OUR PurposE
At Ritter Norton Architects we believe passionately that good design has the power to positively impact people’s lives and enhance the communities in which we live, work, and play. We approach every project, no matter how extravagant or modest the scale, function, and budget, with the same rigorous commitment to design excellence and outstanding client service.
Every project is seen an opportunity for excellence: an opportunity to enhance and build communities through inspirational design; an opportunity to creatively solve complex problems and challenges to improve people’s daily lives; an opportunity to build meaningful and lasting relationships with our clients and colleagues; and an opportunity to grow personally and professionally. We believe it is our purpose as architects and designers to discover, embrace, and make the most of every opportunity to help make the world a better place through thoughtful and conscientious design.
“Ritter Norton Architects put the client’s needs first. They know how to listen. They know how and when to compromise. They know about egos and they never put their own ego first. They are innovative, creative, and they never suggested an architectural feature that would be out of budget.”
OUR APPROACH
Our award-wining team of architects and designers is dedicated to providing user-friendly, thoughtful, innovative, budget-conscious, and environmentally sensitive design solutions to meet each clients’ unique needs and aspirations. Our designs are not stereotypical or based on any particular style. Through close and sustained collaboration with our customers and our entire design team, each new innovative concept is born out of the particulars of a given project. Contextual circumstances, programmatic needs, budget constraints, community impact, and sustainable strategies are carefully balanced in pursuit of imaginative, humane, and poetic design solutions.
Listening, collaborating, and consensus building are at the core of our design process.
Knowledge and understanding are the foundational elements every successful project is built upon. Our projects are not about us, they are about the needs, goals, and aspirations our clients and the communities for whom we design. Nothing is more important to achieving that knowledge base than listening carefully to our clients and in the process uncovering important factors and meaning often not initially verbalized. From the outset we aim to establish both practical and qualitative goals as well as a broader shared purpose for the project.
We believe that the best ideas and solutions come from tapping the knowledge, insight, and creativity of our talented design team and our clients. We work collaboratively both within the office and with our clients and foster clear, open, and honest communication from the earliest stages of concept design through the final details of construction. Working together we explore possibilities and build consensus every step of the way to help ensure project goals are not only met but exceeded.
“Ritter Norton Architects truly heard our expectations and requirements, and their designs, now translated into truly beautiful and functional buildings, far exceeded even the most exacting standards of our community”
FIRM PROFILE
Ritter Norton Architects (RNA) is an award-winning small-business architecture firm based in the heart of Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. Founded by James W. Ritter, FAIA, in 1974, the firm has a long-established reputation for outstanding client service and design excellence. We provide clients with the full range of architectural, interior design, and master planning services. We have extensive experience designing and managing a wide array of commercial and institutional projects including churches, synagogues, community centers, recreation centers, libraries, schools and commercial office interiors. Our client list includes a diverse range of private sector businesses and institutions as well as many state, local and federal agencies.
Sustainability is a guiding principle for all of our projects, and we see “green” design as a natural outcome of any responsible architectural practice. Our team of LEED accredited staff is dedicated to producing healthy, comfortable, energy-efficient places that maximize building, environmental, and occupant comfort and performance. The firm has completed multiple award-winning LEED Gold and Silver certified projects.
Ritter Norton’s commitment to high quality design has earned the firm over 50 awards for design and service excellence from the American Institute of Architects, The National Masonry Institute, and the American Public Works Association, DPWES, and other organizations. The firm is also the recipient of the prestigious T. David Fitz-Gibbon Firm Award, the highest award given by the Virginia Society AIA, which recognizes firms who consistently produce high quality distinctive architecture over an extended period of time.
Though we are honored by the design awards and recognitions from our peers, our highest measure of success is client satisfaction. That dedication to design and service excellence carries through the entire process and all aspects of a design from larger concepts to the smallest details. Every project we work on, regardless of how extravagant or modest, is approached with the same rigorous commitment to making every part of the project as good as it can be and maximizing value for our clients. Excellence is measured not only in the quality of the design details but most importantly in meeting the customer’s needs, schedule and budget, and always striving to exceed their expectations. As a result, the vast majority of our commissions come from repeat clients or referrals from previous clients. Client participation in the design process is not only expected but actively encouraged as part of a close collaborative process.
RNA’s mission is simple: work collaboratively with our clients and colleagues to produce the best possible design solutions; provide unparalleled responsiveness and service to our customers; hold ourselves to the highest professional and ethical standards; and to work in a positive and supportive environment that allows all of us to grow both professionally and personally.
