About us · URBANCAT · Since 2003
We are an independent construction studio founded in Barcelona in 2003. We design, build and stand behind solid projects — residential, refurbishment, retail and heritage investment — with a single point of contact from the first sketch to the final finishing touch.
These are not words — they are buildings. Every project we sign is a one-of-a-kind piece, delivered with the conviction that it will still be standing long after we are gone. permanence is not a slogan in our firm — it is the first decision made on the drawing board.
We prefer to do less and stand behind everything we do. That is why we are selective about who we work with and, above all, which projects we accept. When a refurbishment or development does not fit our way of working, we say so. Out of respect for the client and out of respect for the trade.
Architecture and construction have walked hand in hand at URBANCAT since 2003. What the studio draws, the construction team builds. What the construction team signs, the studio has designed. A single conversation, with no intermediate hand-offs and no rotating project managers.
And above all, we start fresh every Monday. Our 180 completed projects help us avoid repeating mistakes — not settle into complacency. The next project demands the same care as the first.
URBANCAT · Management Barcelona · 2003 — 2026
Editorial letter
When we launched URBANCAT in 2003, we did so with an uncomfortable premise: quality construction had disappeared from the centre of Barcelona. Not the architecture — architecture was still producing splendid buildings on paper. What had disappeared was honest construction, work executed exactly as designed, with authentic materials and credible timelines.
More than 20 years on, that premise still holds. Every time a client describes a previous experience with another contractor, we hear the same three words: cost overruns, delays and disengagement. Three words that, together, have devalued the very concept of "building work" in this country.
Our proposition is modest and yet radical: restoring to the build the weight of a promise kept. The timeline is signed and met. The budget is itemised and respected. The person who signs the contract is the same one on site every Wednesday at half past nine. And above all, what is promised above the drawing board is delivered beneath the finished ceiling.
To make this sustainable, we have built our firm the opposite way to most contractors: team first, volume second. Eight out of ten members of our team have been with us for over eight years. Staff turnover is close to zero. Material purchasing decisions are made directly by us, without intermediaries. External trades are vetted to our own protocol, not against a rate sheet. And every year we turn down between fifteen and twenty per cent of the projects offered to us — because we cannot execute them to the standard we demand.
The result is not perfect. But after more than 20 years, 68% of our clients return for a second project or refer us to someone else. For us, that is the only audit that matters.
URBANCAT · Management — Letter signed in Barcelona, first quarter 2026.
03 · The firm in numbers
Audited data — 2003 / 2026Over two decades of uninterrupted construction in Barcelona and across Spain.
Residential, full refurbishment, retail, office, rehabilitation, development.
Certified and delivered contracts since 2003.
Projects delivered within the contractually agreed timeline.
Return to URBANCAT for a second project or refer us to a third party.
In-house professionals with over a decade at the firm.
Industry recognition between 2011 and 2024 — rehabilitation and interior design.
ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and Passivhaus Tradesperson — annually audited.
Philosophy
These are the six principles underpinning every project we sign since 2003. They are not phrases for a studio wall — they are the criteria by which we accept or decline every commission and every work package that enters the build.
Exposed material · Signed joint · Eixample refurbishment
A single point of contact from the first sketch to the final completion certificate. No crossed wires. No "that's handled by someone else". When we sign a project, the person who signed is available every time it matters.
Management principleTimber, stone and ironmongery selected on site — not from a catalogue. We visit quarries, warehouses and joinery workshops. We inspect every piece before approving it. We would rather pay more for honest stone than save on an imitation that lasts five years.
Materials principleWe do not commit to what we cannot deliver. If a project needs eight months, it takes eight months — not six "optimistically adjusted" ones. The timeline is written into the contract with a realistic buffer and then met. Across our previous 180 projects, 94% have come in on schedule.
Timeline principleEvery joint, every corner, every recess: signed off. We do not conceal what we would not dare to show. If a detail would not stand up to a torch-lit technical inspection, it gets redone. That is what separates a refurbishment that looks good from one that is well built.
Craftsmanship principleEight out of ten team members have been with URBANCAT for more than eight years. We know the names of our workers' partners and children — and they know ours. That stability shows on site: in the rhythm, in the respect for detail, in the quiet.
Team principleFixed, itemised budget. Monthly certification with supporting documentation. If a change arises, it is approved before being carried out, never after. At URBANCAT there are no "end-of-project surprises" — and that saves our clients many uncomfortable conversations.
Financial principleManifesto · side b
Saying what we do is easy. Saying what we don't do, and why, says more about a contractor than any brochure. These are the eight things we refuse — politely but without qualification.
The trade carrying out your project is within our vetted network, with a named responsible person. No subcontracting chains that place the real executor five links beyond the contract. If someone is on site, they are registered and trained.
When a client asks us to deliver a complex refurbishment in three months, we say no. We would rather lose the project than accept a timeline we know we cannot meet. A rushed and poorly executed project weighs on a contractor's reputation for ten years.
Every change is approved before before being carried out, with its cost and time impact in writing. There are no surprise invoices at the end. If we identify it mid-project, we stop, discuss it, and only continue when both parties have signed.
If a solution is questionable, we say so on site. We do not cover up what we would not be willing to show. If a detail does not come out as expected, it is redone — even if that means absorbing the cost internally. The memory of a poorly resolved joint cannot be painted over.
No "wood-effect", "stone imitation" or "painted brass effect". Honest materials or nothing. If the budget does not stretch to natural stone, we propose another authentic material — not a counterfeit that will visually deteriorate within five years.
There are contractors cheaper than us. Their work is not our work. We build to last thirty or forty years, not to close this quarter's budget. If the only thing you are looking for is the cheapest option, we will point you in the right direction without resentment — but it is not us.
If a project requires a technique we have not mastered — complex green roofs, restoration of very specific listed elements — we say so and recommend a specialist. Better to say no than to sign up and learn at your expense.
We do not break ground until the municipal licence has been granted. No exceptions, not even when there is pressure to finish before summer. The administrative permit is what distinguishes a serious contractor from an avoidable legal risk for the client.
Sustainability
Sustainability is measurable or it does not exist. Here are the operational decisions we make every week — and the signed commitments that can be audited line by line.
The most important decisions are made when choosing the material — not at the end, when it is too late to undo.
What is not measured cannot be improved. Every project delivers its environmental report to the client.
Internal lab
A small part of the studio is dedicated to testing materials and construction solutions before taking them to a real project. Four active lines in 2026 — none trivial, none commercially driven.
Comparative trial across five European suppliers of natural hydraulic lime NHL 3.5 on historic substrates. Variables: adhesion, final colour, behaviour under capillary moisture and reversibility in listed building rehabilitation.
Comparison of wood fibre panels, spray cork and sheep's wool in new-build walls. Measurements of thermal insulation, hygroscopic behaviour, acoustic performance and environmental footprint over estimated service life.
Joint development with two local joiners of a proprietary URBANCAT window with laminated timber frame, triple low-emissivity glazing and concealed hardware. Target Uf ≤ 0.90 with a heritage aesthetic.
Testing with recycled aggregates (sourced from our own demolitions) in non-structural concrete. Measurements of strength, durability and moisture behaviour. Coordinated with the materials department of the EPSEB.
Adapting the Moroccan tadelakt technique to Mediterranean climates with higher humidity. Selection of black soap, quantities, polishing times and domestic maintenance. Three live bathrooms as an ongoing observatory since 2023.
Design of home automation protocols (lighting, climate, blinds) that integrate without visible technological elements. Philosophy: technology that works without showing itself. KNX and Loxone as the foundation.
"A project is not signed off when it is handed over — it is signed off when, ten years later, the client calls you again for a second one. That is the only audit that matters."
URBANCAT Management05 · Track record
From a small studio in Gràcia to an integrated contractor-studio serving all of Spain. Twelve milestones, one direction: building better every time.
URBANCAT Obres i Reformes S.L. is established as a studio specialising in residential renovation in Gràcia. First commission: a 78 m² apartment on Travessera de Dalt — still a client to this day.
OriginsFull rehabilitation of a 1908 building on Passatge Permanyer. The project consolidates our work in Modernist heritage and opens the doors of the COAATB to us.
Internal milestoneWe unify architecture and construction under a single legal entity. The client no longer has to juggle multiple contacts: one firm, one responsibility from start to finish.
RestructuringThe rehabilitation of Casa Comalat is named a finalist at the FAD Interior Design Awards. The recognition confirms our heritage work and establishes it as one of the studio's signature areas.
AwardResidential development of three homes in Sant Cugat. Design, permit, construction and turnkey marketing — the integrated model is established as the studio's standard.
ExpansionWe certify our quality management system. Documented processes, line-by-line traceability, annual external audits. Our way of working becomes verifiable beyond word of mouth.
CertificationWe launch our property investment and development line. Joint ventures with Catalan family offices, club deals for value-add assets in Eixample and Sant Gervasi.
New divisionFirst projects outside Catalonia: Madrid, Valencia and Mallorca. Agreements with local trade contractors audited under URBANCAT's execution quality protocol. The concept "Barcelona since 2003" becomes "Barcelona, throughout Spain".
ExpansionTwo site managers are certified as Passivhaus Tradesperson. The new-build line incorporates passive standards as the default option — not as a paid add-on.
SustainabilityWe certify our environmental management system. Waste traceability on every site, priority to locally sourced materials and passive rather than technological solutions. Sustainability stops being a declaration and becomes a metric.
CertificationWe close the year with project number 180 — a historic roof rehabilitation on Sant Pere més Baix. 20+ years, 180 contracts, one way of working.
Internal milestoneA stable team of 24 professionals, a network of verified trade contractors across five regions, new headquarters on Gran Via Carles III. The same rigour as in 2003 — on a very different scale. And starting over again every Monday.
TodayConversation
Excerpts from an interview published in La Vanguardia (June 2024) and reproduced with permission. Edited for length, not content.
The fear of becoming complacent. When you've spent two decades in a trade, the main trap is repeating yourself. Applying the same solution because it has always worked, stopping looking at materials with fresh eyes. Every Monday I force myself to start as if it were the first project. That, and a team that does the same.
Paying well, training in-house, and taking your time with hiring. But above all, giving them work they can be proud of. When a craftsman knows that the joint he is making will remain visible for thirty years, he works differently. The quality of the craft is also a form of compensation — the most important one.
Yes, several. Impossible deadlines, budgets where the client is chasing the lowest price on the market, projects where we are asked to conceal structural defects from the previous owner ahead of an imminent sale. And anything that requires working off the books or bypassing regulations. Saying no has made us freer, not less.
The opaque subcontracting chain. The client signs with one company and in the end the person executing the work is the subcontractor's subcontractor's subcontractor — someone who doesn't even know what was in the original specification. That chain is where quality, schedule and accountability are lost. That is why our team is in-house: so the chain has only one link.
Too much. Labels that mean nothing, certifications that are bought. We have become fairly allergic to the word "ecological" without a metric behind it. What we do is measure: waste per project, kilometres travelled per material, projected energy consumption over 30 years. If I can measure it, I can stand behind it. If not, I'd rather say nothing.
Three things. First, visit previous projects of the contractor with the current client present — not with a sales rep. Second, ask for a detailed line-by-line quote with brands and references; if they give you a single price, be wary. And third, pay attention to how they treat you on the first visit: the way a team responds to an initial question predicts exactly how they will treat you when the first problem arises on site. And problems always arise.
That the firm doesn't depend on a single person. A serious contractor is one that outlasts its management, not one that orbits around it. Our commitment from the very first year was to build a studio where method matters more than name — and where any member of the team can stand behind a project without asking permission. And that is how it should be: that is what distinguishes a craft from a personality cult.
Internal culture
A brief visual glimpse into the daily life of URBANCAT. No composites, no marketing. What you see is what there is — hands, drawings, workshop, tradespeople.
Photographs of URBANCAT projects 2022 — 2024. Carla Roca and studio archive.
Signature projects
A selection of the projects that best capture how URBANCAT works — heritage, full renovation, new build and rehabilitation. Guided visit available on request.
Eixample Dret · Barcelona
Full rehabilitation of a 1908 building with restoration of original hydraulic flooring and solid wood joinery.
L'Antiga Esquerra · Barcelona
Residential development of six homes to Passivhaus standards with centralised aerothermal heating. Turnkey delivery for a private developer.
Barrio Salamanca · Madrid
Full renovation of 280 m² in Madrid: open-plan kitchen, three premium bathrooms, French oak parquet and bespoke joinery.
Dreta Eixample · Barcelona
Restoration of listed Modernist elements — leaded stained glass, original joinery and hydraulic mosaics.
Antiga Esquerra Eixample · Barcelona
Fit-out of a 380 m² commercial unit for an international fashion brand — polished flooring, technical lighting and curved display cases.
Sant Pere · Ciutat Vella · Barcelona
Rehabilitation of a historic roof with exposed beams, structural reinforcement and insulation beneath reclaimed roof tiles from the building.
08 · Clients and collaborators
Certifications
What we say about how we work is audited by independent third parties. Here are the documents that back it up — and the years in which they were obtained.
Official register of contractors of the Generalitat de Catalunya. Maximum qualification level for public and private works.
Two site managers accredited by the Passivhaus Institut. Capability to execute projects to a certifiable passive standard.
One of the studio's architects is accredited as a LEED Accredited Professional for international sustainable construction.
Quality management system audited annually. Processes, traceability and continuous improvement certified by an external body.
Environmental management system. Waste traceability on every site, locally sourced materials and measured environmental footprint.
Asociación Española de Constructores (AEC), Col·legi d'Aparelladors de Barcelona (COAATB), Green Building Council Spain (GBCe).
Signature materials
The eight materials that feature in almost all our projects. They are not the fastest to install — they are the ones that age best. Each has a declared origin, supplier and an in-house technical lead.
22 mm planks, waxed in the workshop. Approved by DF for large-format parquet and passage joinery.
Sologne · France
Catalan limestone from a family quarry. Honed or flamed finish. Applications in interior paving and courtyard flooring.
Anoia · Catalunya
Knobs, handles and decorative profiles in matte brass. Natural patina; we neither paint nor lacquer. A visible detail.
Llonch metals · BCN
Hand-poured, slow-set, polished on site. Fine or coarse aggregate. Unique, unrepeatable, indefinitely repairable.
Workshop Cosmos · Mataró
Continuous systems on floor and wall, two coats plus sealer. Applied by an in-house team accredited by the manufacturer.
Topciment · Valencia
Upholstery, curtains and wall fabric in washed linen and virgin wool. Off-white and raw tones, no chemical treatments.
Gastón y Daniela · ES
We restore original tiles wherever possible. When not, we commission short runs from an artisan workshop.
Mosaics Martí · Olot
Natural lime plaster polished with black soap. Waterproof finish suitable for wet areas — no chemicals.
Marrakech · MA
Territory
Our operational base remains Barcelona. But we deliver projects in five autonomous communities, with our own site managers deployed on location and a network of local trade contractors audited by us.
Barcelona city, metropolitan area, Garraf, Maresme and Vallès. Our natural market.
Centro, Salamanca, Chamberí and Pozuelo. Residential renovation and corporate offices.
Valencia city and the northern Costa Blanca — Jávea, Moraira, Altea. Mediterranean residential.
Palma de Mallorca, Llucmajor and the northern coast. Specialising in the rehabilitation of historic rural estates.
Bilbao, San Sebastián and Vitoria. Recent arrival — local team in formation.
Office & Workshop
Our headquarters is open to clients, suppliers and the curious. The best way to understand how we work is to come and see it — and while you're here, take a look at two or three live projects on the meeting table.
Monday to Friday
09:00 – 19:00
Saturday by appointment
11 · Method
Technical meeting, site visit and initial proposal with drawings and a preliminary budget.
Approved documentation, permits and a closed budget, line by line.
Execution with a dedicated site manager, monthly certification and weekly site visits.
24-month warranty on finishes and 10 years on structure. Review visit at 6 months.
We support the client with scheduled maintenance and future extensions.
11b · Detailed method
Each phase has a documented deliverable, a named lead and an average timeframe. This is what we sign in the contract — and what we honour without exception.
Free initial technical visit at the property. Survey if required. Discussion of intended use, indicative budget, possible timelines and preferred materials. Within 7–10 days we deliver a preliminary design with floor plans, a descriptive report and a preliminary cost proposal by chapter.
Once the preliminary design is approved, the executive project is drawn up: detailed drawings, construction report, measurements, structural calculations where required and everything needed for approval and permits. In parallel, the final budget is closed line by line, with declared brands and references.
Dedicated in-house site manager. Weekly technical visits, photographic report, monthly certification with expense justification. Fortnightly site meeting with the client on request. Any modification is approved in writing before execution — not after.
Thorough project review with the client before handing over the keys. User and maintenance manual for installations. 24-month warranty on finishes and 10-year structural guarantee. Follow-up visit at 6 months without needing to be asked — we call first.
We support the client with a scheduled maintenance service (annual, half-yearly or on demand) and take charge of future extensions, partial renovations or adaptations to the property. The technical record of the project remains in our database — any subsequent intervention is carried out with full prior knowledge.
Studio
These are not slogans: they are the criteria by which we accept — or turn down — every commission and every line item on site. What we sign on the drawing is what gets built.
Every line item broken down and locked in the contract. If a change arises during construction, it is approved before work proceeds — never after. Hidden cost overruns have no place in our way of working.
Stone, wood, mortar, brass, linen, terrazzo. Materials that age with dignity and can be repaired rather than replaced. We reject finishes that imitate something else just to cut costs.
Every joint, every corner, every recessed fitting: signed off. If a detail wouldn't withstand a technical inspection with a torch, it gets redone. That is what distinguishes a beautiful project from a well-built one.
The schedule is written into the contract. We manage it with genuine contingency, not wishful thinking. If we promise it, we deliver it. Over 20+ years, 94% of our projects have been completed within the agreed delivery date.
Permanent staff on payroll, not opaque subcontracting. The person who plasters the walls is the same one who was on previous sites. That stability shows — in the pace of work and in the final finish.
Explicit guarantee of 24 months on finishes and 10 years on structure. A follow-up visit at 6 months. And a direct line to the site manager who still picks up ten years later.
12b · Client voices
URBANCAT delivered the apartment renovation on the exact date stated in the contract. No extras at the end, no cost overruns, no long faces. We had been looking for a contractor like this for twenty years.
We have completed two residential developments with them. We commissioned the second before the first was finished — because you won't find a more reliable team in Barcelona. And that comes from a developer who has worked with many.
For a cultural foundation, finding a team that understands the sensitivity of Modernista heritage is extremely difficult. URBANCAT understood what must not be touched even before we did.
We had been putting off building the house for years. The URBANCAT team made us feel from the very first visit that we were in good hands. A single conversation from start to finish, exactly as they promised.
We fitted out four stores in different cities with URBANCAT. The finish quality is identical across all locations, which for an international brand like ours is the only thing that matters.
They carried out the roof rehabilitation of a listed building in Sant Pere. The municipal inspection raised zero observations — something that in fifteen years working with heritage buildings had never happened to me before.
Frequently asked questions
The questions that come up at every first meeting. If you have others, call or write — we will answer with the same candour we use at the site table.
13 · Press
"URBANCAT delivers one of the most serene renovations we have seen this year on Passatge Permanyer — no stridency, no posturing, just materials placed with precision."
October 2024"The Barcelona studio exemplifies an endangered model: architecture and construction under one name, with no subsidiaries or intermediaries. The project ends when it ends, not when the deadline looms."
June 2024"URBANCAT's intervention respects the Modernista catalogue with a mastery that cannot be learned in school: it is earned on site, through previous projects and conversations with craftspeople."
March 202313b · Awards and recognition
A selection of the recognition we have received from the industry. We list them not to boast — but because they objectively distinguish our way of working and can be verified against the public records of each institution.
13c · Institutional commitment
We maintain active relationships with industry institutions and, above all, with schools. The continuity of the craft depends on the professionals who are learning now — and it is our responsibility to contribute to their training.
We participate in the professional representative bodies of the construction and architecture sector in Catalonia and at national level. We vote at assemblies and attend technical committees regularly.
AEC · COAATB · COAC · GBCe · ESCO Building Council · Cluster Hàbitat Sostenible.
Each academic year we take on paid interns, open our sites as practical classrooms for educational visits, and sit on graduation and master's degree project panels at local schools.
EPSEB · ETSAB · La Salle Architecture · IED Barcelona · Elisava.
We advise cultural foundations and neighbourhood associations on heritage restoration projects on a pro bono basis. Free technical opinion in these cases is part of giving back to the city that gives us clients.
Modernicat · ARESCAT · Amics de l'Eixample · Centre d'Estudis del Patrimoni.
Publications
Project reviews, technical interviews, case studies. What the specialist press has published about URBANCAT over the past decade.
Teaching
Part of the team participates on a regular basis in university and professional training programmes. The knowledge of the craft is passed on, not patented.
URBANCAT technical management · Master's in Sustainable Construction · UPC EPSEB · integrated architecture-construction management module.
Carla Roca · Master's in Interior Design and Construction · La Salle Barcelona · June and September sessions.
Joan Sabaté · mentor on the family businesses programme in the construction sector · fortnightly sessions.
URBANCAT technical management · paper "Integrated contractor: an endangered model" · Centre Internacional de Mètodes Numèrics.
Carla Roca · "Timber joinery for Passivhaus construction in a Mediterranean climate" · annual PEP congress.
URBANCAT team · hosting student groups from EPSEB / ETSAB / Elisava · 6 visits per academic year.
Before you start
Whether you are commissioning your first project or your tenth, it is worth keeping a short mental checklist. These are the twelve signs we ourselves would look for if we were hiring a contractor. We apply them to URBANCAT — and we welcome you to apply them to us.
A contractor proud of its craft has no problem arranging a real visit to a previous project, with the owner present. If they dodge the question, be cautious.
A single "turnkey" price without a breakdown often hides inflated items. Always ask for a breakdown by chapter with declared brands and references.
Ask for the specific name of the person who will be at the end of the phone. If the answer is vague, you will know that when a problem arises nobody will sign off the solution.
Ask whether the workers are directly employed or subcontracted. There is no correct answer, but opacity is always a bad sign — transparency, a good one.
Ask them to explain the exact procedure. If the answer is "we'll work it out as we go", a financial problem is on its way. There must be a written procedure.
If the contract says "around six months" instead of a specific date, the deadline will not be met. Insist on a fixed date with symmetrical penalties.
The LOE requires it, but some contractors literally disappear when you have an issue at six months. Ask for references from clients who have actually used the guarantee.
ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 are publicly verifiable. Do not settle for a logo on the brochure — ask for the registration number and name of the certifying body.
A serious contractor delivers monthly certification with supporting documentation of itemised expenditure. If they say "we will invoice everything at the end", the risk is enormous.
A weekly site report with photographs and observations — it should be standard. If they have never done it, they are proposing a project with no visibility, with no traceability.
A contractor confident in its work accepts without hesitation an independent DF to audit the project. If they are uncomfortable with that proposal, it is a bad sign.
Ask for a copy of the current insurance certificate. Adequate public liability cover for a small contractor should be no less than €600,000 per claim. Check the renewal date.
Residential and single-family turnkey construction. From the plot to the keys, with integrated architecture + construction management.
Learn more 02Home, office or commercial space. Renovations that reorganise layout, services and finishes with architectural rigour.
Learn more 03We execute third-party projects with the technical reliability of our own contracting division. Coordination with external DF.
Learn more 04Preliminary design, executive project, permits and site supervision. Independent service or integrated with construction.
Learn more 05Facades, roofs, structures and listed heritage. ITE and scheduled maintenance for historic buildings.
Learn moreClosing · Conversation
Free initial technical visit. Preliminary design and fixed quote within two weeks. One conversation, one signature, one responsibility. Honest construction starts here — and, once signed, our team keeps picking up the phone ten years later. We mean it, and we have been doing it this way since 2003.