Architects Share Helpful Tips From Their Own Home Renovations

Project Berkley House
Publisher Dwell+ Aug 2021 
Photography Ema Peter

“Compromise is inherent to the remodel process, as the existing structure or budget might impose limitations. But it’s important to remember that these constraints can encourage imaginative design solutions, so a renovation should be a balancing act. Architect Rafael Santa Ana, founder of the eponymous Canadian architecture office, considered his family’s affection for their Vancouver, Canada, residence—which they’d lived in for a decade—when brainstorming a new design for the home, despite the urge to demolish the structure and "start from scratch," he says. The founder of Rafael Santa Ana Architecture Workshop explored what could be accomplished by keeping the roof, exterior walls, and post-and-beam structure—which, it turns out, was quite a lot. Now, the renovated home garners an airy feel with vaulted ceilings, skylights, and a lighter material palette, while still retaining the familiarity that the family loved.”