In 2026, RRA Architects marks a significant milestone: 40 years in architecture. Established in 1986, the practice has grown from its roots in Hereford office into a respected, multi-disciplinary practice working across sectors including residential, commercial, heritage and education.
Over four decades, RRA has built a reputation for combining creativity with technical expertise, underpinned by a commitment to listening carefully to clients’ needs and aspirations. This approach continues to shape projects that are both practical and inspiring and remains central to the practice’s identity as it has expanded into Gloucestershire, Shropshire, Worcestershire and beyond.
A Longstanding Partnership with Fresh: Cheltenham
Alongside its architectural work, RRA has nurtured a long-running relationship with Fresh: Art Fair Cheltenham, now celebrating 10 years of partnership. Held at Cheltenham Racecourse, the fair has become one of the leading contemporary art events in the UK, bringing together around fifty galleries and hundreds of artists each year.
Known for its broad and accessible mix of work, from emerging talent to established names, Fresh: has always shared a natural synergy with architecture. As RRA’s Managing Director, Mark Powles, has previously noted, both disciplines are rooted in “highly personal and subjective creations,” making the partnership a natural fit.
RRA’s involvement has gone beyond sponsorship, supporting initiatives such as launching the Young Artist Competition as well as contributing to the fair’s evolving programme.
Introducing Built Perspectives
To mark both its 40th anniversary and a decade with Fresh, RRA steps into a new role in 2026, not just as Principal Sponsor, but as curator.
The result is Built Perspectives, a specially curated exhibition that begins in the foyer and continues into the main fair. The display brings together a selection of works from exhibiting galleries that engage with architecture, space and the built environment.
This shift from architect to curator reflects a natural extension of RRA’s core philosophy. Architecture, after all, is not just about buildings, it is about how people experience space, form and material. Built Perspectives translates that thinking into the context of an art fair.
It even includes pieces from Canwood Gallery nestled in rural Herefordshire and a former project of RRA Architects. RRA were appointed to convert a series of existing agricultural buildings to form an art gallery and hospitality venue, designed to host art-gatherings as well its art collection.
Where Art Meets Architecture
The exhibition explores how architectural ideas shape the way we see and understand art. Through the lens of RRA’s design expertise, the selected works highlight key themes such as:
- Form and structure
- Materials
- Spatial awareness
From detailed cityscapes and architectural studies to abstract compositions and imagined environments, the works share a strong sense of design thinking. Together, they create a dialogue between disciplines; one that encourages visitors to consider art in spatial terms, and architecture in artistic ones.
A Shared Future
As RRA Architects celebrates 40 years, its partnership with Fresh: Cheltenham remains rooted in shared values: creativity, innovation and a passion for the built environment.
Built Perspectives captures that moment perfectly: a meeting point between past experience and future ambition, where architecture and art come together to shape how we see the world around us.
