RDAarchitects

Design

Our commitment to design quality and spaces that work is equalled only by our design integrity and attention to detail. Our architecture is fundamentally about how people experience a place and, in turn, how that place affects them.

The diversity of our work demonstrates our intention to approach each unique project on its own merit. We want to produce wonderfully practical, efficient and attractive buildings for people to inhabit based on each individual client and project.

We believe in providing a professional, problem solving and coordinated approach with our clients interests always the priority. We believe that teamwork is the key to the successful delivery of a project and we guide and consult with our clients throughout the whole process, to ensure that their aspirations have the most feasible solution that exceeds their expectations.

Our architecture strives to reconnect people with their environment through the careful manipulation of the sensual qualities of light, material and space. The spaces that we create help support and encourage the expression of contemporary life.

Quality

Our reputation has been built on the quality of our designs and delivery of projects, our attention to detail and our passion for connecting people to their environment. Every aspect of our designs, from the choice of materials to the physical and cultural context, is carefully considered to create a unique experience and space.

Directors and Senior Architects are closely involved in every project to ensure quality control and client satisfaction, supported by our thorough quality management procedures.

Our ambition and ability to exceed the expectations of clients and create exceptional architecture has been recognised with multiple awards over the years.

Our quality management system and procedures are based on the international standard BS EN ISO 9000

Communication

A picture paints a thousand words.

Our ideas will always start life as simple sketches but to physically capture the experience of a space we develop our designs using 3D visualisations. This ensures a cohesive and coordinated design that helps our clients, users and other stakeholders fully understand and appreciate the final space.

We put the dialogue with our clients, users and other stakeholders at the heart of the design process. We always take time to thoroughly analyse and explore a brief, challenging assumptions and preconceptions. Our lateral thinking ensures the final design strategy is one that delivers the maximum potential from each site, and a design that is practical and flexible. Our creativity lies in our ability to think, develop and visualise our ideas in all dimensions.

Conservation

The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) Conservation Accreditation scheme demonstrates that we are extensively qualified and experienced to act as the lead professional in grant aided conservation and historic built environment work.

Since our inception in 1947, we have been particularly interested in works relating to historic buildings. Being based in Tayside we have an abundance of conservation examples and historic built environment on our doorstep.

We have been fortunate enough to accumulate a wealth of conservation experience within the Scottish stock of historic and listed buildings, working to reinstate and provide sensitive historic or contemporary alterations. Our work with the National Trust for Scotland, Historic Scotland, Scottish Lime Centre Trust and the Buildings at Risk Register for Scotland, to name a few, shows our determination to ensuring a future for historic buildings.

We are excited to be involved in ensuring existing buildings can be brought back into full service in an efficient, sustainable manner, adapting to suit the requirements and impacts of modern life. We aim to integrate future proofing works where feasible to ensure ongoing maintenance and improvements can be carried out sympathetically, sustainably and cost effectively.

We combine specification research and implementation with hands on detail guidance and assessment on site. This ensures correct practice is used to obtain both historically and practically suitable solutions for the 21^st century.

Sustainability

We believe that sustainability can and should be incorporated into all projects, and sustainability isn’t just about the well known environmental issues, but also economic and social, to ensure buildings are successful for the future as well as the present. This happens at both the design stage and also during construction.

Environmentally, we’re well aware of the current impact the building industry is having on the natural environment and we’re committed to providing better solutions to improve this. Where possible we design the form and organisation of our buildings to maximise the location and orientation to use natural lighting and ventilation, and by looking at alternative more environmentally friendly material options.

Our approach means that we regularly fulfil the BREEAM requirements for a building.

Socially, it is in our best interest to sustainably meet the needs of society by providing design based solutions to modern day problems to improve the quality of life of our clients, buildings users and society.

Economically, we look to provide architectural solutions to last a life cycle in the most cost effective way.

RDA Architects have considerable experience in projects involving a high degree of sustainability measures and will use this experience to continue to develop and deliver sustainable solutions for all of our clients.