Meet Steve
Stephen (Steve) Ramos, AIA is the founder of Ramos Architecture & Design (RAD), a Charleston-based architecture and development strategy practice focused on hospitality, multifamily, and custom residential projects in complex urban and historic environments.
RAD operates at the intersection of architecture and development strategy—helping clients shape projects where context, entitlement, and long-term value creation are inseparable from design. The practice is grounded in the belief that successful buildings in historic cities are not simply designed—they are shaped, refined, and carefully integrated into the fabric of their surroundings.
Steve’s current work spans hospitality and residential design, including a 70-key boutique hotel in Conway, South Carolina, the 140-key Four Seasons Hotel & Residences in Charleston, and select custom single-family homes designed around context, lifestyle, and long-term livability. Across all project types, his work is defined by clarity of form, material restraint, and alignment between design intent and development objectives.
In addition to leading RAD, Steve serves on the City of Charleston Board of Architectural Review (BAR-L) and the Magnolia Landing Architectural Review Board, contributing to the stewardship and evolution of Charleston’s historic built environment.
Prior to founding RAD, Steve spent 14 years with LS3P Associates, where he worked on hospitality and multifamily developments across the Southeast, including the 131-key Moxy Hotel, the 26-key Pinch Hotel, the 41-key Spectator Hotel, the 221-unit 511 Meeting Street project, and the 94-unit Skygarden Apartments. His work during this period helped shape several notable contemporary additions to Charleston’s hospitality and residential landscape.
Steve earned a Master of Architecture and a Certificate in Urban Design from the University of Maryland in 2006. His work is guided by a simple principle: that the most enduring architecture is not only well-designed, but deeply responsive—to place, to people, and to the economic and cultural forces that shape how it is built.
Services
RAD provides architecture and design services across the full lifecycle of a project—from entitlement through design and delivery.
Lead and manage zoning approvals including rezoning, variances, special exceptions, and architectural review board processes. Focused on complex projects where entitlement strategy is critical to unlocking development potential.
Develop early design direction through conceptual site planning, massing studies, preliminary floor plans, data calculations, and visioning renderings to evaluate feasibility and inform decision-making.
Provide design leadership for architecture firms and development teams working in historic and urban contexts, including concept design, design direction, and architectural coordination.
Deliver full-service architectural design and documentation for hospitality, multifamily, and commercial projects from design through construction.
Design highly tailored single-family homes shaped by context, lifestyle, and long-term livability.