RKA Architectural Design Studio

Richard and his team were very open to our ideas, and to having as much, or as little involvement as we needed. They were enjoyable to work with, and really listened to what we needed before anything else, and quickly understanding what we were after. During the project they were also very helpful in dealing with practical matters, and were just all-round really human, sensible and enjoyable to work with.

From the start Richard and Chris took a personal interest in our project and we realised very quickly how important it was to be working with a professional team. RKA managed everything from start to finish and didn't let any of the smaller details fall through the cracks. Our was quite a quirky project where we weren't sure that our hopes for the space would be achievable but RKA's creativity and genuine interest in what we were trying to achieve resulted in the build delivering everything that we had hoped for at the start. We would recommend RKA without hesitation.

Richard and his team have been great to work with and very quick to turnaround our project ideas, would definitely recommend.

Richard and the team have all been brilliant to work with. They really listen and have brought us so many creative ideas for our project that we’d never have thought of, blending traditional and contemporary design ideas seamlessly. They’re very responsive, pleasant and professional to work with, and have really helped make the design and planning phase smooth, exciting and fun. The model of the completed project was an unexpected bonus and an absolute work of art. We’d highly recommend RKA!

This is a long reviews, because we are so impressed with Richard and the RKA team. In short, we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them - we already have to a number of friends! For the longer answer, see below. I found RKA via Houzz professional listings. The photos of a recently renovated house nearby that I’d been admiring caught my eye. Richard contacted me promptly and we immediately struck up a great rapport. We were looking to extend our 1970s bungalow to create another living space and two further bedrooms for visitors. We have loved having Richard on board as we try to design this as a contemporary family home. At the start of the design process Friday evenings became something to look forward to (even more) as Richard would regularly share updated and revised ideas at this time to let us get excited about and mull over during the weekend. Richard brought so many different, distinctive and enticing ideas to the table, soaking up our hairbrain ideas and distilling them into a number of workable solutions. Having listened carefully to our brief from the outset, he has responded to our comments throughout and challenged us to push ourselves to think differently too. We thoroughly enjoyed the design process and have now settled on a design for a beautifully elegant and striking home. Without Richard on our side we would never have come up with anything as incredible as we have. There have been bumps and rethinks along the way, but we’ve always felt very supported by all the team at RKA. When we needed to downscale, due to budget restrictions, the team responded so positively, and quickly redesigned a more affordable scheme whilst still keeping the essence of the design we’d fallen in love with. This supportive and proactive approach certainly helped me to enjoy the process again after feeling quite down-heartened. We had to go through planning, via the local council planning committee. Again, the RKA team went above and beyond to liaise with the planning officer and respond quickly and efficiently to deal with objections and suggestions. Everything was addressed promptly due to the very tight schedule set by the council deadlines and Richard was on the phone the moment the online meeting made its decision. Luckily an acceptance! Throughout the process the RKA team have consistently produced professional, clear and stylish presentations to showcase their ideas, kept to every deadline, been flexible to our needs and kept us on track when things got tricky. They have recommended local professionals to support our project, who have all been assets to the process. We are now waiting on tenders being returned by builders using the comprehensive tender pack put together by RKA. If budget allows, we would love to have RKA remain part of the process until completion.

I responded to an advert in a local magazine article. Richard was very quick to reply to my enquiry and he visited my home within a week of my correspondence. He was engaging, knowledgeable and professional. He promptly quoted for the project and I was happy to accept. We agreed a start date and a member of his team, Andy, came and diligently measured and planned out current layout. Within 3 weeks I have received my agreed drawings which have been submitted to my local council for a certificate of lawfulness. Andy summed up RKA Architectural Design ethos in that a very small project like mine and a multi million pound build both receive the same care and attention to detail. Both receive excellent service. I am undertaking this project on my own and have felt supported and re-assured at every step of the process. I would highly recommend RKA Architectural Design Studio.

Great job from start to finish. Richard and his team have exceptional experience in (conservation area) development which was a huge help to my job. 100% use them again Mr Taylor

Taking a recommendation from friends, we contacted Richard Keating and the RKA team to extend and reconfigure our house in St. Andrews. We found Richard and all the RKA team very professional and knowledgeable but also really approachable. Richard showed us previous examples of his work and we also had a site visit to a completed project before we committed which really gave us a feel for the flair and vision RKA bring to a project. We were on! Richard was really responsive to our brief, asked us lots of questions and balanced the practical and budgetary considerations of the project with beautiful design and bespoke solutions for us- especially in the kitchen and dining room extension where we wanted some special and unique architectural touches. RKA have made the process of home extension and renovation exciting, enjoyable and lots of fun- when Richard presented initial design ideas for our house, there were genuine squeals of delight! We were blown away by his designs! RKA then continued to work with us, offering guidance and expertise where necessary, to hone the project to our taste and specifications and are they now supporting the process through the planning and building stages. The RKA team have always been particularly prompt in communication which is really useful at this stage. We are also enjoying the interior design service they offer and always look forward to our Friday night updates which have a real sense of excitement around them. We are a small project for RKA but believe we have been offered as much of the enthusiasm and interest as the larger projects they also undertake. Highly recommend.

Been through initial design stage and have our 3D plans for a restructure of the downstairs of our home (project cost and date shown representative of this stage). Richard and his team worked with us, listening to our ideas and providing a wide range of options for restructuring, advice and logistical expertise. Any queries or adaptions to plans we requested were met with prompt updates, taking into account everything we had raised. Very reasonably priced for the level of work that was put into the designs and in-person meetings to develop the plans. We look forward to moving onto the next stage of our planning and developing with RKA.

We have been delighted by the work of Richard Keating and his colleagues at RKA Architectural Design Studio. We are planning the reconfiguration and extension of the ground floor of our four-floor house in Cellardyke, Fife, and also a more limited reconfiguration of the first floor. The project is complex in a number of ways, not least because the house is a Category C listed building within a conservation area. The main aims of the project are to achieve better kitchen and bathroom areas, and better circulation around the ground floor. There are a number of ways in which these aims could have been achieved, of which some are better and more cost-effective than others, and throughout his work on the project we have been immensely grateful for the time and care taken by Richard to guide us towards the best solution for us. He started by offering us a wide range of options which clarified to us both the limitations of the existing structure and the different possibilities we might consider. After a long consultation meeting with us, he produced from these options a scheme that achieves all our principal aims within a manageable budget. The key to achieving this was Richard's sensitivity to what we were trying to achieve and his flexibility in combining aspects of different initial proposals. The close and effective collaboration between Richard and Rebecca Alexander who is designing our kitchen and bathroom internally has also been crucial. We recommend RKA without hesitation.

RKA are a creative, innovative new firm delivering beautiful and inspiring projects. They are focused on detail, quality and design. Having worked on a few projects with them, ranging in size and style, the attention to detail is never compromised and they consistently deliver in all aspects of a project. A very professional and organised company that are extremely easy to engage with. Colleague Review.

Collaborator: I have worked with RKA for a while now and the work is done to the highest professional standard possible, striving to provide attentive and personalised solutions to every problem that arises.

We worked with the team at RKA when planning for a new build house in East Fife. While our bid for the land fell through, we will definitely be back in touch with them when we find a new plot because we were really impressed by the design options they put forward. The designs for a five-bedroom house – including gym and a terrace with sea views – were excellent. We were really impressed by their imagination and creative skills. The 3D images they provided were particularly helpful, enabling us to visualise the designs as well as understand the pros and cons of each option. Their communication with us was also really responsive and they were always on hand to answer any questions we had.

We would have no hesitation in recommending RKA Architectural Design. Richard is very friendly and approachable, and we were confident he was the right choice from the outset. He pays great attention to detail and has been regularly keeping us informed of every step of the design process. He has listened to our views thoroughly and offered us options and advice. He is very professional and experienced, and we cannot wait to see the final outcome of this project.

We are renovating a Victorian property in Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire and asked Richard to provide us with a design for the master bedroom, en suite and walk-in wardrobe. He listened to all our ideas and thoughts and then produced a great design for us to work with; Richard is a highly motivated professional and a pleasure to work with. He produced his design quickly and efficiently for us and would certainly recommend him to others.

SDC Ltd were the consulting structural engineer who worked with RKA Architectural Design Studio on a project in St Andrews. RKA were willing to listen when it came to adjusting the layouts slightly to come up with the most cost effective solution for what was a fairly complex extension and alterations without compromising the aims of the proposals. RKA had creative solutions to problems and provided architectural drawings which were adequate for planning permission and also building warrant approvals.

We asked Richard to provide us with some drawings in relation to a loft extension/possible rear sunroom we were considering to our property. We were incredibly impressed with his understated yet friendly and enthusiastic approach. He listened very carefully to us and came up with some creative and novel suggestions for our unusual house and plot. In the end we decided not to undertake the project for other reasons, but had we gone ahead we would have been very confident to proceed with Richard on board as our architect and would certainly recommend him.

Richard has conducted a full refurbishment/ extension on our house. Using clever methods he has filled the centre of the property with natural light. His design has doubled the floor area and he has created a contemporary kitchen that my wife is absolutely delighted with. The property now also has a rear dormer and side extension that just gives us so much more space. Everyone who has visited has remarked on the outstanding design of our house which makes us very proud. I would not hesitate to recommend Richard to you. We are so grateful to him.

Richard's approach was thoroughly professional and I found him easy to work with and positive in his approach to problem-solving. I would be pleased to work with him again and have no hesitation in recommending him for future projects.

I've worked for RKA to help them develop some of their projects. I've to say they have great skills in proposing optional solutions, they come up with them fast, effectively solving problems. It has been inspiring to work with them, as they have the best ability to turn visions into actual action plans.