Midland School – Exploring Architecture at Blackbird

We recently had the pleasure of welcoming students from Midland School to our Santa Barbara office as part of their annual MIDterm program — a week dedicated to small-group, experiential learning both on and off campus.

As part of the Exploring Architecture MIDterm, led by Art Faculty Faith Nygren and English Faculty John Isaacson ’84, students visited several sites of architectural interest throughout the region. One of their stops included Blackbird Architects, where our team shared an inside look at how architectural ideas move from concept to built form.

During their visit, students toured our studio and participated in an interactive presentation highlighting current residential projects. The discussion focused on key aspects of the design process, including site planning, energy efficiency, material selection, and the relationship between architecture and landscape. Students were also able to view original hand drawings and explore a proposed building using virtual reality headsets, allowing them to experience space, scale, and movement in an immersive way.

Blackbird Architects previously worked with Midland School on a campus Master Plan and CUP Amendment that proposes new academic, dormitory, faculty residence and support/service buildings as well as new circulation and infrastructure improvements for a full campus renewal. The office visit was a meaningful opportunity to connect our design approach with places the students know firsthand.