Introduction
NLA - Architects, founded in 1980 in Lisbon, has completed nearly five hundred projects, consolidating a reputation for excellence as a highly professional and competent practice. The firm stands out for its notable performance in public competitions and its high level of expertise in hotel and tourist resort projects, office buildings, corporate developments, and residential projects.
Supported by advanced technology and the constant updating of computerized functions, such as management, project information processing, and computer-aided design, we ensure high productivity levels from a cohesive, motivated, and highly professional team. Our services range from feasibility studies to project coordination and development, as well as the supervision of their execution, with specialization in hospitality, urban design, office buildings, and passive solar architecture, also including geographic information systems.
The increasing demand for comprehensive responsibilities in hotel projects led to the creation of NL Decoration, an entity specialized in Interior Architecture. This unit operates in perfect coordination with the Architecture office, fully benefiting from the synergies generated by this close collaboration.
NLA projects
Offices/Partnerships
International
Alternative content
BIM
NLA is a leading firm in the use of BIM for architectural projects. Our team of architects and specialists works daily to achieve more coherent projects and more sustainable buildings. We have implemented a robust strategy of specific procedures and standards that allow for superior productivity and better interoperability among teams.
We use Autodesk Revit as our primary BIM software, with the Level of Development (LOD) ranging from 200 to 300. For the coordination of BIM models, we rely on Autodesk Navisworks. The use of Autodesk DOCS enables clients to closely monitor the development of the models. This cloud service allows for the control of uploads, viewing, and sharing of information, while maintaining a version history of the files. Teams maintain direct and continuous contact, working on the latest document versions, even when located in different countries.
GIS
NLA has been favouring digital solutions where the integration of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a priority. In developing our projects, the geographic context allows us to ensure a more rigorous quantitative and spatial approach in decision making, allowing for the creation of a more integrated architecture in its context, better suited to existing systems and more sustainable. Territorial management instruments particularly benefit from this integration, for NLA has developed Municipal Plans for Spatial Planning, Urbanization Plans or Detailed Plans based on these technologies. The use of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) for the development of plans with the implementation of geographic databases in PostgreSQL / PostGIS, combined with QGIS software and spatial analysis tools have allowed the implementation of dedicated, robust, and innovative methodologies. This allows NLA to develop spatial planning projects at several different planning levels, not only nationally but also internationally, with the necessary information for land use planning decisions.
Sustainability
Sustainability should not be seen as a FASHION, but an attitude present in all stages of the design process. Solar energy, natural ventilation, surrounding insulation, solar protection, are tools present in almost all of our projects. Conceiving the building as an energetic and environmental system, capable of reacting and capitalizing on available and free environmental factors. The maximization of energy efficiency, combined with good environmental behavior, will lead to a new concept of life, and to an increase in the Building's competitive advantages. The Plans, insofar as they condition the design of future buildings, constitute the first element of application of these principles. We have developed a specific methodology successfully applied in the largest sustainable Plan in Europe, The Ecocentre Masterplan, in Ispra, Italy.
Quality Policy
OUR VISION AND MISSION
We are a company which makes our clients’ dreams come true through a high level of creative, programmatic, and functional quality.
By focusing on the human being as user of the built environment, as creator of new experiences and their functionalities, we can say that the sky is the limit when it comes to adding value to all interested parties.
OUR QUALITY
At NLA, each client is unique, with unique expectations and needs, to whom we offer a top level of customized service, through a rigorous methodology, one which looks at every single opportunity as unique, searching for optimal technological and innovative solutions with a strict compliance with timelines and a permanent cost control exercise.
Our multi-disciplinary team is highly qualified and experienced, enabling us to follow all design stages, from early conception to final completion.
In line with these guiding principles NLA is committed to:
- Understand and attend to the needs and expectations of our clients and other interested parties, offering a customized, rigorous, and innovative service, promoting anthropocentric architecture (focused on people).
- Look at clients, interested parties and suppliers as partners in business, respecting the established agreements and rendering a service which meets their goals whilst understanding the needs of the end users in all spaces design.
- Establishing strategic, long-lasting partnerships with companies with other expertises in such a way that, as a whole, the capacity to create value for our clients and interested parties is maximized.
- Promoting a pleasant environment for our design team (a cohesive multi-disciplinary and complementary team), respecting the agreed contracts, favoring their wellbeing, their vocational training, their personal upbringing and continuous follow up, for we believe this to be a major responsibility and priority.
- Guaranteeing the technological update and the use of innovative and differentiating tools, so to achieve high performance levels and output of all resources available in the company.
- Abiding by all legal and regulatory by-laws and all other requirements concerning our activity and supervision.
- Using the quality management system as a dynamic and evolutionary tool, with the aim to continuously improve and optimize efficiency and effectiveness of our processes.
We count on the commitment, involvement and dedication of our collaborators and partners to achieve a common goal: Excellence.
The Board at NLA is committed to make available the necessary resources so that the Quality Policy can be implemented by all our staff and partners, and the strategic objectives met, such policies being one of the keystones of NLA’ strategic orientation.
OUR VALUES
- Client oriented
- Ethics and professionalism
- Corporate culture and attitude
- Competence and rigor
- Professional team qualification
- Technology and Innovation
- Sustainable responsibility towards the Planet
Last updated on: March 1st, 2021.
Contacts
- Address
- Rua Calvet de Magalhães 244-2
2770-022 Paço de Arcos - Telephone
- +351 214 544 430
- adm@nla.pt
