Richard Pedranti

Richard Pedranti Architect (RPA) is a full-service architecture firm specializing in Passive House and energy-efficient design. Blending modern building science with innovative architectural solutions, Pedranti and his team create beautiful, healthy dwellings that provide unsurpassed comfort and energy performance.

Founder and principal Richard Pedranti earned his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Pennsylvania State University and his Masters of Architecture from Harvard University Graduate School of Design, studying under some of the world’s leading modern architects. He managed projects for New York’s Rafael Vinoly Architects and Stephen Tilly, Architect before founding his own practice on the Lower West side of Manhattan in 1998.

RPA’s work is rooted in the belief that architecture is about people, and the firm strives to connect people’s lives with their place. They approach each project without stylistic preconceptions, studying site conditions like solar orientation, views, and landscape characteristics and growing the building form from these underlying qualities. As a result, RPA’s projects are as unique and diverse as their clients, reflecting the lifestyles of their inhabitants and the essential nature of the surrounding environment.

Pedranti is committed to sustainable building practices and believes that Passive House offers the most advanced technological approach to building design. He became a Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC) in 2012 and a Passive House International (PHI) Certified Passive House Designer (CPHD) in 2019. He joined Plant Prefab as a Plant Design Partner in 2020, launching the company’s first Passive House LivingHome designs.

Pedranti credits his passion for sustainable design to his roots in the Upper Delaware River Valley, which has a rich architectural and conservationist legacy. He designed his home and gardens in his hometown of Milford, PA, where he was married in 2001 and later relocated his firm.

RPA’s dedication to the highest levels of modern, sustainable design has been recognized through some of the industry’s top honors, including the COTE Pennsylvania Architectural Excellence Award, the AIA Pennsylvania Architectural Excellence Design Award, and Green Builder Magazine’s Passive House of the Year.