RFA Architects

RFA Architects RFA Architects

Leadership at rfa means staying close to the work.Directors Brian Hollis and Andrew Ip bring over 50 years of combined e...
26/08/2026

Leadership at rfa means staying close to the work.

Directors Brian Hollis and Andrew Ip bring over 50 years of combined experience across residential, commercial, retail and education projects. Both are registered architects who remain hands-on across the practice, from first sketch to final inspection.

Their strengths are deliberately complementary. Brian's depth in compliance, spatial planning and functionality keeps every project grounded and deliverable. Andrew's creative rigour pushes each design further, testing every option before a direction is set.

It's a balance that has guided the studio for nearly three decades: creativity held to account by experience. For clients, that means a practice where the directors know your project personally, and where nothing is left to chance.

Breathing new life into an icon means knowing what to keep and what to rethink.At KFC Ultimo, heritage brand elements ar...
24/08/2026

Breathing new life into an icon means knowing what to keep and what to rethink.

At KFC Ultimo, heritage brand elements are reinterpreted through a considered material palette: timber battens, dark brickwork, and greenery soften the dining space, while the Colonel's signature bow is reimagined as backlit signage against slatted oak.

The result is an award-winning take on the brand's familiar colours and cues, expressed through new materials and a clever hand with the classic heritage logo details.

Proof that even the most established brands benefit from thoughtful spatial design.

Monte takes his studio duties seriously: morning greetings, quality control on the lounge, and supervising every design ...
21/08/2026

Monte takes his studio duties seriously: morning greetings, quality control on the lounge, and supervising every design review from floor level.

Good design is a team effort, and every team needs someone who reminds you to step away from the screen occasionally. He's very good at his job.

Lilli Pilli residence, currently in concept.Early massing studies for a new home on a steep coastal site. At this stage ...
19/08/2026

Lilli Pilli residence, currently in concept.

Early massing studies for a new home on a steep coastal site. At this stage the material palette is deliberately stripped away, so the focus stays on form, proportion and how the building settles into the escarpment.

The design steps down the slope across three levels, each opening to its own terrace, with the pool anchoring the lowest tier. Getting these relationships right now is what makes everything that follows feel effortless.

From concept to construction, this is where every project begins. Follow along as this one takes shape.

Did you know orientation is one of the most powerful design decisions in your home?Before materials, before finishes, be...
17/08/2026

Did you know orientation is one of the most powerful design decisions in your home?

Before materials, before finishes, before floor plans, we consider how a site relates to the sun. It shapes everything that follows.

The orientation of your home can do more for comfort than any appliance. North-facing living spaces capture winter sun while staying protected from summer heat.

It's one of the simplest principles of passive design, and often not given the priority that it should. Good orientation means less reliance on heating and cooling, more natural light, and a home that feels right all year round. It costs nothing extra when it's considered from day one.

Mosman multi-residential living, designed around the view.At Arbutus, every planning decision began with the sightline. ...
14/08/2026

Mosman multi-residential living, designed around the view.

At Arbutus, every planning decision began with the sightline. Living spaces, terraces and bedrooms are arranged so the harbour outlook is never interrupted: full-height glazing dissolves the boundary between inside and out, and frameless balustrades keep the panorama unbroken.

The building steps with its terraced site, so each residence holds its own uninterrupted connection to Middle Harbour.

Architecture that knows when to recede and let the view do the work.

Little Giants Killara transforms a sloping site into a series of connected indoor and outdoor learning environments. The...
12/08/2026

Little Giants Killara transforms a sloping site into a series of connected indoor and outdoor learning environments.

The building steps with the landscape, creating tiered play zones that give each age group its own space while keeping clear sightlines for educators.

Outside, shaded play areas, a bike track and imaginative play structures encourage exploration, with every element scaled to its smallest users.

A project where function, safety and joy were designed hand in hand

Where we work shapes how we work. Our studio was designed with the same thinking we bring to every project: exposed stru...
10/08/2026

Where we work shapes how we work.

Our studio was designed with the same thinking we bring to every project: exposed structure, natural materials, and spaces that invite conversation as much as concentration.

From the library shelves to the lounge where ideas get tested over coffee, it's a space built for collaboration. Come say hello if you're ever passing through.

Potts Point kitchen, reimagined for compact city living.The original kitchen was closed in and disconnected, with dated ...
07/08/2026

Potts Point kitchen, reimagined for compact city living.

The original kitchen was closed in and disconnected, with dated joinery and little relationship to the living space.

Our redesign opened the room to the apartment, drawing borrowed light through the space and establishing a clear connection between kitchen and living.

VJ panelling brings texture and rhythm to the new joinery, while full-height cabinetry conceals storage and appliances behind clean, uninterrupted lines. A generous peninsula bench anchors the plan, doubling as workspace and casual dining in a footprint where every centimetre counts.

Swipe for the before.

Every palette starts with a conversation between materials. Here, soft sage and olive tones sit alongside walnut, terraz...
05/08/2026

Every palette starts with a conversation between materials.

Here, soft sage and olive tones sit alongside walnut, terrazzo and fluted glass, each sample chosen for how it holds light, texture and time.

These early studies shape everything that follows: the mood of a room, the way surfaces meet, the feeling of a home before a single wall goes up.

What would you pair with this palette? Tell us in the comments.

Address

Level 1, 121 Alexander Street
Crows Nest, NSW
2065

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 9am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 5:30pm
Thursday 9am - 5:30pm
Friday 9am - 5:30pm

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