Residential architecture + design, built on clarity and craft.
Level Up Design Studio is a Santa Barbara based residential architecture and design practice focused on custom homes, major remodels, additions, and ADUs. We pair strong design with rigorous documentation using a BIM-driven workflow to coordinate teams, reduce rework, and move projects smoothly through permitting and construction. The result is work that feels calm, cohesive, and built to last.
MEET THE TEAM
BLAKE HERPST
is the founder of Level Up Design Studio, a Santa Barbara based residential architecture and design practice focused on thoughtful design, clear documentation, and efficient project delivery. Raised in Wisconsin, Blake’s first education in building came hands on working alongside his father in the family construction business, helping build homes and crafting furniture and cabinetry. That early experience shaped a lifelong appreciation for materials, detailing, and what it takes to turn drawings into something real.
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Blake earned an Associate’s degree in Architectural Drafting and later a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, building a strong technical foundation and design sensibility. After graduation, he joined Wade Weissmann Architecture, where he worked on high-end residential projects and construction administration, including a Montecito residence and Apricot Lane Farms in Moorpark. That work deepened his understanding of craft, coordination, and the day-to-day realities of construction.
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Today, Blake leads projects from concept through permitting and construction documentation with a BIM-driven workflow that supports better coordination, faster decision-making, and fewer surprises in the field. He is known for collaborative communication, strong visualization, and an organized approach to complex residential work custom homes, major remodels, additions, and ADUs. The goal is always the same: create warm, lasting homes that are beautiful, buildable, and aligned with how clients actually live.
DARIA YAROTSKA
is an architectural designer, interior designer, graphic designer, and BIM specialist known for pairing strong technical production with a refined visual sensibility. With a background that bridges architecture and graphic design, she brings clarity to complex projects, translating design intent into coordinated BIM models, well-resolved drawings, and presentation materials that communicate ideas quickly and beautifully.
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Daria’s strengths include Archicad-based BIM modeling, point-cloud to BIM workflows, terrain modeling, interior space planning, and high-quality exterior visualization. She’s detail-oriented, fast, and highly collaborative, supporting option studies and documentation with a designer’s eye for proportion, composition, and material expression. Her education and training in architecture and design underpin a workflow that’s both creative and buildable, helping teams make confident decisions from early concept through construction-ready deliverables.
BUILT FOR MOMENTUM
Level Up Design Studio is a residential architecture and design practice built around one goal: move projects from idea to construction with clarity and speed. We design with the field in mind—clean decisions, coordinated drawings, and details that contractors can actually build. Great design is only half the job; we measure success by what gets permitted, priced, and built.
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LEAN, REMOTE STUDIO
We work remotely by design. A lean setup keeps overhead low, which helps keep fees efficient and allows us to support projects beyond our backyard—locally and worldwide. It also means we can stay responsive, focused, and flexible as teams and timelines evolve.
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DESIGN THAT TRANSLATES
Our workflow is BIM-driven and visualization-forward—not for show, but for decision-making. We use modeling and renderings to test options early, align expectations, and reduce costly rework later. The end result is a smoother path through permitting, coordination, and construction—where the built work matches the intent.
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PERSPECTIVE FROM THE ROAD
We love travel, we love animals, and we’re endlessly curious about how people live in different climates and cultures. Those experiences influence our work in subtle but real ways—material choices, indoor–outdoor living, light, comfort, and the rituals of home. Good design is universal, but it should always feel grounded in place.
Firms We Support
