Dwell+
“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.”
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Architizer
Spanning the banks of the Mamquam River in Squamish, BC, the Squamish Pedestrian Bridge connects the edge of downtown with a developing residential community at the base of the legendary Stawamus Chief, a massive granite monolith iconic to the region. The bridge provides a new circulation dynamic within the community to unite both sides of […]
Architizer
Vancouver, Canada A thorough mid-century renovation featuring a stunning stair-side, double-height bookshelf and a secret attic playroom, this project sees the transformation of a tired, inefficient house with good bones into a chic, contemporary, and spatially eloquent family home. Eschewing market trends toward disposable fixtures and finishes, RSAAW’s renovation respects the origins and West Coast […]
LOOP Design Awards
In a temperate rainforest such as British Columbia’s, the search for light is constant and inevitable. Most residential projects unequally favour certain units over others, unfairly distributing space, views, and light. Such a sacrifice is unnecessary. This Passive House mixed-use residential project provides all its residents with natural light through a labyrinth design evocative of […]