KALAM: Track Record, Commitment and International Outlook

Alimarket, a media outlet specialising in economic and business news, interviewed Ramón Mayo, President of KALAM, to explore the company’s track record, challenges, and international projection.

The interview addressed key aspects of the building rehabilitation and heritage restoration sector, as well as the company’s strategy for facing current challenges.

Below, we highlight some of the main topics covered in the article.

A distinctive model in the sector

With nearly 40 years of experience, KALAM has become one of the leading companies specialising in building rehabilitation and heritage restoration. Its working model, based on excellence and the continuous training of its professionals, has enabled the company to undertake highly complex technical and architectural projects with confidence.

Since its foundation, KALAM has relied on its own team of specialists and master craftsmen—an uncommon strategy in the sector that ensures a high standard of quality in every intervention. The company has also developed its own craft training centre, EOAK, to train future professionals.

Flagship projects in Spain and abroad

The company currently manages a substantial portfolio of ongoing projects, with notable interventions in Spain and international markets such as the United States, Portugal and Chile.

Recent highlights include the restoration of the towers of the Basilica of El Pilar in Zaragoza, work at Seville Cathedral, and the rehabilitation of a Renaissance palace in Ávila for its conversion into a hotel. Internationally, the company has undertaken full-scale refurbishments in Lisbon—such as República 40, Conçeiçao 123 and the Palacete da Rainha—as well as façade restorations on landmark buildings along New York’s Fifth Avenue.

Challenges and future outlook

The rehabilitation sector in Spain continues to be influenced by the dominance of price in public tenders, which, according to Ramón Mayo, may jeopardise the quality of the work and often endangers the buildings themselves, many of which are heritage-listed. In contrast, other markets such as the United States recognise the importance of specialisation, and the balance between cost and quality plays a key role in contractor selection.

KALAM has also adapted to the opportunities presented by European funding for energy efficiency improvements, while identifying the need to simplify administrative procedures to make access to these grants easier for communities of property owners.

KALAM continues to strengthen its international presence while maintaining its commitment to quality, training, and the preservation of built heritage—values that have been key to its standing as a benchmark in the sector.

See more about Building Rehabilitation and Heritage Restoration