Relevant news on construction, real estate and architecture.
Architecture
A new public park on the banks of the Nervión restores a former industrial area and re-establishes the connection between the urban frontage and the estuary. The project creates a new topography with terraces, naturalised slopes and a multifunctional clearing.
Source: ArchDaily
Construction
Works contracts put out to tender in the first seven months of 2026 totalled €4.935 billion, down 28% year on year. A total of 3,477 procedures were launched, while contracts awarded exclusively through public tenders reached €1.871 billion.
Source: RE Portugal
Construction
Matosinhos City Council has handed over the final 105 homes in a programme that built or refurbished 512 homes across six neighbourhoods. Municipal investment under the PRR amounted to €122 million.
Source: RE Portugal
Real estate
Developer Mesmo Valor expects to begin construction of Boavista Tower, a 24-storey building with 249 apartments, in the final quarter of 2026. The announced investment is €75 million, and construction is expected to take 42 months.
Source: idealista/news
Real estate
VGP ended the first half of 2026 with 44 projects under construction, totalling 1.14 million square metres. New lease agreements and renewals reached €52.7 million, while pre-tax profit was €141 million.
Source: idealista/news
Construction
Porto City Council is considering building housing on municipal land in Noeda to rehouse families affected by compulsory purchases for the high-speed railway line between Porto and Lisbon.
Source: idealista/news
Real estate
The Government is preparing rules that could make service contracts and public liability insurance mandatory for condominium management. Industry associations argue that the requirements should also cover condominium owners who take on this role.
Source: idealista/news
Construction
The forthcoming CEN/TS 18335:2026 has completed the European voting process and is expected to be published in the first quarter of 2027. It defines nine stages for designing natural, mechanical or hybrid ventilative cooling and incorporates a thermal resilience assessment, with direct application to the work of architects and engineers under the European directive on the energy performance of buildings.
Source: BUILD UP — European Commission
Construction
An analysis of building codes in 19 countries and regions concludes that just over half of the jurisdictions provide specific methods or requirements for assessing overheating in residential buildings. Regulation is even more limited for non-residential buildings.
Source: BUILD UP — European Commission
Construction
The European Commission has launched the Digital Product Passport registry and a test environment. The system allows unique identifiers and metadata to be registered for various product groups, including steel, aluminium, furniture, energy-related equipment and construction products.
Source: BUILD UP — European Commission
Construction
An interpretative law allows the 6% VAT rate to be applied to rehabilitation contracts for properties or public spaces located in urban rehabilitation areas, even where no urban rehabilitation operation has been approved. The legislation takes effect from 1 January 2009.
Source: ECO
Construction
The Order of Certified Accountants considers that the clarification of the 6% VAT rate on rehabilitation contracts will have general practical effects on tax due from 1 January 2022, owing to the usual four-year limitation period for tax assessments. Ongoing inspections and court proceedings may constitute exceptions.
Source: ECO
Construction
The Government expects to deliver more than 28,000 public homes by the end of August, exceeding the Recovery and Resilience Plan target of 26,000 homes. A further 12,000 homes were at an advanced stage of construction, with the stated aim of reaching 40,000 homes by December 2026.
Source: ECO
Construction
Law No. 44/2026 requires public and private institutions to ensure physical accessibility, wayfinding and communication within their premises, strengthens enforcement and provides for fines of up to €44,891.81.
Source: AICCOPN
Real estate
The tenancy reform increases from two to three years the minimum period required for tenants to exercise their right of first refusal when buying and restricts the transfer of the tenancy agreement following the holder’s death. The proposal is still subject to parliamentary approval.
Source: Vida Imobiliária
Real estate
The Belgian group has around 1,000 homes and 130,000 m² under development in Gaia, Sacavém and Matosinhos. The projects represent a combined investment of approximately €432 million.
Source: Jornal Económico
Construction
Law No. 48/2026 stipulates that the location of a contract within a legally designated urban regeneration area is sufficient for the former item 2.23 of List I of the VAT Code to apply. An approved urban regeneration operation is therefore no longer required.
Source: AICCOPN
Construction
Law No. 48/2026 stipulates that the reduced rate applies to contracts covered by item 2.23 in urban regeneration areas, even without approval of the respective operation, with effect from 1 January 2009.
Source: Official Gazette
Real estate
The Government expects to exceed the 1.º Direito target of 26,000 homes, deliver 28,000 by the end of August and reach 40,000 by December, with more than 12,000 homes at an advanced stage of construction.
Source: Vida Imobiliária
Real estate
Technology investment manager iCapital has chosen Fidelidade's headquarters in Lisbon to expand its international innovation centre, in one of Portugal's largest recent office leasing transactions.
Source: idealista/news
Real estate
A Government bill reduces the notice period for terminating open-ended tenancy agreements from five to three years when major renovation works are planned. The initiative, which is still subject to parliamentary approval, also changes the criteria for classifying works, compensation, rehousing conditions and the timeframe for an agreement between landlord and tenant.
Source: idealista/news
Real estate
After completing the acquisition of eight shopping centres in Spain for around €1.5 billion, Sonae Sierra and Norges Bank will selectively assess new investment opportunities in Portuguese shopping centres.
Source: ECO
Construction
Creditors of the former construction company Soares da Costa are expected to recover less than 3% of the claims filed, after the costs of the insolvency estate. The company, once one of Portugal’s largest construction firms, was declared insolvent in May 2023.
Source: Jornal de Negócios
Construction
ANA estimates that Luís de Camões Airport will be built between 2029 and 2033, with operations expected to begin from 2035. The project includes a high-speed rail link to central Lisbon via the Third Tagus Crossing, with an estimated journey time of around 20 minutes.
Source: Jornal de Negócios
Construction
The Government expects to complete the Chelas–Barreiro road and rail bridge and the Algés–Trafaria tunnel within ten years. The new crossing is expected to follow the timetable for Luís de Camões Airport and is considered essential to the Lisbon–Madrid high-speed rail link planned for 2034.
Source: RTP Notícias
Real estate
Ministerial Order No. 320-A/2026 clarifies that the controlled-cost housing regime also covers properties sold or leased to municipalities and other public bodies for subsequent provision as affordable rental housing. The amendment strengthens the legal framework for projects developed jointly by private developers and the public sector.
Source: AICCOPN
Construction
Activity among urban rehabilitation companies increased by 10.7% in the first half of 2026, while order books grew by 9.9%. Despite this growth, the number of permits issued fell by 11.6%, according to the AICCOPN barometer.
Source: AICCOPN
Real estate
Banco de Portugal’s macroprudential recommendations now limit the maximum share of net income allocated to loan repayments to 45%. Loan-to-value limits remain at 90% for owner-occupied permanent homes and 80% for other purposes.
Source: RTP Notícias
Real estate
The median asking price for homes for sale in Portugal reached €3,210 per square metre in July. Annual growth slowed from 8.9% to 8%, while Lisbon recorded an increase of 4.1% and Setúbal 9.1%.
Source: idealista/news
Construction
The requirement to state in transfer documents whether a property has planning permission will take effect on 1 October 2026. The postponement allows the regulations to be completed and municipal platforms to be adapted to the new RJUE rules.
Source: idealista/news
Real estate
The median asking rent in Portugal stood at €17.7 per square metre. Lisbon remained the most expensive city at €23.5 per square metre, while Setúbal recorded an annual increase of 5%.
Source: idealista/news
Construction
Between January and May, 18,649 dwellings in new-build developments were licensed, 3% more than in the same period a year earlier. By contrast, the number of licensed residential construction and rehabilitation projects fell by 7.4% to 8,350.
Source: idealista/news
Construction
The Government says it intends to meet the 96 outstanding milestones and targets and complete the 43 planned reforms. To date, the RRP has supported the construction or renovation of 31,000 social and affordable homes.
Source: Governo de Portugal
A MATTERS reúne perspetivas editoriais da Ama Grupo Imobiliário®, dedicadas à arquitetura, à construção e ao imobiliário. Um espaço de informação, análise e partilha de conhecimento útil.
MATTERS — perspetivas editoriais da Ama Grupo Imobiliário®