Urban Rehabilitation

Urban rehabilitation: restoring value to the built fabric while preserving its character.

Urban rehabilitation is the studio's specialisation: surgical interventions that preserve heritage and adapt it to contemporary life — from the Pombaline apartment to the entire tenement building.

Heritage

Alterations and extensions

Permitting

Existing structures

Execution

A clear process, in four steps

04 We restore value to heritage through a contemporary architectural language.

[01]

Survey and diagnosis

Rigorous survey of the existing building: geometry, construction system, pathologies and heritage value.

[02]

Alteration design

Solutions that reconcile the client's brief with the existing fabric and the applicable protection rules.

[03]

Permitting

Preparation of the application with the local council and the heritage authorities, where applicable.

[04]

Execution and construction

Detailing adapted to the existing construction techniques and close site supervision throughout the works.

The studio's specialisation

A large part of our portfolio is rehabilitation in Lisbon — from Praça de Espanha to Campo de Ourique and Av. Miguel Bombarda.

Dialogue with the existing

Minimal demolition and structural alterations handled with rigour — the building is a given, not an obstacle.

Knowledge of the rules

PDM, ARU (urban rehabilitation areas) and protection regimes: we know what is possible in each zone before we begin designing.

Types of intervention

04

Apartments, entire buildings, retail units and extensions.

Municipalities of regular practice

06+

Lisbon, Sintra, Cascais, Oeiras, Mafra and Alcobaça, among others.

Phases

04

Diagnosis, design, permitting and construction.

Single model

01

The existing and the proposed in the same BIM model — with no loss of information.

Frequently
asked questions

Is rehabilitating worth it compared with building new?

In most cases in consolidated areas, yes: the existing building has location value, image value and often building rights that a new construction would not have. We analyse case by case.

Can I alter the façade of an old building?

It depends on the PDM, the area and any protection regimes. There is almost always room for intervention — but it must be verified before designing, not after.

What is an ARU?

An Urban Rehabilitation Area (ARU) — a municipal delimitation where rehabilitation can benefit from specific procedures and incentives. We check your property's status at the start of the process.

What surprises can the works bring?

Fewer than you might think, when the diagnosis is done well: the constructive and pathology survey reduces risk and anticipates the difficult decisions.

Why the studio

A single point of contact

From the preliminary study to the delivery of the works, you always speak with whoever designed the project.

Fewer errors, fewer overruns

The BIM model eliminates incompatibilities before construction begins — deadlines met, budgets respected.

Real knowledge of the municipalities

86 projects across 16 municipalities. We know each council's practice — and that shortens permitting.

BIM methodology

All the studio's services are developed in BIM (Building Information Modeling): the building is built virtually before the works — fewer errors, controlled costs and better-informed decisions.

Get to know our methodology →

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Studio

Rua Lagares d'El Rey 19-A, Lisbon

+351 918 660 664

geral@tiagorcorreia.com

Urban Rehabilitation