EVENT DETAILS
Thursday, October 23, 2025
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
West Vancouver, BC
Limited Space | Request Invitation
Hosted by AEROFRAME Windows & Doors
Design Insights by Synthesis Design
Canapés + Refreshments by Hello Nori
The Bonnymuir Residence began as a spec build designed for cost efficiency and market readiness, with vinyl fenestration originally specified to meet performance and budget goals. When the homeowners decided to personalize the design, one of their key requests was to elevate the home with aluminum windows and doors, a shift that had the potential to alter both the design intent and the project schedule.
For Synthesis Design and the builder team, this pivot created both challenge and opportunity. How do you adapt scope and materials without derailing timelines, budgets, or design integrity? More importantly, how do you guide homeowners through this shift in a way that leaves them impressed with both the final result and with the builder who delivered it?
What could have been a costly disruption became a chance to elevate the home, demonstrate collaboration, and add long-term value.
Joining us for this session is Kevin Li, Design Director at Synthesis Design and lead designer for the Bonnymuir Residence. Kevin will share how early and transparent collaboration between the architect, builder, and fenestration team can turn a material change into a design improvement.
FEATURED PROJECT
DESIGN RENDERING VIA SYNTHESIS DESIGN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BARRY CALHOUN
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The Spec to Custom session offers builders practical insights drawn from the Bonnymuir Residence, a real project where a mid-build pivot became a catalyst for innovation. Guests will learn how collaboration, adaptability, and technical partnership can turn challenges into lasting value.
Managing Scope and Material Changes / Explore how the project changes can become opportunities rather than setbacks. Learn how material substitutions, when managed with the right partners, can enhance design integrity, improve performance, and build homeowner trust.
Thinking Beyond Cost / Understand how aluminum systems help homeowners achieve a custom look and feel without exceeding budget limits. Learn how using aluminum strategically in feature walls, oversized doors, or energy-focused spaces can transform a home from standard to exceptional.
Partnering Early to Protect Design and Reputation / Discover how involving fenestration partners early ensures smooth coordination, accurate detailing, and confident delivery. AEROFRAME provides support from shop drawings to on-site glazing, helping builders manage upgrades with precision.
Future-Proofing Builds and Client Relationships / See how aluminum systems meet Step Code requirements, deliver long-term durability, and improve resale value. Builders who adopt future-ready solutions strengthen their projects and their professional reputation.
Join us to connect with peers, gain practical insight, and see how collaboration can turn challenges into new opportunities.
Managing Scope & Material Changes
Projects evolve. Material substitutions are inevitable, but not all changes are setbacks. With the right partners, scope changes can enhance design, add value, and strengthen client trust.
Thinking Beyond Cost
Homeowners want homes that feel custom, even when starting from a budget-conscious spec. Aluminum systems create a pathway to meet these elevated expectations without moving into European price ranges. Used strategically, in feature walls, oversized doors, or performance-focused spaces, aluminum transforms a home from commodity to custom.
Partner Early to Protect Design and Reputation
Engaging fenestration partners early in the process ensures material changes are managed smoothly. With AEROFRAME’s support, from shop drawings to on-site glazing, builders can deliver upgrades that impress homeowners while staying aligned with budgets and timelines.
Future-Proof Builds and Your Reputation
Step Code compliance, durability, and resale value are top-of-mind for today’s clients. Aluminum systems provide a future-proof solution, ensuring homes remain competitive while making builders look proactive, forward-thinking, and client-focused.
SPOTLIGHT
SYNTHESIS DESIGN | Founded in 1993, Synthesis Design Inc. is a multidisciplinary studio specializing in custom residential design, renovations, and interiors across the North Shore, Whistler, the Sunshine Coast, and Calgary. With a team whose backgrounds span architecture, interior design, engineering, psychology, and fine arts, Synthesis combines creative vision with technical precision to deliver homes that are both beautiful and enduring. The firm manages every stage of the design process, from concept development and municipal coordination to permits and on-site execution, ensuring projects are seamless and well crafted. Collaboration is central to their philosophy, with a studio culture built on open dialogue, shared ideas, and collective problem-solving. This approach allows Synthesis to produce imaginative, sustainable, and client-focused designs that reflect the individuality of each homeowner and the character of every site.
KEVIN LI, DESIGN DIRECTOR | Kevin holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture. He brings extensive expertise in residential design, building technology, and local regulations, having led the planning and execution of hundreds of residential projects of varying styles and scales. As Design Director, Kevin shapes the studio’s architectural vision and oversees each project from concept to completion, ensuring collaboration, precision, and design integrity. Guided by a belief in simplicity, balance, and beauty, he approaches every project with both technical mastery and creative insight. Outside of work, he enjoys exploring the open road on his motorcycle and spending time outdoors with his family.
ABOUT THE SERIES
Changing Perspectives series brings builders, architects, and designers together to share the realities behind the projects that shape our industry. These are honest, on-the-ground conversations that reveal how collaboration, flexibility, and problem-solving turn unexpected changes into thoughtful design outcomes. Each event offers a chance to step inside a completed or in-progress home, hear directly from the project teams, and discover new perspectives on what it takes to bring custom residential architecture to life.
