Andrea McLean
Master of Architecture, University of British Columbia, 2008
Bachelor of Interior Design, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, 1994
Andrea believes architecture should be more than just an aesthetic, it should be multi-sensory. Architecture should provide an experience whether it’s a response to scale, time, or function. Andrea is focused on bringing this experience to all her projects, at any scale.
Originally from Winnipeg, Andrea’s interest in design started when she studied architectural drafting in junior high school. She is preoccupied with details, materials, and thoughtful space planning.
Andrea’s travels in developing countries provided the foundation for her architectural thesis, Community Architecture: Native Housing in Bella Coola, for which she received the Abraham Rogatnik book prize from UBC’s School of Architecture. This distinction is given to projects that exhibit creative and poetic talent in a design that also enriches the environment and inspires the spiritual lives of the people using that environment.
Andrea has 20 years of architectural and interior design experience. She started her own design practice in 1999, and her work has been published in Western Living, Canadian House & Home, and Montecristo.
In addition to her design practice, Andrea is also a co-founder of The Aviary, an open studio space in Vancouver dedicated to supporting independent creatives.