e20 Arquitectos – Personal architecture from Palma

The office is tucked away in a side street of Ponent, a bright room with a mix of construction drawings and coffee cups on the tables. The studio was founded by Gonzalo (yes, you can still meet him personally), and the team has a hands-on approach: they measure, talk and draw. What stood out to me is the balance between a technical outlook and practical everyday thinking. They speak openly about building standards, but also about whether the kitchen can survive the morning with children in the house. Typical projects range from small additions to old buildings to complete new builds with a simple maintenance philosophy – not too many exotic materials, but durable lime plasters, local timbers and ceramic floors that withstand Mediterranean weather. Appointments are scheduled realistically; change requests are recorded and rarely met with complicated excuses. When it comes to permits, the team supports submissions to the town hall and talks with certified engineers, so legal pitfalls are identified early. If desired, the package can be booked through to handover: design, tendering, construction management and inspections. For me, what remains decisive is the personal care – you can tell they don't just "process" projects, they think of them as homes: where the winter sun enters, which windows are best to open and how to make terraces as usable as possible. Small tip: bring photos, even snapshots of daily life – that often says more than a floor plan.

The office is tucked away in a side street of Ponent, a bright room with a mix of construction drawings and coffee cups on the tables. The studio was founded by Gonzalo (yes, you can still meet him personally), and the team has a hands-on approach: they measure, talk and draw. What stood out to me is the balance between a technical outlook and practical everyday thinking. They speak openly about building standards, but also about whether the kitchen can survive the morning with children in the house. Typical projects range from small additions to old buildings to complete new builds with a simple maintenance philosophy – not too many exotic materials, but durable lime plasters, local timbers and ceramic floors that withstand Mediterranean weather. Appointments are scheduled realistically; change requests are recorded and rarely met with complicated excuses. When it comes to permits, the team supports submissions to the town hall and talks with certified engineers, so legal pitfalls are identified early. If desired, the package can be booked through to handover: design, tendering, construction management and inspections. For me, what remains decisive is the personal care – you can tell they don't just "process" projects, they think of them as homes: where the winter sun enters, which windows are best to open and how to make terraces as usable as possible. Small tip: bring photos, even snapshots of daily life – that often says more than a floor plan.

On Mallorca it's worth considering orientation and the microclimate for every project. Good planners don't just look at form, but at energy use, natural ventilation and daylight management. For new builds you often plan wide overhangs, shading elements and simple mechanical ventilation for the hottest days. For renovations in older buildings the challenge is to integrate modern technology unobtrusively: heat pumps, insulation in the right places, while preserving the classic masonry structure. Restorations require patience—small surprises always appear—but a team with local contacts can react faster and keep costs under control. If you start a project, ask to see example projects and request references, ideally with contact details of previous clients. That way you'll get a realistic picture of punctuality and craftsmanship.

For the first appointment it's best to bring a few concrete items: site plan, photos of the plot or apartment, a list of priorities (e.g. light, guest room, home office) and an approximate budget. Honesty helps: say what is non-negotiable and where you're flexible. Also ask about schedules and how often site visits are planned. Small practical questions like construction waste disposal or parking arrangements are often overlooked but important for smooth progress. And bring patience—good architecture needs communication, not just inspiration.