Exceeding Clients’ Expectations

RWA Architects has an impressive record of designing healthy, sustainable houses beautifully. The firm, now in its 28th year, has been recognized with more than 30 regional and national industry awards for their innovative solutions, at the heart of which is state-of-the-art sustainable building technology and a commitment to focusing on their clients’ desired aesthetic appeal. RWA is currently involved in a number of projects on Cincinnati’s East Side, as well as in Indiana,Michigan and California.

The firm’s credo could be “It’s the homeowner who must be satisfied with the design, not the builder, not the architects.”  The key to their success is working in the homeowners’ best interests with quality homebuilders, remodelers and skilled artisans to create a living environment that exceeds clients’ expectations.

“Internally, we have the sort of processes and tools that help us help the client come up with their perfect home design solution, and we have a creative approach as well,” says John Isch, RWA principal, AIA, NCARB, LEED Homes AP. (LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – uses a point system to calculate a home’s sustainability in the areas of community infrastructure, site development, resource allocation, water use, energy performance and indoor air quality.) “Our clients bring a different inspiration to each project that they may not even recognize. That’s what makes each project interesting. The difference between projects is contingent on the individuality of each client.”

The firm’s roots sprang from a small rental space in Columbia Tusculum in 1989, grew into a building in O’Bryonville, and finally took hold in its current location a block from Hyde Park Square. The company is known for its deep bench of highly skilled, talented and – perhaps, most importantly – long-term staff members who have a wide variety of expertise. Whether you are looking for traditional, contemporary or transitional residential design, RWA guarantees it will be there for its clients from the first design sketches to the first shovel of dirt, moving day and beyond.

The firm employs six licensed architects, three LEED APs, two LEED APs for homes, and another six architectural school interns/graduates on board and committed to a determined path to licensure. “Because we provide a full scope of services, we know what construction costs are, and we are very accurate in projecting the cost of a project before we begin so that when we get to the end of the project we’re not coming in with costs double what everyone was expecting. That’s another RWA strength,” Isch says.

One trend Isch sees: Past, as well as new, clients appear to be tiring of larger homes and their required maintenance. “Smaller, healthy environments seem to be their first concern,” he says. “They are comfortable transitioning in terms of physical and aesthetic taste. They are comfortable coming out of traditional homes and welcoming the more open, modern and contemporary design elements in condominiums requiring less maintenance.  For example, one of our recent LEED home’s entire exterior envelope does not require painting, except for the garage and the front door. Additional benefits of a healthy, low maintenance, durable-design home include elimination of toxic chemicals, allergen reduction with proper filtration and lower water bills.”

RWA Architects, Inc., strives to stay informed of the latest innovations and solutions to incorporate as many of these benefits as clients desire. The firm offers a complimentary initial consultation with one of their architects to discuss projects and ideas as a first step in helping their clients achieve the remodels, additions or new homes of their dreams.

RWA Architects, Inc., is located at 2771 Observatory Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45208. For more information, call 513.321.9506 or visit www.rwaarchitects.com.