Interview: AS Architects

Interview with Alexander Rakita from AR Architecture

Tell us a little of the background of AR Architects? AR Architecture is an award-winning RIBA Chartered Practice founded in 2010 by Alexander Rakita upon the foundation of his previous 20-year international career. Today, the company employs 8 staff in its London and Porto offices, has accumulated invaluable experience and won many national and international awards. The practice gets involved in a broad range of residential, commercial and hospitality projects, thriving and succeeding in most complex inter-cultural settings.

How do you make sure your clients’ goals and expectations are met? What we do here, at AR Architecture, is to take in all the ideas and the questions of our clients and provide them with all the information they need to make their decisions on construction. For us, it is not only about beautiful designs – it is about making the most of client’s ideas, budget, and time. We like to think of the clients as our co-authors. Being at their side on the journey through the construction project is really where we add the most value. It’s about listening to the needs and finding the best delivery.

How do you help clients with planning issues? Our services cover the whole architectural process, from initial concept all the way to completion. Historic buildings are our speciality. We deal with all statutory approvals, help to appoint the design team, lead and coordinate it, then supervise the construction, working alongside the builders as one team. Many of our projects are in listed buildings or conservation areas; we pride ourselves on obtaining consents for modern designs which are sensitive to their historical context. In complex cases, we recommend obtaining a written pre-planning advice prior to submitting a full application. Apart from telling us whether the proposals are likely to be acceptable, this procedure is an opportunity to engage the officers in an informal discussion and make them part of the decision-making process.

What do you find most exciting about your work? It’s the magic of seeing our ideas materialised, influencing this process, knowing that in the spaces we are creating people will be able to feel at home and in harmony with their surroundings. As a matter of fact, we love dealing with difficult briefs and tight budgets - this is often where the most interesting and creative solutions originate from!

What would you say are the key strengths of your practice? Design is made for people by people. At AR Architecture, we’re lucky to have an amazing cosmopolitan team of talented professionals, where everyone’s opinion matters, and everybody has something to bring to the discussion. There is always an intention to know personally the client and their needs. We are small enough to care and big enough to deliver. Our international experience helps us think outside the box and adapt to the diverse needs and wishes of our clients. Most of our projects use Building Information Modelling (abbreviated as BIM). All work is done in a virtual 3D model which allows us walk through the project’s spaces, see relationships between materials, plant and structure, detect any problems at an early stage and keep budgets on target.