RGA Restoration Design was founded on the principle that business-oriented architects that are skilled at renovation projects and building code compliance can serve an emerging demand for emergency response restoration of the critical built environment and infrastructure. Providing emergency design services as a response to both natural disasters as well as building failures has been RGA’s focus for over 10 years.

In the aftermaths of Hurricane Andrew in South Miami and Katrina in Louisiana and now the building collapse of the Surfside Condominium in North Miami, building codes were changed. These changes caused code upgrades sometimes covered under ‘ordinance and law’ insurance to be enacted. Building envelope integrity became required under the Florida Building Codes. ‘FBC’. RGA Design Restoration has broadened its reach geographically into southern and midwestern states and now deals regularly with not only the building destruction caused by wind and rain, and flooding events but fires and discovery of toxic mold requiring emergency response analysis, testing, forensic testimony and rapid cures to re-establish occupancy.

Most recently RGA was named as architect on many restoration projects in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in South West Florida. Code officials now require restoration projects to be built back in accordance with the latest fire protection and building codes and better than simply replacing ‘in kind’ needed improvements. Therefore RGA ‘designs back better’ and strives to facilitate effective and fair underwriting of insurance coverages. We are now viewed with our colleagues in sister professions to truly be ‘first responders’.