May 31, 2026 / By rachel
Mark Powles – The Lando Norris Response Time Award for outstanding responsiveness, never letting an enquiry gather dust and keeping RRA moving at F1 speed.
As part of our 40th anniversary celebrations, the RRA Architects team headed to the Queens Hotel in Cheltenham for lunch, laughter and a little light-hearted fun.
Whilst we have been looking back at the projects, places and stories that have shaped the practice over four decades, this afternoon was a celebration all about the people behind the work and their invaluable contribution to RRA life. Naturally, we felt the best way to do this was to present a set of extremely serious, highly prestigious and not-at-all-silly team awards.
Each award recognised the individual talents, quirks and contributions that make our team what it is. For anyone wishing to review the evidence, the full gallery of award winners is below.
The occasion was also a chance to say a fond farewell and present a gift to the ever-sparkly Jo Keane, whose year at RRA has sadly come to an end. Jo shared a touching speech, reflecting on what she would remember about each person in the team. It was thoughtful, funny and very Jo.
Celebrating 40 years in practice with such a fantastic team is a good reminder that the story of RRA has never just been about architecture. It has always been about people: the clients who trust us, the consultants and contractors we work alongside and, of course, the team who design, deliver, support, organise, challenge, promote and keep everyone laughing along the way.
This lunch is just one part of our ongoing year of celebrations for RRA’s 40th anniversary. Our 40 Projects in 40 Weeks series is already well underway, sharing the stories behind some of the projects that have shaped the practice. Week 13 drops on Thursday, so if you need to catch up on any previous weeks, they are all on our News page.
Our 40 Hampers for 40 Charities initiative is also gaining momentum, with lots of hampers due to go out during June and July with summer fêtes and festivals galore, so expect an update on these very soon. If you know of a charity who might benefit from one of our 40 hampers to raise funds, please email us for details, but you’ll need to be quick as there are not many still available to reserve.
A massive thank you to everyone who made the celebration such a happy one; the team at The Queens who looked after us beautifully, the RRA crew for being such all-round good eggs and Jo for being part of the RRA story.
Here’s to the next chapter.
About RRA Architects
Currently celebrating its 40th year, RRA Architects is an award-winning architectural practice established in 1986, supporting clients across residential, commercial, retail, development, heritage, education, community and conservation projects. We work nationally, but are mostly focused across Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire, the Cotswolds, the West Midlands, South West and South Wales, helping clients create thoughtful, practical and well-designed buildings.