Col·legi d'Arquitectes de Catalunya

What Col·legi d'Arquitectes de Catalunya does

Col·legi d'Arquitectes de Catalunya (COAC) is a professional association and legal governing body for architects in Catalonia, Spain, founded in 1874 and serving nearly 11,000 registered architects. Operating as a non-profit organization registered with the Generalitat de Catalunya, COAC holds exclusive statutory authority to certify architectural work (visats), maintain the professional registry, and enforce professional standards. The organization delivers services through six territorial demarcations and five delegations across Catalonia, supported by a digital single-window portal (Finestreta única) for online member services including visa processing, membership registration, and virtual secretariat functions.

COAC's revenue is generated through three primary streams: mandatory annual membership dues from its 11,000 registered architects, transaction-based fees for professional certification and visa services on building projects, and professional training revenue through its wholly-owned Escola Sert subsidiary, which serves as an authorized BIM training center. Beyond professional services, COAC operates the Centre Obert d'Arquitectura, a multicentric cultural platform spanning 11 territorial headquarters that delivers exhibitions, conferences, and public programming. Its intangible assets include a Historical Archive of over 2 million documents and a library of 180,000+ architecture references—the second largest in Europe. The organization is currently positioned as a key institutional partner for Barcelona's designation as World Capital of Architecture 2026 and the UIA World Congress of Architects, alongside strategic collaborations with MACBA, Museu Picasso, Fundació Mies Van der Rohe, and Ajuntament de Barcelona. Leadership is vested in a Governing Board (Junta de Govern), with Sandra Bestraten serving as Dean.

Name

Col·legi d'Arquitectes de Catalunya

Legal name

Col·legi d'Arquitectes de Catalunya

Website

https://arquitectes.cat

Company type

Private

Founded year

1878

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Col·legi d'Arquitectes de Catalunya (COAC) is a non-profit professional association and legal governing body for nearly 11,000 registered architects in Catalonia, providing mandatory certification, training, and cultural programming across 11 territorial offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional/Institutional Accreditors (Universities & Colleges) (EDADACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Testing, Inspection, Certification & Commissioning (TICx) Technical Services (BPAHAIAL)

Keywords

• Professional association services
• Architectural certification
• Professional training programs
• Cultural heritage preservation
• Professional advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees collected from nearly 11,000 registered architects across Catalonia's six territorial demarcations.
2. Professional Certification and Visa Services: Mandatory and voluntary certification services for architectural projects, including building permit validation and technical assessment services.
3. Professional Training (Escola Sert): Continuous training programs through the Escola Sert school, providing courses and professional development for architects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Col·legi d'Arquitectes de Catalunya (COAC) is a professional association serving nearly 11,000 registered architects across Catalonia through six territorial demarcations and delegations. It provides mandatory professional certification (visat) for architectural projects, continuous training through the Escola Sert school, cultural programming via the Centre Obert d'Arquitectura, advocacy for the architectural profession, and member services including an online directory, historical archive, library, and job board.

Product overview

Col·legi d'Arquitectes de Catalunya (COAC) is a professional association serving nearly 11,000 member architects through a platform-plus-services architecture. The core offering includes the Centre Obert d'Arquitectura (Open Centre for Architecture) as a cultural hub with 11 territorial headquarters, the Escola Sert (Sert School) for continuous professional training, and the Finestreta única (Single Window) digital portal for member services. Key products include the Architects Directory (10,000+ members searchable), Visat i Registres (professional certification service), Historical Archive (2M+ documents), and Library (180,000+ references, second largest in Europe). Cultural offerings encompass publications like Quaderns d'Arquitectura i Urbanisme (since 1944), awards including the Rosa Barba Landscape Prize and AJAC Awards for Young Architects, and major conferences such as the UIA World Congress 2026 and Decarbonizing Architecture series.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Escola Sert: Continuous training center for architects offering systematic professional development programs
• Centre Obert d'Arquitectura
• Arxiu Històric del COAC
• Biblioteca del COAC

Products and services

• Visat i Registres (Certification and Registries) Professional work certification service that receives and manages submitted applications for architectural projects. Regulated by law, it establishes mandatory and voluntary certification cases with updated pricing effective January 2025, serving architects and project stakeholders.
• Escola Sert (Sert School) Continuous training center offering systematic professional development programs for architects, oriented toward knowledge, capacities, and competencies. Authorized BIM training center serving registered architects seeking continuing education.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• UIA 2026 BarcelonaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe World Congress of Architects 2026 will be held in Barcelona, organized in collaboration with the International Union of Architects (UIA). COAC is a key institutional partner for this major architectural event, representing Barcelona as World Capital of Architecture.
• Barcelona 2026 Capital Mundial de l'ArquitecturaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBarcelona's designation as World Capital of Architecture 2026 by UIA, with COAC as a primary institutional collaborator for architectural programs and events.
• Fundació Mies Van der RohecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on architectural exhibitions and cultural programs, including the IN THE MAKING exhibition on Catalan architecture and design schools.
• MACBA (Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint exhibitions including IN THE MAKING on Catalan architecture schools and various architectural visits and events.
• Disseny Hub BarcelonacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on architectural exhibitions including UIA Barcelona 2026 exhibition and design-related cultural programming.
• Museu PicassocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint cultural events including book presentations like Picasso al Col·legi d'Arquitectes de Catalunya and Picasso convida exhibition series.
• Ajuntament de BarcelonacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on World Capital of Architecture 2026 programs including guided visits, urban planning exhibitions, and metropolitan housing initiatives.
• FAD (Foment de les Arts Decoratives)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Arquinfad awards and FAD Architecture and Interiorism Awards, including the 68th edition exhibition.
• UIC Barcelona (Universitat Internacional de Catalunya)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration on Gaudí lecture series and architectural education events.
• Consell Superior de Col·legis d'Arquitectes d'EspanyacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorData sharing for professional registry maintenance and cross-professional coordination at national level.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Fundació Mies van der Rohe: Barcelona-based foundation closely allied with COAC (joint exhibitions including IN THE MAKING). Comparable cultural-architecture programming and EU Prize for Contemporary Architecture (Mies van der Rohe Award). Peer as an adjacent cultural institution rather than a professional regulator.

Direct peers

• Conseil National de l'Ordre des Architectes (CNOA): French national order of architects, mandatory-membership body regulating the profession across France. Direct analogue to COAC's regulatory and certification function, with similar territorial council structure and public-facing registry of architects.
• Architects Registration Board (ARB): UK statutory regulator of architects (distinct from RIBA). Comparable to COAC's regulatory function—mandatory registration and competency validation—though without the cultural/training side that COAC bundles.
• Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA): UK chartered body for architects, offering direct comparability: mandatory collegiate structure for practicing architects, validation of architectural programs, member certification, CPD through RIBA Academy, extensive cultural archive/library (RIBA Collections), and high-profile cultural programming. Closest functional analogue to COAC outside Spain.
• Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos de España (CSCAE): National umbrella body coordinating all Spanish architecture colegios, including COAC. COAC already shares data with CSCAE for professional registry maintenance, making this the most operationally entangled peer at the national level.
• American Institute of Architects (AIA): US national professional association for architects with ~96,000 members. Comparable membership-based service model (continuing education, advocacy, component/regional chapter structure analogous to COAC's territorial demarcations), though membership is voluntary rather than mandatory as in Catalonia.
• Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC): Canadian national architecture association providing certification, advocacy, continuing education, and awards. Comparable services to COAC across professional development and regulatory advisory, with a similar English/French bilingual context.
• Architects Accreditation Council of Australia (AACA): Australian national accreditation authority for architecture qualifications and registration pathways. Comparable regulatory and accreditation function to COAC's certification work, though operating at the national rather than regional level.
• Bund Deutscher Architekten (BDA): German federal association of architects with comparable professional advocacy, awards (BDA Preis), and cultural programming. Voluntary membership model differs from COAC's mandatory structure, but product/mission overlap is strong.

Broad incumbents

• Unión Internacional de Arquitectos (UIA): Paris-based global federation of national architecture bodies. COAC is a member and key 2026 Congress partner. UIA operates at a broader international layer than COAC's regional mandate, making it an umbrella-level peer rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/COACatalunya
• YouTubeyoutube.com/canalcoac
• Facebookfacebook.com/COACatalunya
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arquitectos-el-collegio-de-arquitectos-de-catalunya-coac
• Instagraminstagram.com/coacatalunya

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Col·legi d'Arquitectes de Catalunya