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.
Image Credits: Rye News archives , RXA , Rother District Council Planning Department .
Hooray, something is being done with the eyesore at last, a single story building will sit nicely on the Strand.
Let’s hope it’s sooner rather than later and there’s no objections but I’m not holding my breath.
Good luck to you all.
This building has had planning permission for commercial and residential properties for years now and nothing has happened. I’m not going to hold my breath. I am sure future plans will not use the existing structure, so why not just knock the eyesore down?
Good news, both for the town and this fantastic design practice. I’m sure the building will reflect their talent and expertise and be an asset to the environment.
At last a doable idea, I have been looking at the Grist Mill skeleton for ten years now.
I hope the planning department doesn’t take years to approve RX’s
Ambitions.
Be nice to have something to look at. Rather than an eyesore, not a very welcoming sight as you come into our beautiful town.
Excellent news! More power to the architects’ elbow!
Brilliant news! When an architect designs their own office you know it’s going to be nice!
Good luck growing your business, its just what Rye needs!