Our Team
It is only through the work of teams – comprised of clients, architects, engineers and other consultants – that projects of vision and substance are realized. Blackbird Architects is continually refining its abilities to lead, coordinate and participate in the collaborative endeavor. The firm assembles the best team available for each project, and takes pride in building good relations as well as good places. We find that people with different backgrounds offer unique points of view and lead us to new and unexpected discoveries (solutions). The process of realizing a project should be rewarding and it should be a pleasure.
Blackbird Architects is itself a coherent team. Like-minded yet diverse, our personnel bring expertise from diverse countries, cultures and endeavors. This has led us to respect many points of view and sets of priorities as integral to the quality of our work.
We pride ourselves on being good listeners, and on being able to translate our clients’ needs into thoughtful design. This has led Blackbird Architects to develop uncommonly clear, colorful and striking graphic communication techniques for use in our programming, outreach and design process. We find that attractive and clear communication of good design is critical in an ever more complex and participatory approvals process.
Ken Radtkey
Founder | FAIA, LEED AP
Ken received his BSME, in Mechanical and Environmental Engineering from UCSB, and his Master’s in Architecture from MIT. Before establishing Blackbird, he worked at Behnisch & Partner Architects in Germany. Ken was project architect for the German Bundesbank Headquarters in Frankfurt and collaborated in the design of many internationally recognized buildings. Ken has lectured at, among other places, Columbia, Harvard, MIT, and the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture.
Alayna Fraser
AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Alayna joined the Blackbird team in 2012. She is originally from Santa Barbara but moved away for more than 15 years during which time she studied architecture at UC Berkeley, the Harvard Graduate School of Design and later worked in Switzerland, Italy and Argentina. Alayna is delighted to be back in Santa Barbara and grateful for the opportunity to give back to the community in which she grew up through inspired and thoughtful design.
Ray Twyford
Architect
Ray returned to Santa Barbara in 2014 to join Blackbird Architects. His passion for architecture began early on and flourished during his studies at the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, CA and is now nourished by the highly collaborative and design oriented team at Blackbird. He is grateful for each opportunity to help realize an idea or vision through physical space in a creative and thoughtful way.
Alisa Oberjuerge
ARCHITECT, LEED AP BD+C, CID
Alisa’s interest in design began early in life by observing and working on constant renovation projects at her 1920’s-era childhood home. She is interested in the positive impact that design can have on the inhabitants of a space as well as the surrounding community and environment. She is grateful to have been at Blackbird since 2011.
Janet Rhodes
Bookkeeper
Janet attended Western Michigan University before moving to Santa Barbara. She worked in accounting and bookkeeping for various local businesses and a CPA firm in Santa Barbara until joining Blackbird Architects in 2013, where she has happily been since. In addition to bookkeeping, she has a background in Music, Fiber Arts, and Interior Design.
Liqiang Huang
Designer
Originally from China, Liqiang studied at Beijing Jiaotong University and later received her Master’s in Architecture from Washington University in St. Louis. Liqiang is interested in sustainability, nature, and poetry. She believes that architecture provides space sequences in nature in a comfortable and poetic way.
Adam Sharkey
AIA, Architect, LEED AP BD+C
Adam has been a part of Blackbird since 1999. He received his BA from Pomona College, and his Master’s in Architecture from the University of Oregon. Originally from Vermont, he appreciates the climate and landscape of coastal California and seeks opportunities for indoor-outdoor connections in all aspects of design. Community involvement and thoughtful approaches to sustainability are a key part of Adam’s work. He has been LEED Accredited since 2002.
James Kyle
Designer
James has been a Blackbird since 2007. Originally from the outskirts of Joshua Tree, CA he came to UC Santa Barbara for undergraduate study in architectural history. He relocated to Claremont, CA for graduate study in architecture at California State Polytechnic University Pomona. Like a magnet, Blackbird and Santa Barbara brought him right back. He loves small places, big ideas and strives to imbue meaning and inspire enjoyment in the spaces he designs.
Stefan Farmazon
Designer, Int'l. associate aia
Originally from Romania, Stefan graduated from Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urban Planning, Bucharest in 2014 with a Master’s in Architectural Design. Additionally, he took classes of an itinerant Master’s program at Academia Adrianea di Architettura e Archeologia in Rome, Italy, with a major in Interventions on Archeological Sites. Passionate about traveling and exploring new places and cultures, Stefan moved to the United States in 2016 to join the Blackbird team.
Shaheen Ghazvinizadeh
Architect
Shaheen joined the Blackbird team in 2015. Originally from South Florida, he left the state in 2008 after earning his Bachelor’s in Design from the University of Florida. He then moved to Los Angeles for work before pursuing his Master’s in Architecture at Arizona State. After traveling the world, he found his way to Santa Barbara. Shaheen believes that good design stems from a thoughtful balance of poetics and functionality.
Clara Hembree
Office Manager
Originally from the Santa Barbara area, she spent a few years exploring Lake Tahoe and Northern California. Being homeschooled from an early age has helped Clara bring a unique perspective to office management and tech support. She enjoys supporting the office and solving the mysteries of technology. Clara is grateful to be a part of a team that is dedicated to timeless design and is sensitive to the surrounding natural environment. Clara is also a musician and amateur recording engineer.
JUSTIN SAGER
Designer
Justin joined Blackbird in January 2022. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Architecture from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, with a graduate focus on ecological architecture and sustainable design. He draws inspiration from travel and other cultures, including time spent in Japan and Scandinavia. He believes design should be sensitive to its context and that spaces can strengthen a sense of place within the surrounding environment and community.
Kat Seth
DESIGNER
Kat received her Bachelor’s in Architecture from Cal Poly, SLO. After college, Kat worked in San Francisco on single and multi-family residential design. Her upbringing in Hawaii informs her design interests, both in site-specific architecture and indoor-outdoor spaces. She likes the work of Luis Barragan and Lina Bo Bardi for their utilization of light, materiality, and greenery. Outside of design, she enjoys reading and being by the ocean.
SUSAN VAN ATTA
FASLA
Susan Van Atta approaches design with a deep understanding of environmental processes gained from a degree in Environmental Studies, an early career in California coastal planning and environmental impact assessment, and over thirty-five years as a practicing landscape architect. Van Atta strives to “make places better” by regenerating the land, engaging the public in site understanding and site stewardship, and promoting health for both people and the environment.
Elíza Possiede
Office Manager
Open positions
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Nullam et nibh ligula. Aliquam vestibulum ligula eget ipsum iaculis dictum. In ullamcorper interdum libero, eget pharetra enim pulvinar et. Vestibulum imperdiet enim ac ex tempus efficitur. Donec vitae odio vulputate, fringilla nunc et, suscipit leo. Quisque vel maximus felis. Nam a pulvinar arcu.