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Tiago Ilharco

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Tiago is a structural engineer with a strong focus on the conservation of built heritage. He is the co-founder and managing partner of NCREP – Heritage Consultancy, based in Portugal. Since 2005, he has dedicated his career to the structural assessment, strengthening, and health monitoring of existing buildings, leading numerous high-profile conservation projects across the country. More recently, his company has also expanded its activity to the United Kingdom, developing a growing portfolio of work in the field of consultancy and structural assessment of built heritage.

Tiago holds a Diploma in Civil Engineering and a Master’s degree in Conservation of Built Heritage from the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, as well as an MBA from Porto Business School. He is a senior member and certified specialist in structural engineering with the Portuguese Association of Engineers.

 

Work

Throughout his career, Tiago Ilharco has managed and coordinated a wide range of projects dedicated to the preservation of architectural heritage, while also ensuring the safety and integrity of historic structures. His deep expertise in structural conservation, paired with strong leadership and project management skills, has been central to the successful conservation of numerous significant heritage sites. His work covers a wide range of structures, including houses, churches, historic buildings, and public monuments. Notable projects include the Mafra National Palace, the walls of Óbidos and Peniche, the Supreme Court of Justice, the Arab Hall of the Palácio da Bolsa (both classified as National Monuments), as well as the Study of Traditional Buildings in two villages in Bhutan, among others.

Tiago is also engaged in academic and professional training. He is a guest lecturer at the Portuguese Catholic University – School of Arts, and serves as a trainer for the Portuguese Association of Engineers and the Portuguese Association of Architects. He has participated as a co-supervisor and examiner of master’s theses and authored several technical publications on structural assessment, reinforcement techniques, and the conservation of existing buildings.

In the associative field, Tiago is a founding partner and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of APRUPP – the Portuguese Association for Urban Rehabilitation and Heritage Protection. He is also a member of the General Assembly of GECoRPA – Heritage Guild, and member of INTBAU Portugal – International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture and Urbanism. Tiago has also contributed to European research through participation in COST Actions FP1101 and FP1402, and as a member of the CEN/TC250/SC5 Technical Committee focused on Eurocode development for existing structures.

 

Pictured:

  1. Port wine warehouse, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal (image credits: NCREP)
  2. Building in Oxforshire, United Kingdom (image credits: NCREP)
  3. Peniche city walls, Portugal (image credits: NCREP)
  4. Mafra National Palace, Portugal (image credits: NCREP)
  5. Santa Iria Church, Santarém, Portugal (image credits: NCREP)
  6. Supreme Court of Justice, Lisbon, Portugal (image credits: NCREP)
  7. Bhutanese traditional constructions, Punakha, Bhutan (image credits: NCREP)
  8. Boavista house, Porto, Portugal (image credits: José Campos Photography)
  9. Arab Hall, Palacio da Bolsa, Porto, Portugal (image credits: CREA)
  10. Cineclube building, Porto, Portugal (image credits: Diana Barros)
  11. Lello bookshop, Porto, Portugal (image credits: NCREP)