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Frequently asked — 001

Frequently
asked

The essentials about how MASR Architects works: services, technical certificates, what notaries and the Land Registry require, and urbanistic legalisations on the Costa Blanca.

01What does MASR Architects do?

MASR Arquitectos | Architects is an architecture and engineering studio based in Altea, on the Costa Blanca. We design and build single-family homes, new construction, renovations, interior design, urban planning and commercial projects across the Marina Baja and the Province of Alicante.

Every project is developed with BIM (Building Information Modeling) methodology, and we apply bioclimatic design and the Passivhaus (passive house) standard when the client or the project calls for it.

02Where is the studio and which area do you cover?

The studio is at Paseo del Mediterráneo 1, 03590 Altea (Alicante, Spain). We work across the Costa Blanca and the Province of Alicante: Altea, La Nucía, Polop, Callosa d'en Sarrià, Calpe, Moraira, Benissa, Jávea, Dénia, Finestrat and neighbouring municipalities.

Office hours: Monday to Friday, 10:00 — 18:00. Visits by appointment.

03What awards has MASR received?

The studio has been honoured in two consecutive editions of the Luxury Lifestyle Awards:

04Do you work with BIM and Passivhaus?

Yes. Every project is modelled end-to-end in BIM, which delivers precise drawings, anticipates construction conflicts and keeps a tight grip on timelines and budgets during site supervision.

We apply bioclimatic design and the Passivhaus (passive house) standard to minimise energy use and maximise indoor comfort — especially relevant in the Mediterranean climate of the Costa Blanca, where orientation, shading and the thermal inertia of the walls make the difference between a house that breathes and one that needs constant climate control.

05What kind of projects do you take on?

We work across the full chain of technical services in the real-estate sector:

06What certificates do you issue and what are they for?

We issue the technical certificates typically required for a property transaction, a refurbishment or a residential rental in Spain:

Energy Performance Certificate (CEE)

Mandatory document for selling or renting any property in Spain. It rates the building's energy use on an A–G scale and proposes improvements. It is filed with the regional registry — in the Valencian Community, with the Generalitat — and must be presented to the notary at the time of deed.

Descriptive and graphic certificate

A technical document signed by an architect that describes the physical reality of the plot or building — built and usable areas, layout, materials and approximate year of construction. Typically required for new-build deeds, extensions or sub-divisions, or whenever the Cadastre or the Land Registry does not match the actual building.

Certificate of antiquity

Certifies the approximate completion date of a building that was never registered in a deed or in the Land Registry. It is the key piece for entering old constructions into the Land Registry through a declaration of new construction by antiquity (declaración de obra nueva por antigüedad), available once the urban-planning infringement has lapsed (in the Valencian Community: 15 years on urban and ordinary rural land; no time limit on protected non-developable land).

07What are IVG, ICUC and georeferenced coordinates?

These are three technical instruments increasingly required by the Spanish Land Registry and notaries to register or regularise properties. We draft and sign them as authorised technicians:

IVG · Alternative Graphic Validation Report

A document signed by an architect or engineer that describes the plot geometrically using georeferenced UTM coordinates in the ETRS89 system. Used when the cadastral cartography of the plot does not match the actual situation and an alternative graphic representation must be entered into both the Cadastre and the Land Registry.

ICUC · Cadastral Report on the Location of Constructions

A document similar to the IVG, but focused on the constructions on the plot —buildings, swimming pools and ancillary structures— rather than on the plot boundary itself. It describes each construction individually with its UTM georeferenced coordinates (ETRS89), allowing its exact position to be entered into the Cadastre and the Land Registry. Essential when the position of the buildings does not match the cadastral cartography, or when there are pools and other secondary constructions that need to be identified separately.

Georeferenced coordinates

Since the entry into force of Law 13/2015 amending the Spanish Mortgage Act, the Land Registry requires UTM georeferenced coordinates for the plot and for every building in any declaration of new construction, extension, sub-division or land aggregation. We capture them with 3D laser scanning and GNSS receivers to guarantee maximum accuracy and avoid discrepancies with the official cartography.

08Do you handle urbanistic legalisations?

Yes. We assist the owner through the full regularisation process, from initial review to entry in the Land Registry:

Declaration of new construction by antiquity

For buildings completed years ago without a permit or without being entered in the Land Registry, we draft the certificate of antiquity and the supporting documentation required by notary and Land Registry.

Buildings out of ordinance

Review of applicable planning, certification of construction status and town-hall processing of the corresponding regime (substantive or subjective out-of-ordinance, situation assimilated to out-of-ordinance, etc.).

Adapting to current regulations

Drafting refurbishment, renovation or adaptation projects when the building needs to meet current codes on habitability, safety, energy efficiency or accessibility.

Change of use

Processing licences to convert a commercial unit into a home, a home into a tourist rental (tourist licence), or to adapt the building to commercial or industrial uses.

Sub-division, aggregation and horizontal division

Technical documentation to amend the legal regime of plots and buildings, including the georeferenced graphic representation required by notary and Land Registry.

09How do I get in touch with MASR?

Last updated · 14 May 2026