Since starting the practice in 2016 it has always been an RX long-term ambition to create permanent roots in Rye by designing and building an office there. As the practice has grown it has been fortunate enough to work on some great sites in and near Rye, so it is an area well-known to staff. RX has been established in the town for a long time now and the company is named to celebrate appreciation both for this coastline and for the locality, referencing the regional RX boat registration code in an area in which the architects love to live and work.
The opportunity to purchase the Gristmill site was a very long time coming, RX having, ironically, worked for several previous owners on design schemes for the site, and the process began a year ago. Planning approval is now being sought to convert the original warehouse frame into a single-storey office space. The intention is for RX to occupy two thirds of the space to comfortably accommodate a growing team of architects, and then for the remaining third to be let out to another small business.
It is an exciting opportunity to create a permanent base in Rye for the long term, as well as to see a very under-utilised and prominent site hopefully come back to life with new activity and interest.
Further good news is that RX Architects is now a certified B Corporation. This is a significant milestone for the practice since it is one of the first twenty in the UK to achieve this status. When RX Architects started in 2016, it was always intended to be a company that at its core has a desire to design and build in a more sustainable way. The project at the Gristmill site fits well with this ethos and allows the transformation of a disused existing structure, bringing it back to life with a sustainable long-term future.
