RBA Architects and Conservation Consultants’ Journey to Certification
Certex is proud to congratulate our clients at RBA Architects and Conservation Consultants on achieving ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems (QMS) certification in October 2025.
As one of the most widely recognised quality management standards around the world, ISO 9001 goes far beyond compliance. It provides a clear, structured framework that helps organisations consistently deliver high-quality outcomes, meeting the needs of clients, stakeholders, and regulators alike.
Who are RBA Architects and Conservation Consultants?
Based in St Kilda, Melbourne, RBA is a heritage conservation architecture firm with over 30 years of built heritage practice. They work alongside building owners and designers, advising them on how to best balance conservation with change. Their team assess, specify and administer conservation and stabilisation works to places while also designing contemporary architectural solutions that adapt heritage places for the future.
Inspiration and Standout Projects
RBA’s work is as much about storytelling as it is about structure, breathing new life into old buildings while honouring their past. From their impressive projects with the Bluestone ruins of Doherty’s House in Truganina to the Prahran Arcade, RBA’s projects are driven by a desire to sustain community connection to a place.
Prahran Arcade Façade Restoration
MECCA Bourke Street Store Conservation works (previously David Jones)
Highett Gasworks Chimney Stabilization
As Practice Manager Annie Sagala puts it, “Our focus on built heritage comes from our collective interest in Australia’s cultural heritage – places of historical, social, architectural value.”
Why ISO 9001?
Because heritage demands excellence. It leaves no room for guesswork. Every decision from the initial research to the final conservation detail requires accuracy and care.
In Annie’s own words, “Built heritage conservation requires meticulous attention to detail from the initial research and storytelling of a place to the forensic analysis of structural defects. Providing accurate advice and ensuring the longevity of a place relies upon us adhering to a structured and reliable process – enabling us to champion our heritage places whilst we guarantee the best outcome for our clients.”
For RBA, pursuing ISO 9001 wasn’t about making drastic changes to how they work to fit the requirements of the standard, it was about clarifying and formalising the excellence that they already practise.
Margaret Nicoll (Senior Conservation Specialist), Roger Beeston (Director) & Annie Sagala (Practice Manager) of RBA Architects and Conservation Consultants with the ISO 9001 certificate
The Journey to Certification
Like many great architectural projects, RBA’s path to ISO 9001 certification wasn’t built overnight.
“The process was lengthy, and initially it was difficult to decipher the Standard and how to proceed; our system went through multiple iterations over a number of years,” states Annie.
However, they were determined to overcome these initial challenges, they reached out to peers in their industry who had already been certified to gather insights and advice that helped them map out a clear way forward. Rather than waiting to perfect their system, they started putting their evolving system into practice, thereby engaging their staff early on. This approach helped them develop a process of continuous improvement, boosting their operational efficiencies and improving the quality of their outputs.
“Having a dedicated team working on the system meant that we were prepared leading up to the Stage 1 audit,” shared Annie.
Why Certex?
When searching for a Certification body, RBA was looking for someone who understood their industry and could offer a customised approach. In Annie’s own words, Certex ticked the boxes, providing a service that was “tailored to our industry and a user-friendly approach.”
Roger Beeston (right), Director of RBA Architects and Conservation Consultants, receives the ISO 9001 certificate from Dianne Gibert (left), Managaing Director of Certex
Benefits of Certification
Practice Manager Annie Sagala says they’ve already started to see tangible benefits since becoming certified, such as smoother processes and procedures and renewed confidence in the ability to guarantee the quality of their work.
In her own words, Annie states that they are seeing “Ongoing improvements in efficiency, improvements of processes and procedures, and the confidence to guarantee quality of our work and that of our suppliers/subconsultants.”
Words of Wisdom for Others
For other organisations that are on their journey to obtain certification, RBA offers a few words of wisdom from their experience:
“Try to fully understand what the Standard requires before commencing and seek guidance or advice from a quality consultant and/or others in the industry who have been through the process. Use templates for documentation to streamline efforts and involve as many of the staff as feasible in the process.”
Ready to start your own journey?
Certex is accredited with the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JASANZ) quality, safety and environmental standards. To learn more about quality certification for your business, reach out via phone or email.