Practice
Passionately curious.
Thoughtfully creative.
Openly committed.
We become experts in our clients’ worlds - understanding how they operate, what they need and what matters most - so we can design around them, not ourselves.
When we’re clear on what matters, we design with imagination and intent - balancing creativity with rigour to create spaces that are both inspiring and effective.
We’re committed to the people we work with. Open in how we collaborate. Present when it matters. Always ready with insight and support.
RCA was established in 1993 by Peter Race and David Cottam. At the time of formation it was involved in three key areas of work: Healthcare, Food Retail and Sensitive Infrastructure Projects. The business was founded on delivering exceptional service to clients with a commitment to considered, deliverable design solutions with the RCA team at its heart.
Today the business is still heavily involved in its original core sectors, but has diversified into Education, Civic, Community, Science, Technology and Workplace projects nationally.
David Cottam remains as chairman of the business having passed on to a second generation of leadership; Laurie Cottam is Managing Director, and Pauline Lake and Paul Foster are Directors.
We deliver a full architectural services across all RIBA stages, from initial strategic definition through to construction and post-occupancy. Our approach combines creative design thinking with technical expertise, ensuring projects are well considered, buildable and sustainable.
Working collaboratively with end users, estates teams, contractor teams and other disciplines, we guide each project from concept to completion, managing risks, coordinating teams and maintaining design quality throughout.
‘Making spaces for what matters’ is at the heart of our interior design approach. We create inclusive environments with identity and purpose, spaces that feel right for the people who use them and elevate everyday experiences.
Working seamlessly with our architectural teams, we shape interiors and exteriors as one, ensuring a cohesive vision from the outset. Through close collaboration, we develop a clear brief that reflects the needs, aspirations and character of each project. We use creativity to design new spaces as well as reimagining existing ones where we prioritise repurposing and reuse to minimise waste and add lasting value.
Our team delivers across all sectors, from refurbishment to new build, space planning and workplace consultancy. The result is thoughtful, well-crafted environments that support wellbeing, inspire people and enhance how spaces are used.
We provide technical delivery often employed directly by contractor teams, translating design intent into coordinated, buildable information while leading consultant teams and supporting delivery on site.
From detailed design through to construction, we manage technical coordination, resolve interfaces and ensure compliance with programme, cost and quality requirements. Working closely with contractors, specialists and the wider design team, we maintain design integrity while enabling efficient, well-executed construction.
We believe that building safety, compliance and risk management are fundamental to good design, not secondary considerations. Our Principal Designer role spans both CDM and Building Regulations, ensuring that duties are clearly understood and embedded from the outset. Under the Building Regulations Principal Designer role, we plan, manage and monitor the design phase to ensure compliance with the regulations, while in our CDM Principal Designer role we plan, manage and monitor health and safety throughout the pre-construction phase.
Our responsibilities are fully integrated within our quality systems, with regular reviews undertaken throughout each project. We ensure that clients understand their own important duties and work collaboratively with the wider team to coordinate the identification, awareness and management of design risks.
Acting as both Principal Designer and PD Advisor, we maintain clear communication from early design through to completion, focusing on project-specific risks rather than generic checklists. We were appointed directly by WQE College as Principal Designer for their refurbishment works, and also acted as PD Advisor to GFT on the Barnsley IOT project, helping to deliver compliant, well-coordinated and more importantly safe spaces.
Sustainability is integral to Race Cottam Architects with a Responsive Climate Agenda being at the heart of the design process at every stage, from concept through to delivery. Guided by our Sustainability Steering Group, and Passivhaus-certified designers, our approach aligns with the RIBA Sustainable Outcomes, ensuring that each project is balanced across environmental performance, social value and long‑term economic resilience. We carry out structured sustainability reviews throughout to enable us to push for Real Climate Action by tracking progress, challenging assumptions and making informed, future‑proof decisions.
For clients, we are Raising Climate Awareness with clear, practical support to achieve measurable outcomes, including net zero carbon, reduced whole life cost and improved health and wellbeing. We offer specialised support across BREEAM and LEED, embodied carbon analysis, retrofit strategies and sustainable material selection, helping deliver efficient, future-ready buildings that meet sustainability targets.
We have extensive experience acting as Technical Advisor across education, healthcare and industrial sectors.
We can support clients from the outset by helping to define clear, deliverable briefs and developing feasibility studies that test project viability and identify a preferred option. We also provide impartial technical reviews of design proposals by others, ensuring they meet client requirements, statutory standards and programme expectations.
Working closely with stakeholders, particularly in education settings, we ensure proposals respond to specific teaching models and user needs. Our role can continuous through design development, offering informed, independent advice that reduces risk and supports confident decision-making. We have a long-standing relationship with Mott MacDonald, supporting their Technical Advisor role on University Technical Colleges and Department for Education school programmes.
Making spaces for what matters begins at the strategic scale. Our approach to masterplanning and strategic advice is to establish clear, flexible frameworks that guide future development, whether for new sites, campuses or evolving estates.
We bring together architecture, urban design and stakeholder engagement to shape informed, deliverable strategies. By considering social, environmental and economic factors from the outset, we help clients make confident long-term decisions.
The result is coherent, adaptable masterplans that support growth, maximise value and create sustainable, well-connected places.
We are experienced in delivering projects to BIM Level 2 standards, supported by our BS EN ISO 19650 accreditation and robust digital workflows. Our team is proficient the production, management, and coordination of data across multiple data environments. Working with clients to ensure embedded data formats are suitable for their project requirements. We utilise COBie data structures to support information exchange, enabling clients to benefit from accurate asset data for operation and maintenance long after the physical project concludes. Our Integration of federated 3d modelling ensure efficient collaboration across multidisciplinary teams, early clash detection of issues, and greater visibility of building environments before construction.
Our approach is underpinned by a dedicated BIM Steering Group, which drives continuous improvement, ensures compliance with industry standards, and promotes best practice across all projects. This group oversees the implementation of BIM protocols, staff training, and the integration of emerging technologies.
We see accreditations as more than a checklist. They reflect a commitment to working responsibly, maintaining high standards and delivering with care. They support our approach at every stage - giving structure where it’s needed, while allowing space for thoughtful, creative responses to each project.
