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Pro Spotlight: 3 Design Ideas to Enrich Your At-Home Experience
A Bay Area architect shares how to design homes uniquely tailored to where they are and who they’re for
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Who: David Wilson of WA Design Architects
Where: Berkeley, California
In his own words: “Rather than imposing my architectural style, it’s much more important to create something unique to the client and to the site.”
For David Wilson, president and principal architect of WA Design Architects, the layout, design and details of a home should reflect the delightfully distinct people who live there. “Our aim is to meld our clients’ particular needs and desires with the specific site and circumstances unique to each project,” he says. “The best design solutions come out of responding to all of those various factors and getting them to work together.”
Where: Berkeley, California
In his own words: “Rather than imposing my architectural style, it’s much more important to create something unique to the client and to the site.”
For David Wilson, president and principal architect of WA Design Architects, the layout, design and details of a home should reflect the delightfully distinct people who live there. “Our aim is to meld our clients’ particular needs and desires with the specific site and circumstances unique to each project,” he says. “The best design solutions come out of responding to all of those various factors and getting them to work together.”
Variable interests. Wilson found his love for design and construction during summers between mathematics studies at UC Berkeley. “I started pretty small, helping my father on residential construction projects,” he says. “I realized that was what I wanted to do.” Wilson founded his practice in 1985, at first focusing on design-build. “As my office grew larger and we gained more experience, and after I earned my license, we grew into the architecture firm we are today,” he says.
Alchemy from information. According to Wilson, answering a few questions that seem quite simple will give you a wealth of information about how you use your space. For instance, is your kitchen the beating heart of your home — or where you open takeout containers? “I’m a foodie, so if I hear that someone cooks, I already have a sense for what they need in their kitchen,” Wilson says. “It’s not normally too difficult to find out what will make people happy.”
Ready to redesign with your uniqueness in mind? Wilson shares his tips below.
Ready to redesign with your uniqueness in mind? Wilson shares his tips below.
1. Consider the Natural Context
Wilson believes the site should tell you what you’re going to design. “Start every project by considering the natural context of light, views, access to the outdoors and environmental conditions,” he says. This idea applies not only to new homes, but to remodels as well. “Design the position of your windows carefully not only for the views, but for privacy and the proper amount of shading,” Wilson says.
He and his wife have a second home in Stinson Beach, where they let the location anchor the design. “Especially on big sites, you have to do some soul searching about what it is you’re centering,” Wilson says. To the west, the Wilsons have filtered views of the ocean. To the east, views extend to the skyline ridge of Mount Tamalpais. “Addressing and enhancing this ridge view proved a starting point for the home’s design,” Wilson says.
See more of this project
Wilson believes the site should tell you what you’re going to design. “Start every project by considering the natural context of light, views, access to the outdoors and environmental conditions,” he says. This idea applies not only to new homes, but to remodels as well. “Design the position of your windows carefully not only for the views, but for privacy and the proper amount of shading,” Wilson says.
He and his wife have a second home in Stinson Beach, where they let the location anchor the design. “Especially on big sites, you have to do some soul searching about what it is you’re centering,” Wilson says. To the west, the Wilsons have filtered views of the ocean. To the east, views extend to the skyline ridge of Mount Tamalpais. “Addressing and enhancing this ridge view proved a starting point for the home’s design,” Wilson says.
See more of this project
2. Enrich Your Most-Used Space
Many homeowners err in deciding which room they should renovate first, Wilson says. “Clients often have their primary bathroom or bedroom at the top of the list, when most of their time is actually spent around the kitchen,” he says. “If you instead design a great room that includes the kitchen, dining area and room for seating, then 95% of a home occupant’s awake time will be enriched.”
This newly built Woodside Hills home overlooks a rolling hillside with views of the Pacific. It’s situated on a large site, and Wilson and the homeowners decided to orient the house to encompass as much of an uninterrupted western view as possible. Wilson designed an expansive great room that flows from a large open kitchen with room to sit, chat and entertain to a dining space and cozy seating area — all of which feature sweeping views of the stunning surroundings.
See more of this project
Many homeowners err in deciding which room they should renovate first, Wilson says. “Clients often have their primary bathroom or bedroom at the top of the list, when most of their time is actually spent around the kitchen,” he says. “If you instead design a great room that includes the kitchen, dining area and room for seating, then 95% of a home occupant’s awake time will be enriched.”
This newly built Woodside Hills home overlooks a rolling hillside with views of the Pacific. It’s situated on a large site, and Wilson and the homeowners decided to orient the house to encompass as much of an uninterrupted western view as possible. Wilson designed an expansive great room that flows from a large open kitchen with room to sit, chat and entertain to a dining space and cozy seating area — all of which feature sweeping views of the stunning surroundings.
See more of this project
3. Embrace an Element of Surprise
When spaces are designed for where they are and who they’re for, no two experiences of stepping inside a home will feel the same. “Even traditional homes can have elements that surprise and bend the rules in order to respond to client and site,” Wilson says.
The homeowners of this Lake Tahoe home situated on 8 acres initially wanted a more traditional cabin-like design with lower ceilings and rustic touches. “Predictably, we chose to build on the south-facing side of the hill with views of Tinker Knob. That became our axis,” Wilson says. But to connect to those views and to see more stretches of sky, the home needed more height. “We ended up doing a mix. The great room has a tall ceiling to capture the views, while in other areas it’s lower,” Wilson says.
Also, unlike with Tahoe homes designed in the 1950s and ’60s, Wilson wanted to be able to walk across the threshold without needing time for his eyes to adjust to a dark interior. “The glazing goes up 17 feet, so you always have the perfect light level and feel connected to the outside world,” he says.
See more of this project
More: For more information on David Wilson and examples of his work, visit WA Design Architects’ Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
When spaces are designed for where they are and who they’re for, no two experiences of stepping inside a home will feel the same. “Even traditional homes can have elements that surprise and bend the rules in order to respond to client and site,” Wilson says.
The homeowners of this Lake Tahoe home situated on 8 acres initially wanted a more traditional cabin-like design with lower ceilings and rustic touches. “Predictably, we chose to build on the south-facing side of the hill with views of Tinker Knob. That became our axis,” Wilson says. But to connect to those views and to see more stretches of sky, the home needed more height. “We ended up doing a mix. The great room has a tall ceiling to capture the views, while in other areas it’s lower,” Wilson says.
Also, unlike with Tahoe homes designed in the 1950s and ’60s, Wilson wanted to be able to walk across the threshold without needing time for his eyes to adjust to a dark interior. “The glazing goes up 17 feet, so you always have the perfect light level and feel connected to the outside world,” he says.
See more of this project
More: For more information on David Wilson and examples of his work, visit WA Design Architects’ Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
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Review by Jose Caldera:
David and his team were excellent in our Tahoe remodel project. Even through the pandemic, which added another unwanted layer of complexity. We looked for a team that could bring a modern vision to ou...More