News & Insights

By RBA Architects White Paper Introduction Affordable housing remains a pressing challenge in communities across the country. Local governments play a critical role in fostering solutions that reduce costs and improve access to housing for low- and moderate-income residents. Municipalities can create sustainable and cost-effective housing options by implementing strategic policies, leveraging financial tools, and fostering public-private partnerships. Key Challenges in Affor

By RBA Architects White Paper Overcoming zoning and regulatory hurdles in residential development requires a strategic and collaborative approach. Here are several key steps that developers can take to navigate these challenges: Understand Local Zoning Regulations: Conduct thorough research on local zoning codes and regulations. Engage Civil Engineers and Architects to provide thorough research. Hire experienced land-use attorneys or consultants familiar with local

By RBA Architects White Paper Multi-family housing projects play a vital role in addressing the housing needs of our growing populations However, these projects often face significant financing challenges and capital constraints. This white paper explores the various financing issues that impact multi-family projects and offers strategies to overcome them. By understanding these challenges and potential solutions, developers, investors, and policymakers can work toget

By RBA Architects White Paper Rising interest rates and construction costs can make it challenging to get projects financed, built, and completed while staying within budget. Green Building Programs and Government Incentives, Rebates, and Tax Credits can help offset increased costs. Additionally, incorporating energy-efficient designs, materials, and methods can sometimes expedite the approval process with local municipalities. Are You Leaving Money on the Table? Th

By Chris Elam (Architect) The self-storage industry has changed dramatically in the last 10-20 years: from a typically rural, single-story, drive, unconditioned, and mostly unsophisticated building type it has become an industry that is typically suburban, contextually sensitive, multi-story, air-conditioned, and quite complex. It is increasingly an attractive development option for valuable commercial properties in developed suburban and urban areas. But the design and cons

RBA Architects is excited to represent and present TestFit at the HousingX 2022 event in Newport News, Virginia on May 24th and 25th. This dynamic and innovate event will have a collection of keynote speakers and presenters showcasing the latest in technology within the housing industry. A focused experience that highlights innovation in the design field, construction field, finance and more and exhibits the future of housing. RBA's innovative and educational presentation wil

The project Unsatisfied with not being able to explore multiple ideas during the feasibility stage, RBA Architects adopted TestFit in 2018. In this case study, we’ll examine the challenges RBA Architects faced with the traditional feasibility study process, how that process changed with TestFit, and finally, examine 4 real-world projects and their unique challenges. The Challenges While working with real estate developer clients during the feasibility stage is important to se

RBA Architects Celebrates 20 Years of Design Excellence.

If you’re interested in building a house from the ground up, Home Plan Source is a great resource for finding pre-designed plans at affordable prices. Unlike starting from scratch with an architect who will need to meet with you to get an idea of what you’re looking for, then create a design, then meet with you again to see if the design is exactly what you had in mind, then create a set of working drawings to obtain your final approval, Home Plan Source has hundreds of desig