Real Life Architecture. Last updated 29 September 2026.

 

In short. RLA Media Ltd, trading as Real Life Architecture, collects only what it needs to give you a consultation, an estimate, a guide, a reply or the newsletter. Consultation, estimator and order records are kept for six years. Your information is never sold. You can see, correct or delete it, object to how it is used, and complain, by emailing project@RealLifeArchitecture.co.uk.

 

1. Who is responsible for your information

1.1  RLA Media Ltd, trading as Real Life Architecture ("Real Life Architecture"), is the controller of the personal information described in this policy. It is registered in Scotland, company number SC768354, registered office 18-20 North Street, Glenrothes, KY7 5NA. Its trading address is 14 Albany Street, Edinburgh, EH1 3QB.

1.2  RLA Media Ltd is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office, registration reference ZB705389.

1.3  For anything about your information, email project@RealLifeArchitecture.co.uk.

 

2. What this policy covers

2.1  This policy covers the Real Life Architecture website and everything bought or sent through it: video consultations, the Estimator Engine, guides from the shop, blog comments, the contact form and the newsletter.

2.2  The services have their own terms: the Terms and Conditions for Video Consultations and the Estimator Engine Terms of Use. Where those terms say more about how your information is used, both apply.

 

3. Video consultations

3.1  What is collected: your name, email address, phone number, home address, the address of the property, your budget, the photographs, drawings and other material you send, your signature on the booking form, notes of the call and the written summary sent to you.

3.2  Why: to arrange and give your consultation, to deal with any question or complaint, and to keep the records the law and the Architects Registration Board require.

3.3  Lawful basis: the contract with you; legal obligations, such as tax records; and the legitimate interest in keeping a record of the advice given, so that questions and claims can be dealt with.

3.4  How long: six years after the call.

 

4. The Estimator Engine

4.1  What is collected: your name, email address, the property address and postcode, the boxes you tick at checkout, your answers, your report, any comments you send using the feedback box on the report page, and your answer to the optional survey.

4.2  Why: to provide your calculation and report, to deal with questions, complaints and claims against an exact record, and, as set out in the Estimator Engine Terms of Use, to discuss estimates publicly without identifying you and to reply publicly if you comment on an estimate.

4.3  Lawful basis: the contract with you; and the legitimate interests in keeping an exact record, promoting the service and protecting its reputation.

4.4  How long: six years from the date your report is issued. A calculation paid for and never completed is closed after seven days, but the purchase record, and any answers you gave before it closed, are kept for six years from purchase.

4.5  Automated calculation: your report is produced automatically from your answers. It is a cost estimate, not a decision about you, and it has no legal or similarly significant effect on you.

4.6  Feedback: if you send comments using the feedback box on the report page, they are kept with your order number, name, email address and the property postcode. They are used to improve the Estimator Engine and to look into any problem you report. This is a legitimate interest. They are kept for six years from the date your report is issued.

 

5. Guides from the shop

5.1  What is collected: your name, email address, phone number where you give it, and the details of your order.

5.2  Why and lawful basis: to supply what you ordered, under the contract with you, and to keep tax records, which is a legal obligation.

5.3  How long: six years from the order.

 

6. The contact form

6.1  What is collected: your name, email address and your message.

6.2  Why and lawful basis: to reply to you, which is a legitimate interest.

6.3  How long: two years from your last message.

 

7. Blog comments

7.1  What is collected: the name you comment under, your comment, and your email address if you give it or sign in to comment.

7.2  Comments are public. Anyone who visits the blog can read your comment and the name you post it under.

7.3  Why and lawful basis: to show your comment on the blog, to reply to it, and to remove comments that break the Website Terms of Use. This is a legitimate interest.

7.4  How long: your comment stays on the blog until you ask for it to be removed or it is taken down. You can ask at any time by email.

 

8. The newsletter

8.1  What is collected: your name and email address.

8.2  Why and lawful basis: to send you the newsletter, which you have asked for. The lawful basis is your consent. The newsletter is sent through Brevo, an email marketing service, which holds your name and email address on Real Life Architecture's behalf.

8.3  How long: until you unsubscribe. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in every newsletter, or by email. Unsubscribing does not affect anything sent before.

 

9. Visits to the website

9.1  The website uses analytics to count visits and see which pages are used, so that the site can be improved. The figures are used in aggregate and are not used to identify, track or advertise to you.

9.2  The website also uses cookies that it needs to work, for example to keep your basket or your place in a form.

9.3  When you first visit, a cookie banner explains the cookies used. You can object to analytics at any time through the cookie banner or cookie settings, free of charge. Doing so does not stop the site working.

9.4  Any cookies used for marketing or advertising run only if you agree to them through the cookie banner.

 

10. Who your information is shared with

10.1  Your information is never sold, and it is not used for marketing unless you have signed up to the newsletter.

10.2  It is shared only with the services used to run the business, which act on Real Life Architecture's instructions: the website platform, which also handles bookings, forms, the shop, payments and email; Zoom, for video calls; Brevo, which sends the newsletter; Dropbox, which holds copies of Estimator Engine reports and feedback; the email provider; and the accountant. If a claim or complaint arises, it may also be shared with insurers and legal advisers.

10.3  Payments are processed by the website platform's payment service. Real Life Architecture does not see your card details.

10.4  Some of these services store information outside the UK. Where they do, the transfer is covered by UK adequacy regulations or by the safeguards UK data protection law requires, such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement. You can ask for details of the safeguards by email.

 

11. What you have to provide

11.1  To book a consultation, buy a calculation or order a guide, you must give your name and email address and, for a consultation or a calculation, the address of the property. Without them the service cannot be provided. Everything else asked for is to make the service more useful.

 

12. Your rights

12.1  You have the right to ask for a copy of your information, to have it corrected, to have it deleted, to restrict how it is used, and to receive it in a portable form.

12.2  You have the right to object to any use based on legitimate interests, including the public discussion of estimates, and to object at any time to any direct marketing.

12.3  Where the lawful basis is consent, you can withdraw consent at any time, as easily as you gave it.

12.4  Some rights have limits, for example where records must be kept by law. If a request cannot be met in full, you will be told why.

12.5  To use any of these rights, email project@RealLifeArchitecture.co.uk. There is no charge.

 

13. Complaints

13.1  You have the right to complain to Real Life Architecture about how your information has been handled. Email project@RealLifeArchitecture.co.uk. Your complaint will be acknowledged within 30 days, looked into without undue delay, and you will be kept informed and told the outcome.

13.2  You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office, the UK regulator for data protection, at ico.org.uk.

 

14. Children

14.1  The services are for adults. Real Life Architecture does not knowingly collect information about anyone under 18.

 

15. Changes to this policy

15.1  This policy may be updated. The current version is always on the website, with the date it was last changed.

 

Real Life Architecture is a trading name of RLA Media Ltd, registered in Scotland, SC768354, registered office 18-20 North Street, Glenrothes, KY7 5NA.