My Story
A Stroll Down Memory Lane
The roadmap of my journey to becoming a residential designer in the USA, filled with challenges, learning, and growth.
When I was 26 and fresh out of architecture school, I left my beloved Peru to visit the San Francisco Bay Area. My only two references? The Golden Gate bridge and “Full House”…oh….and Mario Botta’s SFMOMA of course..
After a series of unexpected events, my visit turned into a permanent move and I found myself starting from scratch in a new and unfamiliar place. To put things into context, it was 2002 and the U.S. was still recovering from the 9/11 attacks. Internet access was limited and smartphones and social media were not yet a thing.
I had to take any job available to start making a living so I took a cashier job at a Burger King. My minimum wage helped me pay my rent and buy a used car, but it wasn’t enough.
I’ve been calling the Bay Area home for more than 20 years now.
While working at BK, I never gave up on my passion for architecture and my dream of starting my own design firm. In my free time, I took the initiative to reach out to various architecture firms. However, I soon realized that I wasn’t quite ready to land a job as a junior architect in the U.S. My English wasn’t at the level it needed to be, and the construction system was vastly different—not to mention the struggle of switching from the metric to the English system.
Despite facing rejection after rejection, I didn’t give up. I asked myself what was the one skill I had that could help me get a job in any design office, and the answer was AutoCAD. I made a decision to focus on applying for jobs as a CAD drafter.
In 2003, my persistence paid off. I was hired by a structural engineer as a structural CAD drafter. He quickly recognized my background as an architect, and within a few months, he started offering architectural design services for residential projects.
I was cashier at Burger King for a whole year.
In my early years, I was fortunate to work on various architectural projects that gave me a deep understanding of the building code, construction systems, and residential design in the U.S. I also improved my English and was soon in charge of all architectural projects at the company. Life was good, and I was making good money. I even bought a new car and moved to a nicer apartment. I was feeling so comfortable with my new life that I forgot about my dream of starting my own design firm.
Unfortunately, the housing market crash in 2010 brought tough times. We had little to no work, and I eventually lost my job. I had to sell my car, get rid of all my furniture, and move in with my sisters. It was a scary time, but I was determined to overcome the challenges.
A young Luis in front of a huge monitor. This was my phase as a structural drafter.
After a slow recovery of the U.S. economy, I finally started receiving calls for small design jobs in 2012, thanks to referrals from my previous job. This helped me build a network of clients and contractors, and in 2013, I finally started my own business in residential design and space planning.
Over the years, I’ve learned that nobody has an easy ride when chasing their goals. That’s why I’m excited to share everything I’ve picked up along the way right here on
Even better, my main mission is to help you understand the “whys” behind residential design in a way that’s both fun and easy to digest, so you’re ready to tackle your own design challenges.
