.2, on those documents in legalisation procedures, and on demolition projects that do not use explosives (art. 2).
- When a building project is required
One early answer in a design appointment is whether the proposal alters architectural configuration enough to need a building project.[4]
Rule wording
LOE article 2 requires a project for existing-building works that alter architectural configuration, including specified substantial changes to exterior composition, volume or the overall structural system, and changes of characteristic use. It also covers interventions affecting protected elements of listed buildings; not every interior refit meets these tests.
Community and building
- CTE in an existing building
The project justifies how the CTE applies to the intervention; where full compliance is not feasible in an old building, the designer documents the achievable solution.[6]
Rule wording
The Código Técnico de la Edificación applies to existing-building interventions within its scope, with compliance justified in the project or technical report. Where full application is not feasible for specified technical, economic, planning or heritage reasons, the competent designer must justify the achievable solution and its limitations.
- Climate zone B3 (CTE DB-HE)
Envelope and installation design starts from zone B3 where DB-HE applies, which shapes window and insulation choices.[7]
Rule wording
CTE DB-HE assigns climate zones by province and altitude: in the province of València, sites up to 50 metres above sea level are zone B3, and the same document gives the capital an altitude of 13 metres. The zone feeds DB-HE’s energy-saving requirements for interventions within the CTE’s scope.
- Notice to the community (LPH 7.1)
Drawings for a flat go to the administrator with the notice; anything touching the façade or structure goes to the community as a separate question.[8]
Rule wording
An owner must notify the community’s representative before works inside a flat. Article 7.1 allows those alterations only if they do not impair the building’s safety, general structure or exterior configuration, or prejudice another owner’s rights; notice alone does not authorise changes to common elements.
On site and at handover
- Architect and technical roles
For a residential LOE project, the architect signs the project and directs the works; interior designers and engineers contribute within their competence.[4]
Rule wording
For residential building work within the LOE’s project requirements, the law assigns the architectural project and works direction to an architect, and material execution direction to a technical architect. Specialist designers and other technicians act within their legal competence and the agreed project team.
Do you need a permit?
València’s 2026 ordinance has three routes. Which one your job takes depends on what it touches and on the building.
No permit
The design appointment defines the intended work first. Some resulting minor works fall within the ordinance's exempt list; that is checked against the actual scope. [1]
Declaración responsable
Where the proposed intervention qualifies for a declaración responsable, the team prepares the documentation appropriate to that route. [1, 2] [3]
Licence
A technical project does not itself grant permission. Works requiring a licence or separate heritage authorisation follow the applicable process before construction. [1, 2] [1]
The Ajuntament has the final word. We confirm the route for your home before we quote, and we never start works ahead of it.
Three districts, from the municipal record
The 2025 municipal housing sheet records the share of dwellings built in 1980 or earlier. It is context for the district, not a survey of your building.
District 1
70.4%[10]
Dwellings built in 1980 or earlier
Ciutat Vella
Design starts from the building's PEP catalogue sheet [9]; the separate BIC entry for the Islamic wall shows how a single site can carry its own conditions [11].
District 6
70.2%[12]
Dwellings built in 1980 or earlier
El Pla del Real (Llano del Real)
Near the Monforte garden, a BIC historic garden with a mapped site [13], design work on neighbouring buildings is checked against that record before façade or roof changes are drawn.
District 3
79.8%[14]
Dwellings built in 1980 or earlier
Extramurs
Finca Roja and the Santa María Micaela group show that twentieth-century housing can be catalogued too [15] [16]; the design brief records the building's status first.
Open the district page for protection rules, barrios and the questions that apply there.
From a brief to a buildable proposal
A useful design starts with the way you want to live and the constraints of the property. We bring the brief, site information and the proposed work together, then coordinate the appropriate independent architect and any other specialists. Whether the proposal needs a LOE project shapes that team. [4] The appointment should explain which stage is being commissioned and what you will receive at its end.
Feasibility comes before a final layout. A new opening, relocated bathroom or altered window may need investigation, a protection check or community approval. The pre-purchase guide is useful if your decision to buy depends on one of those changes.
Drawings, specifications and responsibility
The LOE assigns the regulated roles. [4] We make the responsibilities visible: who designs, who signs the required project, who provides any technical direction and who coordinates the construction work. A general project manager does not replace a statutory appointment.
The deliverables may include existing and proposed plans, technical details, the material specification and coordinated services information, depending on the scope. We agree how owner decisions and drawing revisions are recorded. That gives the contractor and suppliers a consistent approved package to price and use.
Working with the existing building
The CTE applies to interventions within its scope. [6] The project team assesses which requirements apply to the intervention and how they interact with the existing construction. For a protected property, the relevant catalogue entry and plan are checked before a design depends on altering a particular element. [1]
Our district guides identify local sources and examples. They provide context; the architect still checks your address and proposal. Structural, installation and heritage questions should remain visible until they are resolved, rather than being concealed behind a polished visualisation.
A coordinated route into construction
We connect the approved design with an itemised construction scope, the applicable submissions, procurement and the programme. Where professional construction-stage services are required or commissioned, those are recorded in the appointment. The design-team guide explains how these roles fit together.
Start with a free estimate for the renovation and a discussion of the professional work it needs. The fixed-price quote in writing and any professional appointments then describe the agreed scope, fees, exclusions and responsibilities.
How we run it
Free estimate
Send photos or a short video, or book a call. We tell you what the job involves and give a free estimate.
Visit
We visit the property, measure up and look at the building, the installations and the community’s rules.
Design and permissions
We agree the design, coordinate any required independent architect or engineer, and check municipal and community requirements.
Fixed-price quote
You get a fixed-price quote in writing, with the official fees and IVA shown separately.
Paperwork and works
We coordinate any required filing and prior approvals before the affected works start. Your project manager tracks progress, decisions and agreed changes.
Handover
We inspect the agreed work with you, record outstanding items and hand over applicable certificates, manuals and completion documents.
Your questions, answered
Does every renovation require an architectural project?
No single answer applies to every scope. The LOE and applicable municipal procedure determine when a technical project is required. We ask the appropriate professional to establish the requirements for the proposed work and record that before the construction scope is final.
Are the architects part of your employed team?
We work with independent professionals. We identify the professional, their appointment, deliverables, responsibilities and fee arrangement before their work begins.
Can you coordinate interiors and structural design as well?
Yes. We coordinate the agreed interiors, structural and building-services input so the drawings and specification describe the same proposal. Each regulated task remains with the appropriately qualified professional.
Does your design service guarantee permission?
No. The Ajuntament, any relevant heritage authority and the community make their own decisions. We coordinate the agreed preparation and submissions, explain unresolved questions and adjust the proposal where required.
Sources
- Ordenanza reguladora de licencias urbanísticas y de actividades y de otros títulos habilitantes (Pleno 22 Dec 2025, BOP 27 Jan 2026, in force 28 Jan 2026). Ajuntament de València. Checked 31 October 2026.
- TRLOTUP (Decreto Legislativo 1/2021), art. 189: building evaluation; arts. 232 and 233: licence and declaración responsable; art. 245: utility supplies. Generalitat Valenciana (DOGV). Checked 3 November 2026.
- Sede electrónica procedure UR.LC.140: declaración responsable for works in a flat or common element of a non-catalogued building. Ajuntament de València, sede electrónica. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Ley 38/1999 de Ordenación de la Edificación: arts. 2, 6, 7, 10, 12 and 13. BOE. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Real Decreto 1000/2010: compulsory professional college visa, art. 2. BOE. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Real Decreto 314/2006: Código Técnico de la Edificación, Part I, art. 2. BOE. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Real Decreto 732/2019: CTE Basic Document DB-HE (energy saving), Annex B climate zones and Annex G. BOE. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Ley 49/1960 de Propiedad Horizontal (consolidated text), arts. 7, 9, 10 and 17. BOE. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Plan Especial de Protección de Ciutat Vella and Catálogo (CTU 13 Feb 2020, BOP 26 Feb 2020; modified 2024–25). Ajuntament de València. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Municipal district 1 report 2025: population sections 1.3/1.8 and cadastral housing age section 5.1 (page 19). Ajuntament de València, Oficina de Estadística. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Municipal structural heritage catalogue: 01-18 bis Recinto Muralla Islámica. Ajuntament de València, Urbanisme. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Municipal district 6 report 2025: population sections 1.3/1.8 and cadastral housing age section 5.1 (page 19). Ajuntament de València, Oficina de Estadística. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Municipal structural heritage catalogue: 06-01 Jardín de Monforte. Ajuntament de València, Urbanisme. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Municipal district 3 report 2025: population sections 1.3/1.8 and cadastral housing age section 5.1 (page 19). Ajuntament de València, Oficina de Estadística. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Municipal structural heritage catalogue: 03-10 Finca Roja. Ajuntament de València, Urbanisme. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Municipal structural heritage catalogue: 03-15 Grupo de Viviendas Santa María Micaela. Ajuntament de València, Urbanisme. Checked 31 October 2026.