Architecture + Interiors
Recent Blogs
By Richard Dudzicki
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October 10, 2025
Part I: Reflections from the Venice Biennale – Architecture and Dystopian Futures In September, RDA Director Richard attended the Venice Biennale as part of the AMI (Architects Marketing Institute) Mastermind group, led by Richard Petrie and joined by architects from the UK, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, and beyond. Venice itself, grappling with its own environmental precarity, provided a fitting stage for architectural contemplation. The city heightens awareness: light skips across the water, vaporettos weave through the canals, and conversations spill from pavilions into narrow alleys. It’s a place where architecture feels inseparable from life and culture. This year’s Biennale carried a distinctly dystopian tone. Many exhibitions directly tackled the climate crisis, social instability, and the legacy of colonialism, compelling architects to rethink their roles in shaping the future. Walking the Giardini and Arsenale, Richard noted a striking tension between urgency and care. Projects addressing social transformation and environmental scarcity stood side-by-side with work celebrating patience, craft, and the value of repair. Several national pavilions left a lasting impression. The British Pavilion’s candid exploration of empire and colonisation challenged visitors to consider justice within the built environment. The Spanish Pavilion offered a poetic and emotional counterbalance.
By Richard Dudzicki
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September 23, 2025
Upgrading a listed home is one of the most rewarding yet challenging projects a homeowner can undertake. Unlike Standard properties, every change must respect strict planning regulations whilst protecting the historic character that makes the building unique. Choices that may seem simple in modern homes such as changing windows, adding insulation, or altering layouts can become complex negotiations between performance, aesthetics and compliance. The key to success lies in working with conservation architects, skilled craftspeople, and heritage professionals who understand both the technical and regulatory landscape. With their guidance, upgrades can be achieved in ways that not only preserve but often enhance the building's long-term performance and beauty. When done right, a listed home can be both energy-efficient and historically authentic, ready to thrive for future generations.
By Richard Dudzicki
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August 6, 2025
Thinking about renovating your home? Don’t do it alone. We will be explaining how working with an architect rather than just a construction team alone can help you save potential future costs to your project. A big renovation can be exciting, but overwhelming. Costs can spiral, timelines shift and without the right advice, costly mistakes can sneak in. This is where we come in. What is a RIBA Chartered Architect? At RDA Architects, we are RIBA Chartered Architects. RIBA (the Royal Institute of British Architects) is the UK's professional body for architects, setting the gold standard for architectural practice. This means when you work with RDA, you're partnering with professionals who have proven their expertise and commitment to maintaining the highest standards in architecture. But more importantly, we help homeowners like you get the most out of your budget and avoid the kind of problems that can turn a dream project into a nightmare. As shown in the diagram below, RDA (the architect) plays a central role in your project, acting as the hub for information exchange and coordination between the client, design team, and contractor team. We work closely with the specialists, engineers, and contractors to develop and communicate the design, ensuring your vision is realised efficiently and within budget, while helping you avoid the common pitfalls that can derail a project.