Who it is for
Those who already know what they want to build or change and need the design and the municipal procedure handled end to end.
Service · Design
Design and licensing, with architecture and engineering fully coordinated
We develop the architectural design, coordinate the engineering disciplines required and file the application with the câmara municipal (municipal council). We follow the process through to the decision and, under a separate scope, we can continue to support the preparation and execution of the works.
Integrated teamCoordinated engineering disciplinesFollow-up through to the decision
Describe my project Initial screening · no commitment
Tell us about the property and what you intend to do. We carry out a first screening, identify the likely scope of the design and the engineering disciplines, and present a proposal setting out fees, timescale and the material to be delivered.
In short
The essentials in three points
What we deliver
Architectural design, engineering disciplines coordinated with each other, statements of responsibility and filing with the municipal council.
What is not included
Construction and site supervision are contracted separately, as are municipal fees. Decision times depend on the council.
When it makes sense
When it makes sense to talk to us
You do not need to have the brief settled. You do need to know what you want from the property.
You are building from scratch
You have a plot or a piece of land and want to develop the solution, coordinate the engineering disciplines and file the applicable application.
You want to extend or remodel
You want to increase the area, change the internal layout or work on the facade and roof of an existing building.
You are changing the use
You want to set up an activity, convert a space or adapt the building to a use different from the one on the permit.
You have a stalled project
The application has been filed and you have received a request for further material, an unfavourable opinion or a requirement you are not sure how to resolve.
You need coordination
You already have architecture by another author and need the engineering disciplines, the compatibility work between designs and the filing of the application.
Optional scope
Do you already have an approved design and need support on site?
The preparation and follow-up of the execution can be contracted separately: design support during construction, coordination of the parties involved and site supervision, with the scope set out in its own proposal.
What the design covers
Architecture and engineering, treated as a single project
The engineering disciplines required depend on the type of operation, the intended use, the characteristics of the building and the applicable legal and regulatory framework. We confirm the applicable list at the outset and coordinate the documents with each other, so that the solutions in one do not undermine the others.
- 01Architecture
- 02Structures
- 03Water and drainage networks
- 04Thermal performance
- 05Acoustics
- 06Fire safety
A single discipline on its own solves little.Structures shape the design, thermal performance shapes the openings, fire safety shapes the routes. Coordination is the work, not an extra.
Architecture
Brief, siting, organisation of space, image, materials and the drawings and written pieces that support the procedure.
Structures and foundations
Structural design, sizing and compatibility with the architectural solution and with the conditions of the ground.
Networks and installations
Water supply, foul and stormwater drainage, electricity, gas, telecommunications and air conditioning, as applicable.
Performance and safety
Thermal performance and energy certification, acoustics, fire safety and accessibility, where required for the operation.
Deliverables
What we deliver at each stage
The exact content of each stage is set out in the proposal, according to the operation, the use and the requirements of the municipality.
Preliminary study
One or more solutions for the intended brief, with areas, siting and a reading of the parameters applicable to the property.
Architectural design
Drawings and written pieces in the form required to support the procedure, including the descriptive and justifying report.
Engineering designs
The designs required for the operation, prepared by qualified professionals and made compatible with the architecture.
Filing of the application
Organisation of all the material, statements of responsibility and submission through the municipality's platform or front desk.
Follow-up
Responses to requests for further material, clarifications and liaison with the municipal services through to the decision.
Support during construction
Clarification of queries on site, supplementary material and, where contracted, coordination and site supervision.
Defined
An item decided and incorporated into the design documents.
To confirm
Depends on a fact about the property, on a survey or on a choice by the client.
Constraint
A restriction identified that requires the intended solution to change.
External
Depends on an opinion, a municipal decision or another authority.
The same certainty scale used in Planning Feasibility.
A design is not only the solution that is drawn.
It is also the set of drawings, statements of responsibility and justifications that allow the municipality to appraise the operation. When that set is complete and coherent, the process follows the timescale of the applicable procedure; when it is not, that timescale tends to be repeated.
Process
From the brief to the works
- 1
Brief and framework
We gather what you want, the material on the property and the applicable rules. If the operation has not yet been tested, we start with planning feasibility.
- 2
Proposal and scope
We define the stages, the engineering disciplines required, the fees, the timescale and the material to be delivered, before starting work.
- 3
Preliminary study
We develop the solution and discuss it with you. This is where areas, siting, image and the order of magnitude of the cost are decided.
- 4
Design and engineering
We develop the architecture and coordinate the engineering disciplines, resolving incompatibilities before the application is filed.
- 5
Filing and appraisal
We submit the application, follow the appraisal and respond to requests for further material through to the decision.
- 6
Works
We provide support during construction and, where contracted, handle coordination and site supervision.
Documents
What is useful to get started
Essential items
- exact location, coordinates or tax register article
- description of what you intend to build or alter
- approximate area and intended use
- caderneta predial (tax register extract)
- certidão do registo predial (land registry certificate), if available
If they are available
- topographic survey
- plans of the existing building or from the municipal file
- an earlier licence, title or prior information decision
- loteamento (subdivision) certificate and plan
- earlier studies, designs or cost estimates
- communications from the council or other authorities
- photographs of the property and its surroundings
- information on access and infrastructure
You do not need to gather everything before the first contact. We will tell you which items are needed once we know the property and the brief.
Coordination
Why coordination reduces incompatibilities, rework and requests for correction
When each discipline is commissioned separately, the incompatibilities only surface at the end, often with the application already filed. Working with the architecture and the engineering disciplines in the same team changes the moment at which the problems appear.
Designs commissioned separately
Designs coordinated from the start
Incompatibilities detected during the appraisal
Incompatibilities resolved before submission
Each professional answers for their own drawings
One team answers for the whole
Repeated changes to the base design
Changes concentrated in the preliminary study
Successive requests for further material
Documents made compatible with each other before submission
Coordination does not eliminate requests for further material, nor does it guarantee a favourable decision: the municipality appraises the operation under the applicable rules and may ask for clarifications. What it does reduce are the requests that arise from contradictions between the documents in the application itself.
Not yet sure what you can build?
Start with the level of analysis suited to the decision
If you have not yet confirmed the uses allowed, the building capacity or the constraints on the property, the step before the design is Planning Feasibility.
If you already know what is admissible and want to develop the solution and file the application, the right step is Design and Licensing.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about design and licensing
Which procedure applies to my works?
It depends on the planning operation, the intended use and the framework of the property. Some works follow a prior control procedure, others are exempt and others also require opinions from external authorities. We confirm the applicable procedure at the outset, based on the property and the brief, and set it out in the proposal.
Which engineering disciplines are needed?
The engineering disciplines required depend on the type of operation, the intended use, the characteristics of the building and the applicable legal and regulatory framework. They usually include structures, water and drainage networks, thermal performance, acoustics and fire safety, and may also include electricity, gas, telecommunications, air conditioning, accessibility or other designs. We confirm the applicable list before starting work.
How long does permitting take?
The timescale has two parts: the time to develop the design, which depends on the brief and on our exchanges with you, and the time for the municipal appraisal, which depends on the municipality, the type of operation and the opinions required. We give an estimate once we know the case and keep that estimate up to date during the process.
How much does the design cost?
Fees depend on the size and complexity of the operation, the number of engineering disciplines and the stages contracted. We present a proposal setting out scope, stages, fees, timescale and the material to be delivered before starting work. Municipal charges are paid to the municipality and are not included in the fees.
I already have an architectural design by another author. Can you do only the engineering disciplines?
Yes. We can develop the engineering disciplines required and ensure they are compatible with the existing architecture. In that case we start by reviewing the documents available, because coordination depends on what has already been defined.
What happens if the council asks for further material?
That is part of the procedure and does not, in itself, mean the application was poorly prepared. We review the request, prepare the response and submit it within the applicable deadline. Where the request means changing the solution, we discuss the alternatives with you before proceeding.
Do you follow the works after permitting?
Yes, under a separate contract. We can provide design support during construction, coordination of the parties involved and site supervision, with the scope set out in the relevant proposal. It is not included in the design fees.
Which parts of the country do you work in?
We work throughout mainland Portugal, with a more frequent presence in Lisboa, Grândola and Cartaxo. Distance does not prevent us from following a project, but it does affect the number of site visits allowed for in the proposal.
Related services
Next step
Planning Feasibility
Analysis of what can be built, extended or developed before investing in the design.
See Planning Feasibility →Safe Purchase
Preliminary screening before you buy and identification of the points that require verification.
See Safe Purchase →Legalisation of existing buildings
Analysis and regularisation of existing buildings that do not match the approved records.
See Legalisation →Next step
Start by describing what you want to build
Send us the location of the property, the intended brief and the material you already have. We carry out a first screening, identify the likely engineering disciplines and present a proposal setting out stages, fees, timescale and the material to be delivered.
Usual reply within 1–2 working days · The initial screening does not replace the analysis of the design.