ULMA Architectural Solutions
ULMA Architectural Solutions is a Spanish cooperative construction-products business specializing in polymer-concrete drainage, facade systems, architectural prefabricates and urban furniture.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
ULMA Architectural Solutions is a construction-products company within the ULMA Group, a cooperative business group based in Oñati in Spain’s Basque Country. It develops and manufactures prefabricated products for drainage, building envelopes, architectural detailing and urban environments. Its portfolio is centered on polymer concrete, a composite material made from mineral aggregates such as silica and quartz bound with polyester resins. Compared with conventional concrete, the material can provide high compressive strength while allowing thinner, lighter and more dimensionally controlled components. The business emerged from the wider industrial history of ULMA. The group traces its origins to 1957, when six young mechanics established a small workshop in Oñati to provide ancillary services to the local chocolate industry. In 1961 the founders formalized the Industrial Cooperative Talleres ULMA S.C.I., with the ULMA name derived from their surnames. Although the early business was associated with chocolate-packaging machinery, the group entered construction-related manufacturing in 1963 after patenting the JJEIP prefabricated scaffolding system in Spain. Other activities later included construction components and forklift trucks, eventually developing into several specialized ULMA cooperative companies. The direct predecessor of ULMA Architectural Solutions was created in 1990 as ULMA Polymer Concrete, initially as a business associated with ULMA Construction. Its initial products included prefabricated polymer-concrete drainage channels and window sills. Manufacturing began in 1991 at facilities in Oñati, at a time when polymer concrete was still unfamiliar in Spain and was sometimes described locally as “mineral cast.” In 1996 the activity became a separate business, and in 1997 it established its own sales network. The company expanded beyond drainage and architectural details in 2001, when it began manufacturing and marketing ventilated facade systems. The development of facade enclosures and other architectural prefabricates broadened its role from component supplier to building-envelope solutions provider. Its products are organized around several related applications. Drainage products include linear surface-drainage channels, electrical conduits and beaconing solutions for the controlled collection or routing of water, utilities and services. Architectural prefabricates include copings, flashings, jambs and baseboards. The company also supplies self-supporting multilayer enclosure systems incorporating thermal and acoustic insulation, as well as ventilated facades in which an air cavity separates the outer cladding from the insulation and wall structure. Urban-furniture products include benches, lighting elements and planters. Since 2016, the portfolio has also included interior coating solutions with different textures, colors, finishes and formats. ULMA Architectural Solutions has supplied products for residential, cultural, leisure, transport, industrial and public-realm projects. Cited applications include ventilated facades for residential buildings and care facilities, the Image and Sound Museum of Rio de Janeiro, Portoseguro Theatre in São Paulo, drainage at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, airport facilities in Madrid, Málaga and São Paulo, the entrances to Camp Nou, an underground car park at the Arese shopping center in Milan, and industrial facilities such as Campofrío’s frozen-pizza plant in Ólvega. These references illustrate the company’s mix of architectural-envelope and infrastructure-oriented work. The company began expanding its international organization from 2009, establishing subsidiaries in Portugal, France, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and the United States, while also serving additional markets through distributors. Reference material describes ULMA Architectural Solutions as having approximately 250 employees in 2023. It operates as one of nine cooperative companies in UL…
History
ULMA Architectural Solutions belongs to the cooperative structure of ULMA Group, whose origins date to 1957 in Oñati, Gipuzkoa. Six young mechanics initially created a workshop serving the region’s chocolate industry. In 1961 they organized the activity as Industrial Cooperative Talleres ULMA S.C.I.; the ULMA name was formed from the founders’ surnames. The early business became associated with chocolate-packaging machinery, while the group gradually diversified into industrial and construction-related activities. ULMA’s entry into construction manufacturing began in 1963, when it patented the JJEIP prefabricated scaffolding system in Spain. The group later developed additional construction products, including construction flanges and forklift trucks. During the 1990s the different activities adopted a more unified corporate identity, while individual businesses increasingly specialized in distinct markets. In 1990 ULMA created a business known as ULMA Polymer Concrete within the construction area. The new activity focused on prefabricated polymer-concrete drainage channels and window sills. It established manufacturing premises in 1991 and produced some of Spain’s earliest commercial applications of polymer concrete, a material that was then relatively unfamiliar in the domestic market. The company’s polymer concrete combines mineral aggregates with stable polyester resins, producing components designed to be strong, comparatively lightweight and suitable for thin profiles. The polymer-concrete activity separated from ULMA Construction in 1996 and operated as ULMA Polymer Concrete. In 1997 it consolidated its own sales network. A major product expansion followed in 2001, when the business began manufacturing and marketing ventilated facade systems in addition to drainage and architectural prefabricates. Its headquarters and manufacturing facilities in the Zubillaga district of Oñati, covering approximately 12,000 square meters, were opened in the same period according to the reference material. The company subsequently developed facade enclosures, customized prefabricated products and urban-furniture lines. The facade portfolio includes self-supporting multilayer enclosure systems with thermal and acoustic insulation, together with ventilated facade systems that create an air chamber between outer cladding and insulation. These systems have been used in residential refurbishment and new construction, care facilities, cultural venues and other building types. Drainage products have been specified for shopping centers, industrial plants, museums, stadium entrances and airports. From 2016 the company added indoor coating products with a range of textures, colors, finishes and formats. International development accelerated from 2009. The company opened subsidiaries in Portugal, France, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and the United States, and also built a distribution presence in more than 20 additional countries. By 2023 the reference material described the business as employing about 250 people. It remains one of the nine cooperative companies that comprise ULMA Group, alongside businesses in construction equipment, packaging, materials handling, conveyor components, embedded systems, forged products and related industrial fields.
- 2016
Interior coating products added
[1]ULMA Architectural Solutions expanded into indoor coatings with multiple textures, colors, finishes and formats.
- 2009
International subsidiary expansion begins
[1]The company began opening subsidiaries in international markets, including Portugal, France, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and the United States.
- 2001
Ventilated facade expansion
[1]The company began manufacturing and marketing ventilated facade systems, expanding its portfolio beyond drainage and architectural prefabricates.
- 1997
Dedicated sales network
[1]ULMA Polymer Concrete consolidated its own sales network, supporting expansion beyond its original construction-group structure.
- 1996
Business becomes independent from ULMA Construction
[1]The polymer-concrete activity separated from ULMA Construction and operated as ULMA Polymer Concrete.
- 1991
Polymer-concrete manufacturing begins
[1]The new business established premises and began producing prefabricated polymer-concrete components in Oñati.
- 1990
ULMA Polymer Concrete is established
[1]ULMA launched a business focused on prefabricated polymer-concrete drainage channels and window sills.
- 1963
Entry into construction products
[1]ULMA patented the JJEIP prefabricated scaffolding system in Spain, marking an early step into the construction sector.
- 1961
Industrial Cooperative Talleres ULMA is formed
[1]The founders formalized their enterprise as Industrial Cooperative Talleres ULMA S.C.I.; the ULMA name was derived from their surnames.
- 1957
ULMA’s cooperative origins
[1]Six mechanics established a workshop in Oñati to provide ancillary services to the regional chocolate industry, creating the origin of the later ULMA Group.
Products and positioning
A specialized, engineering-led supplier of durable polymer-concrete systems for water management, building envelopes, architectural detailing and urban design. The brand combines prefabrication with customized construction solutions and serves both domestic and international project markets.
Water management and utility infrastructure · 1990
Canalization and drainage
Polymer-concrete systems for collecting and routing rainwater and other surface fluids, together with products for conduits, electrical services and beaconing. Applications range from underground car parks and industrial plants to airports, museums, stadium entrances and other public or commercial sites. The material is intended to provide durable, dimensionally stable drainage components while retaining relatively manageable installation weights.
Architectural components · 1990
Architectural prefabricated products
Prefabricated polymer-concrete elements used to finish and protect building edges and openings. The range includes copings, flashings, jambs and baseboards, with customized formats available for architectural projects. These components extend the use of polymer concrete from infrastructure into visible building details and can be coordinated with facade and refurbishment work.
Building envelopes
Facade enclosures
Self-supporting multilayer enclosure systems designed to combine facade construction with thermal and acoustic insulation. The systems target industrialized or prefabricated building-envelope applications and can be used in new construction or renovation. Their role within the portfolio is to provide a more integrated alternative to separately specifying structural, insulation and facade components.
Building envelopes · 2001
Ventilated facades
Facade cladding systems that leave a ventilated cavity between the outer layer and the insulation or supporting wall. The cavity-based construction is intended to support moisture management and envelope performance while offering architectural flexibility. ULMA has supplied these systems for residential buildings, refurbishment projects, care facilities and cultural or leisure buildings, including projects in Spain and Brazil.
Interior architectural finishes · 2016
Interior coatings
Indoor coating solutions introduced to complement the exterior facade and prefabricated-product portfolio. The products are available in different textures, colors, finishes and formats, allowing interior applications to be coordinated with broader architectural schemes. The reference material identifies this line as part of the company’s offering from 2016 onward.
Public-realm products
Urban furniture
Polymer-concrete products for public and landscaped environments, including benches, lighting fixtures and planters. The line applies the company’s material expertise to streetscapes, parks, plazas and other urban settings, where resistance, reduced maintenance and coordinated architectural appearance are relevant purchasing considerations.
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