WELCOME TO RACo. + RCCo.
The Raleigh Architecture Company and The Raleigh Construction Company are a design-build group bound by a passion for high-quality craft. Through our work, we seek to create meaningful places and experiences that improve quality of life, elevate the beauty of our city and region, and work toward an ecologically sustainable built environment.
We provide critical design and build services, working collaboratively with clients through an iterative, structured process. Each project is original, site-specific, and driven by client goals and contextual constraints that inform the design.
Since starting our companies in 2012, we have designed and built 100+ residential and commercial projects in Raleigh and North Carolina. We believe that excellent and thoughtful design can help solve challenges on a local and global level, and we are grateful to be stewards of our community and environment while contributing to the legacy of modernism in the city we call home.
Robby Johnston, AIA - Principal
Robby is a co-owner and licensed architect of the Raleigh Architecture Co. With a BArch from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Robby has worked at Michael Ross Kersting Architecture, Tonic Design & Tonic Construction, and Clearscapes Art+Architecture. His involvement with designing and building the first LEED-certified structures in North Carolina has earned him many awards, including the 2012 AIA NC Design Honor Award and COTE Award.
Craig Kerins, AIA - Principal
Craig is a co-owner, licensed architect, and general contractor of the Raleigh Architecture Co. His skills range from expert design, and advanced construction techniques, to subcontractor coordination, as well as furniture design. With a BArch from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Craig has worked with Hurt Partners Architects and Jay Hargrave Architecture. He was a notable recipient of the AIA Alpha Rho Chi Bronze Medal, and his furniture design has been featured at Design Within Reach and the Fine Contemporary Craft Biennial in Raleigh.
Bryan Davis - Construction Project Manager
Bryan had a former life owning and managing four restaurant locations before earning his BA in Anthropology & Economics and MArch from North Carolina State University. After graduation, he relocated to San Francisco and worked for several firms as a residential designer, most notably Butler Armsden Architects and Nick Noyes Architecture, and chaired the Oakland Museum of California Council on Architecture. He has since transitioned to construction management and enjoys helping bring a pragmatic manifestation of an ideal into reality, and the intangible rewards brought by the tangible results of a day's work.
Matthew Fornaro - Construction Project Manager
Matt earned his BArch from North Carolina State University and has worked for Tonic Design & Tonic Construction, the Chicago office of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, and Alphin Design Build. He has received numerous awards, including the 2010 AIA Small Project Award for the Art as Shelter Pavilion at the NC Museum of Art and the NCMA National Concrete Block Design Competition. An avid fencer, Fornaro is an assistant coach for the Raleigh Fencers Club and competes at regional and national competitions.
Jeremy Hedlund - Construction Superintendent
Jeremy is a North Carolina native, and a devoted husband and father. Jeremy has a background in custom residential construction, as well as a previous background in heavy equipment operation and underground electrical/ utility construction. Jeremy strongly believes in helping others and has worked on a Homes for Hope project. He is client oriented and strives to provide the best customer service for his clients to achieve their architectural dream. Jeremy is also an avid overlander, and enjoys going to new states to explore trails and the wilderness with his family.
Caleb Levinson - Construction General Manager
Caleb's background is in large scale commercial construction, ranging from public work, to multifamily, office, and mixed used facilities. His passion for construction was fostered by an upbringing in the built environment, and is now fueled by a hands-on approach to life in and outside of work. Caleb graduated from Appalachian State University, earning a BS in Building Science with a concentration in Sustainable Building Systems. He has worked for Landmark Properties, McCarthy Building Companies, Balfour Beatty US, and is now focused on establishing local roots to serve the Raleigh community through an exceptional client experience.
Taylor Medlin, AIA - Architect
Taylor received a BEDA from North Carolina State University and an MArch from UC Berkeley. He has worked at Tonic Design & Tonic Construction and Kieran Timberlake in Philadelphia, PA. Medlin’s work with environmental based design has received numerous awards from the 2008 Central Glass Design competition in Tokyo, to the Temporary Outdoor Gallery Spaces competition in Austin, as well as the 2009 John K. Branner Traveling Fellowship. He is a past director of the Raleigh Chapter of CreativeMornings and is founder and owner of Cross-Hatch Printing Co.
Jacob Peery - Architectural Designer
Jacob received his BArch from the Fay Jones School of Architecture at the University of Arkansas. Throughout his education, he was inspired by the progressive, site specific approach to design of his school’s namesake, E. Fay Jones. As a student, his adaptive reuse project in his penultimate semester was selected for the Speculations exhibition, which recognized the best projects from the advanced studios. Jacob was privileged to spend a semester abroad in Rome, Italy, where he had the chance to travel across Western Europe.
Carla Portella - Office Manager
Carla Portella is a dynamic and versatile professional originally from São Paulo - Brazil, now making her mark in North Carolina. With a degree in Communications, Carla has built an impressive career across diverse industries, including Operations, Sales, Finances, and Construction. Her career journey reflects her adaptability and keen ability to thrive in varied environments. After 23 vibrant years in New York City, Carla and her husband relocated to North Carolina in 2021. The move has allowed Carla to embrace her passions more fully, including her love for photography, enjoying lively happy hours with friends, and spending quality time in nature. Carla’s multifaceted background and diverse interests make her a well-rounded and engaging individual, committed to both professional excellence and personal enrichment.
Clark Titcomb, AIA - Architect
Clark received his BArch and MArch from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Relocating to San Fransisco after graduation, he worked at HAAS Architecture, Studio Terpeluk, Addison Strong Design Studio and Zack | de Vito Architecture + Construction. Titcomb has contributed to several award-winning projects and was the Bronze Award Recipient in the HOPE International Design Competition at Tongji University in Shanghai.
Awards and Honors
2023 Kamphoefner Award
Robby Johnston and Craig Kerins
2023 - AIA Aspire Citation Award
BB Residence
2023 - Capital Area Preservation Awards
Vault Craft
2022 - AIA Triangle Firm of the Year Award
Firm of the Year
2022 – AIA Aspire Honor Award
Hartwell
2022 - AIA Aspire Merit Award
Vault Craft
2022 - AIA Aspire Merit Award
Clark Townhomes
2022 - AIA Triangle Honor Award
BB Residence
2022 - City of Raleigh Environmental Award
Urban Adaptive Reuse, 716 Offices
2022 – Sir Walter Raleigh Community Appearance Award
Vault Craft
2022 - Sir Walter Raleigh Community Appearance Award
Hartwell
2021 - AIA NC Honor Award
Clark Townhomes
2021 - AIA Aspire Merit Award
716 Offices
2021 — AIA Triangle Merit Award
Clark Townhomes
2021 — AIA Triangle Merit Award
Pleiades Modern
2020 — AIA NC Honor Award
Greene-Klem Residence
2020 — AIA NC Merit Award
BB Residence
2020 — AIA South Atlantic Regional Honor Award
Pleiades Modern
2020 — AIA Triangle Honor Award
716 Offices
2020 — AIA Triangle Merit Award
Lafera-Wilson Residence
2019 — AIA NC Honor Award
Lafera-Wilson Residence
2019 — AIA NC Honor Award
716 Offices
2019 — AIA NC Merit Award
Pleiades Modern
2019 — AIA Triangle Merit Award
Edentwin
2019 — Sir Walter Raleigh Award
Commercial - 716 S. Saunders St. - The Raleigh Architecture Company
2019 — AIA Triangle Tour of Residential Architecture
Lafera-Wilson Residence
2019 — AIA Triangle Tour of Residential Architecture
Greene-Klem Residence
2018 — AIA NC Merit Award
Chappell-Smith Residence
2018 — AIA NC Merit Award
Hungry Neck Residence
2018 — AIA NC Honor Award
Parks Residence
2017 — GTSDA Award
Golden Stewardship Development Award/ Hungry Neck Residence
2017 — NCMH Matsumoto Award
2nd People's Choice Award/ Hungry Neck Residence
2017 — Indy Week Best of the Triangle
Architect in Wake County
2016 — AIA NC Award
Powers Residence
2016 — AIA South Atlantic Regional Honor Award
Edentwin
2016 — Sir Walter Raleigh Award
Residential - Hungry Neck Urban Infill
2016 — AIA Triangle Merit Award
Hungry Neck Residence
2015 — AIA Triangle Tour of Residential Architecture
Hungry Neck Residence
2015 — AIA NC Honor Award
Edentwin
2015 — Indy Week Best of the Triangle
Architect in Wake County
2014 — Indy Week Best of the Triangle
Architect in Wake County
2014 — NCMH Matsumoto Award
2nd Place People's Choice / 556 E. Edenton St.
2014 — AIA Triangle Tour of Residential Architecture
554 & 556 E. Edenton St.
Notable Press
December 2023 - Residential Design Magazine
Putting the Pieces Together
November 2023 – University of North Carolina Charlotte, College of Arts + Architecture
Alumni Win Major NC Architecture Award
November 2023 – Architects and Artisans
Raleigh Architecture Company Wins Kamphoefner Prize / Mike Welton
May 2022 – Architectural Digest
Today’s Raleigh Modernist / Jennifer Cooke
Summer 2021 – Oxford American
A South Forty / Peter MacKeith
February 2020 – Walter Magazine
The Carolina School / J Michael Welton
February 2020 – Raleigh Magazine
Raleigh’s Iconic Architecture: Past, Present and Future / Jane Porter
September 2019 - Our State Magazine
Capital Cool Insert
March 2019 - Raleigh Magazine
Old House, New Rules / Lauren Kruchten
August 2018 - Raleigh Magazine
A Modern Touch / Adrienne Fouts
January 2016 — Architects + Artisans
Connections from Old Raleigh to New / J. Michael Welton
2015 — Triangle Downtowner Magazine Issue 112
Sustainability + Vision + Passion = RACo / Kim Weiss
December 2015 — Bit & Grain
Building Raleigh / Sandra Davidson
November 2015 — Inhabitat
Two compact modern homes fill challenging empty lots in an old, urban neighborhood / Kristine Lofgren
October 2015 — Triangle Business Journal
Raleigh architects honored for ‘Edentwins'
October 2015— Curbed
How Modern Style and Matching Buildings Re-Energized a Raleigh Neighborhood / Patrick Sisson
October 2015 — ABC 11 Eyewitness News
Modern homes come to downtown Raleigh / Anna Laurel
October 2015 — Design Milk
Edentwin: a compact pair of houses in downtown Raleigh / Caroline Williamson
September 2015 — Arch Daily
Compact Modern Duo – The Raleigh Architecture Co.
July 2015 — The News & Observer – Work & Money
Housing stock near downtown gets a jolt of modernism / David Bracken
June 2015 — The News & Observer – Home & Garden
Lessons from a dream kitchen / Andrea Weigl
February 2015 — The News & Observer – Real Estate
East of Edenton: Modernist house at home in the inner city / Kim Weiss
February 2015 — Huffington Post
Modern Designs for Downtown Raleigh / J. Michael Welton
November 2014 — Architects + Artisans
A Pair of Aces for Downtown Raleigh / J. Michael Welton
November 2014 — The News & Observer – Triangle & N.C.
Modernism without the fuss / Sarah Nagem
August 2014 — Contemporist
Dasgupta Saucier Residence by The Raleigh Architecture Co.