Case 7: Searching for an architect should mean finding an architect

RSUA is committed to ensuring that when a member of the public searches for an architect in Northern Ireland, search engines direct them to qualified architects rather than to individuals or businesses that may claim to be architects but are not.

Our aim is to protect the public and maintain the good reputation of architects.

You can read more about this work here.

Case 7 – RJ Studio

In January 2025, RSUA raised its concerns with the Architects Registration Board (ARB) that Ballymena-based firm RJ Studio was misusing the title ‘architect’.

Following ARB intervention, the following changes were made with the welcome cooperation of the business:

1. Previously, when searching for the business on Google, the top search result twice included the phrase ‘RJ Studio architects’. This is no longer the case.
2. Previously, the behind-the-scenes metadata of each of the business’ webpages also included the phrase ‘RJ Studio architects’, as well as the term ‘architects’.¹ This is no longer the case.
3. Previously, the online directory Yell categorised the business as being ‘Architects’. This is no longer the case.

Screenshots – Before and After

Before:

After:

Before (e.g. the homepage):

After:

Before:

After:

Ongoing Work – Role for Members

RSUA has ten other case files live with ARB currently. We will report on these in due course.

If you become aware of any instances of title misuse, please contact Curtis Large, RSUA Policy and Public Affairs Officer, at curtis@rsua.org.uk

1. Metadata keywords are tags in a webpage’s code that help search engines understand its topic. Adding the word ‘architects’ allows a business to appear higher in results when people search for that term. ↩︎