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Studies & Degrees in Technical Architecture

Technical architecture (arquitectura técnica) is the Spanish name for the profession that manages how a building is actually built. The technical architect, traditionally called aparejador, does not usually design the building. The job is to direct the execution of the works on site and to control costs, quality, deadlines and safety. In English-speaking countries the closest profiles are the building engineer, the construction manager and the quantity surveyor.

Students learn construction systems and materials, structures and building services, drawing and digital modelling, measurement and budgeting, site organisation, health and safety, and building law. The Universidad de La Laguna recommends a solid base in mathematics, physics, chemistry, technical drawing and geology. The Universidad de Alcalá mentions BIM methodology as part of its training.

Qualifications and levels

In Spain, technical architect is a regulated profession. Practising it requires an official bachelor's degree (grado) that meets the requirements set by ministerial order. These degrees have 240 ECTS credits and take four years. The name of the degree varies from one university to another:

  • Grado en Arquitectura Técnica, for example at the Universidad de La Laguna (official degree, 240 ECTS credits, 4 years), the Universitat Jaume I (240 credits, 60 places) and the Escuela Universitaria Politécnica de La Almunia (EUPLA), a centre of the Universidad de Zaragoza
  • Grado en Arquitectura Técnica y Edificación at the Universidad de Alcalá (4 years, 240 ECTS credits, taught in Spanish on the Guadalajara campus)
  • Grado en Edificación at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, which also offers a double degree in building and business administration

After the bachelor's degree, graduates can take an official master's degree (60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits) and then a doctorate. The building school of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid offers three official master's degrees: building management, technological innovation in building, and execution of rehabilitation and restoration works.

The degree is different from the architect's qualification, which follows a separate and longer route. Before enrolling, check that the degree gives access to the regulated profession: the universities above say so on their degree pages.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 11 active schools for technical architecture: 10 in Spain and one in Italy. In Spain they include public universities such as the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, the Universidad de Alcalá, the Universidad de La Laguna (Tenerife), the Universitat Jaume I (Castellón de la Plana) and EUPLA in La Almunia de Doña Godina (Zaragoza), and private universities such as the Universidad de Navarra, the Universidad Europea de Madrid, the Universidad Camilo José Cela and the Universitat Ramon Llull. The list also includes two design schools, Marbella Design Academy in Spain and ISAD in Milan; ask them which qualification their programmes lead to, since the regulated profession requires the official degree.

Teaching is mainly in Spanish. The Universitat Jaume I describes its teaching as multilingual and offers an international double degree. For admission, the usual routes are the Spanish Bachillerato with the university entrance exam (PAU) or a higher vocational qualification. Students with foreign school studies apply through UNEDasiss, the service of the UNED that assesses their records and holds the tests needed to enter Spanish bachelor's degrees. The application for a place is then made at each university within its own deadlines.

Careers

Spanish building law (Ley 38/1999) gives the profession a defined role. The director of the execution of the works directs the material execution and controls the construction and the quality of what is built. For buildings for residential, administrative, health, religious, educational and cultural use, the law requires this person to be a technical architect. Technical architects can also act as health and safety coordinators on building works.

The universities list these typical jobs:

  • director of execution of works, site manager or technical director in construction, development and rehabilitation companies
  • property valuations, feasibility studies, expert reports and building inspections
  • project and facility management, energy efficiency and rehabilitation
  • technical posts in public administration in building, urban planning and planning departments
  • self-employed professional practice

Anyone who wants to work outside Spain should ask the professional body of the destination country how the Spanish degree is recognised there.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an architect and a technical architect in Spain?

They are two professions with separate degrees. The technical architect directs the execution of the works and controls the construction and its quality; Ley 38/1999 reserves that role to technical architects for residential and similar buildings.

How long is the degree in technical architecture?

Four years and 240 ECTS credits, as stated by the Universidad de La Laguna and the Universidad de Alcalá.

Is the degree called the same at every university?

No. It may be called Grado en Arquitectura Técnica, Grado en Arquitectura Técnica y Edificación or Grado en Edificación. Check that the degree gives access to the regulated profession of technical architect.

Can international students apply?

Yes. Students with foreign school studies normally obtain an accreditation from UNEDasiss and then apply to the university of their choice within its deadlines.