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Architects in Kent & London Urban and Rural Ltd. - Oscar Acoustics HQ Halling Rochester

Our Practice

RIBA Chartered architecture practice in Kent, London & the South East

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Our Practice | Urban & Rural Ltd

Urban & Rural is a leading RIBA Architects Kent and RIBA Chartered practice. Based in Kent, we serve London and the South East, delivering contemporary, sustainable, and hybrid design solutions for residential, commercial, and rural projects.

As an established architecture practice Kent clients trust, Urban & Rural works across all sectors with a strong focus on sustainable architecture.

Why choose us

Why Choose Urban & Rural

With over 45 years of combined experience between our Directors, a 95% success rate at planning stage and well over 100 successfully completed projects over the last 10 years, we are the established and experienced specialists you can rely on to deliver results.

We specialise in complex and challenging projects, where our expertise brings the maximum benefit.

Whether it’s a 15th Century Listed Building in need of rescuing, a residential development site with a difficult planning history, or a commercial project that doesn’t seem commercially viable, we have seen it all, and turned each into a success story for our clients.

How We Can Help

At Urban & Rural, we position ourselves as your team leader, lead consultant, and key representative throughout the process.

However, the stages that every project goes through, be it large or small, sit within a well-established framework devised by the RIBA, the professional body that Urban and Rural are a Chartered Member of.

  • We bring years of specialist experience coordinating and managing these various and often conflicting requirements, guiding you from your initial idea through to your finished building.
  • More complex projects can involve a large team of specialist consultants to satisfy requirements around BREEAM, Flood Risk, Ecological and Environmental impact, Heritage, Listed Building consent, and Archaeological assessment.
  • Sites with arboricultural constraints or contamination may require further specialist input. We manage all of this on your behalf.
  • Every project is different and a small domestic extension will require a very different level of input to a large commercial office and warehouse project.

Our Approach

All appointments at Urban & Rural reference the RIBA Work Stages - the industry-standard framework that structures every building project from initial feasibility through to post-completion review.

RIBA Royal Institute of British Architects Work Stages
  1. 0 Strategic Definition
  2. 1 Preparation and Brief
  3. 2 Concept Design
  4. 3 Spatial Coordination
  5. 4 Technical Design
  6. 5 Manufacturing and Construction
  7. 6 Handover
  8. 7 Use

Our team has been carefully developed to include the right mix of skills and experience for every stage of a project.

As a scheme progresses from Stage 0 through to Stage 6, we bring to bear the specialist expertise of the team members best suited to the demands of that stage - ensuring consistent quality and leadership from inception to handover.

Urban & Rural architecture practice studio

Practice Overview

Urban & Rural is a Kent-based architecture practice specialising in contemporary, sustainable, and hybrid architecture. As a RIBA Chartered firm, our goal is to create exceptional spaces driven by a dedicated creative design process.

Our current projects reflect the diversity of our expertise, spanning from:

  • Residential Developments and bespoke home extensions.
  • Large-scale Commercial office buildings.
  • Strategic Masterplanning for 50-acre equestrian and leisure facilities.

“I started Urban & Rural with the aspiration of delivering a very personal and bespoke service tailored to the client’s requirements.”

- Richard Baron, RIBA

Our Story

Urban & Rural Ltd was established by the architect Richard Baron. By 2016 the practice had moved into larger offices in the City of Canterbury with an increased portfolio. In 2017 Jonathan Sargood joined the team as a director.

Both Richard and Jonathan had previously worked together for a number of years, including the successful delivery of projects from conception through to completion.

Services Provided

As premier commercial architects and residential specialists, we provide:

  • Site appraisal and planning applications
  • Initial sketch schemes and sustainable architecture concepts
  • Building regulation packages
  • Project tendering and contract administration

We offer a free initial, no-obligation consultation. All our appointments reference the set RIBA work stages. As experienced RIBA Architects Kent, we are happy to discuss any project with you.

Urban & Rural practice image

Meet the team

Our directors bring decades of combined experience across residential, commercial, heritage, and large-scale masterplanning projects.

Richard Baron RIBA

Founder & Architect

Richard is an ARB/RIBA Chartered Architect. In 2003 he graduated from the University of Kent with a 1st Class Honours Degree in Architecture. He went on to complete his architectural education at UCA and then at The University of Greenwich.

Before starting up Urban & Rural, Richard had over 12 years of professional practice in a design lead Architects’ Journal Top 100 architectural practice. He successfully delivered the secured Planning Approval of the £21m Sports and Academic Facility at the University of East London.

Key projects Richard has worked on also include the £18m renovation and rebuild of Herne Bay High School under the PFI Framework. He has also been involved in a number of Design and Build sport facilities throughout the UK for a specialist sports provider.

Jonathan Sargood

Director

Jonathan joined Urban & Rural as a Director and Joint Owner in 2017. He brings a 1st Class Honours Degree in Design and Engineering from Brunel University and a careers worth of experience working for prestigious Architects Journal Top 100 architectural practices in the Southeast of England, from 2004.

With extensive experience in Project Management, Contract Administration and the capability to act as Principal Designer, over the last 9 years at Urban and Rural Jonathan has led the technical design stage and on-site delivery of each project with care and attention to detail. This has included the successful completion of Bespoke Private Homes, Multi-unit Residential Developments, NHS Primary Care Facilities and Award-Winning Commercial Buildings.

Have a project in mind?

Get in touch for a free, no-obligation consultation with our directors.

CONTACT US

Start a conversation

Planning a project?

Tell us what you are considering and we will help you understand the next step, from feasibility and planning through to detailed design.

Call 01227 272 585 Full contact details
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