Celebrating 25 Years of RDA Architects: Richard's interview with the NLA
Richard Dudzicki, recently sat down with New London Architecture to discuss 25 years of RDA Architects, innovative home design, and the journey of creating sustainable, adaptable spaces.
Richard caught up with David Taylor, the editor of the New London Quarterly and New London Weekly covering the following topics:
Celebrating 25 Years of RDA Architects
At RDA Architects, we’ve always pushed the boundaries of home design, sustainability, and innovation. As we mark 25 years in business, Richard Dudzicki, our founder and a leading Passivhaus specialist, sat down with David Taylor to reflect on our journey, the future of home design, and some unexpected work environments.
A Journey Through 25 Years of Architecture
Since founding RDA, Richard has been dedicated to creating energy-efficient, forward-thinking homes. As one of the UK’s early adopters of Passivhaus design, RDA has championed sustainability long before it became an industry buzzword. Over the years, our team has tackled everything from ultra-modern city homes to cutting-edge eco-living spaces, constantly reimagining how people live and interact with their environment.
Passivhaus: The Future of Home Design
During the interview, Richard emphasized the importance of Passivhaus principles—airtight construction, high-quality insulation, and energy efficiency. With increasing energy costs and a growing awareness of our environmental impact, designing homes that work with nature rather than against it is more crucial than ever.
Cycling, Creativity, and… Working in an Oven?
Beyond architecture, Richard is an avid cyclist, often finding inspiration while on two wheels. He believes that cycling allows for a fresh perspective—something that has undoubtedly influenced his creative approach over the years.
And as for working inside an oven? Richard recalled a design that involved transforming a former Victorian bakery into a stunning RDA office space. The experience of standing in an old brick oven, envisioning how it could become a comfortable office space, perfectly encapsulates RDA’s philosophy: seeing potential where others see limitations.
RDA Office space in East Dulwich
RDA Office
Vicotrian bakery brick oven
Looking Ahead
As RDA Architects moves into its next chapter, our focus remains the same—creating homes that are not just beautiful but also sustainable, efficient, and built for the future. With ongoing projects that continue to push the limits of design and construction, we’re excited for what’s to come.
Head to the NLA website to read the full interview with Richard Dudzicki here.
On 25 March, Richard will be speaking at NLA’s Coffee Conversation about how London’s most constrained and overlooked sites can play a role in addressing both the housing crisis and the climate emergency. Across the city, small and fragmented plots are often dismissed as too difficult to develop. Backland sites, former garages and leftover spaces within established neighbourhoods are frequently overlooked by conventional development models. Yet collectively they represent a significant and largely untapped opportunity.
There is a particular responsibility that comes with working on an existing building. The Old Timberyard , a former Victorian workshop, offered the opportunity to demonstrate how careful retrofit can honour heritage whilst delivering genuine long-term performance. Behind its retained brickwork and historic fabric sits a carefully executed EnerPHit upgrade. This was not about surface improvements, but a rigorous, fabric-first transformation, reworking a cold, underperforming structure into a comfortable, resilient and low-energy building fit for contemporary use.
Three weeks ago, Heather Faulding and I had the pleasure of presenting at the NLA’s technical briefing on Retrofit and Reuse a CPD-certified webinar on low-energy & high-performance buildings. It was a fantastic session spotlighting some of the most innovative retrofit work. Heather shared her incredible project for Daily Paper in New York: a powerful example of creative reuse, transforming a crumbling structure using over 7,500 soda cans crafted by local communities. The shimmering façade reflected not only light but the heritage of African beadwork a story of culture and circularity woven into architecture.
We’re excited to share our refined Project Planning Pack, designed to support anyone preparing to embark on a design or building project. Planning ahead is one of the most important steps in ensuring a successful project . This clear, easy-to-follow resource helps you reduce risk , improve your design outcomes, and gain a better understanding of costs and the architect’s role in the process. It also introduces core design principles and provides tools to assess where you’re at before you begin, giving you confidence in every decision. Whether you’re a first-time homeowner, an experienced developer, or simply exploring ideas for a renovation or new build, this pack is an essential companion for your project journey. What’s included: • A structured framework to plan and organise your project • Guidance on core design principles • Insights into costs and the architect’s role • Tools to assess your project readiness We’ve refined this pack to be practical, user-friendly, and aligned with real-world architectural practice. Our goal is to give you clarity, reduce uncertainty, and make the design process as smooth as possible . Access the full Project Planning Pack here: