Something remarkable is happening on Santa Barbara’s Mesa. What might have been an ordinary demolition project is instead becoming a model for sustainability, innovation, and community impact. Crews are hard at work on a residential deconstruction project, carefully dismantling a home to salvage reusable materials and divert them from our already overburdened landfills.

Nestled in the heart of Lompoc at 115 N Street, “The Record” stands as a testament to the city's rich history, blending past legacies with future potential. This iconic ±16,307 square-foot building is more than just brick and mortar; it’s a symbol of the community’s enduring spirit. From its roots as the original site of Lompoc Automotive to housing the esteemed Lompoc Record newspaper in the 1970s, this historic property has long been a cornerstone of local culture and commerce.

Santa Barbara is facing the challenge of increasing state housing demands while preserving its unique charm. The city has proposed new design standards aimed at ensuring that new developments harmonize with the local architectural style and community character.

We are thrilled to announce that four of our residential projects have been featured in the prestigious Dwell magazine.

The goal of this meeting is to provide actionable multi-benefit strategies that can build off of the State Street Master Plan in an effort to support future projects.

Saturday, Orctober 5, 2024

ArchitecTours 2024 is a unique event, bringing AIA members and the general public together to tour projects that exemplify design excellence in Santa Barbara.

AIASB is hosting its 14th annual ArchitecTours on October 7th. One of our projects, Mid Century Modern, located on the Mesa will be featured on the tour.

This year’s Santa Barbara AIA ArchitecTours will take place on October 1st, 2022. Bildsten Architecture and Planning is proud to have one of our projects, Modern Farmhouse Renovation, featured on the tour.

The Monterey Design conference is a biennial conference for architects and designers hosted by the California AIA. Our team always looks forward to it, and three of us will be attending this year.

The American Institute of Architects Santa Barbara is proud to announce its 12th annual ArchitecTours event. This year’s tour will celebrate “Design Excellence” and will highlight projects that demonstrate green building, small efficient spaces, are built in harmony with nature, demonstrate live/workspaces that meet the needs of a 21st-century workforce…

The Santa Barbara chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIASB) just concluded its 2020 Design Charrette where members of the design professions and the community at large gathered virtually over the past six weeks to consider this year’s theme to "re-invigorate, re-invent, re-imagine, and re-purpose downtown Santa Barbara for the future".

In collaboration with the AIA of Santa Barbra, Ellen Bildsten, Brian Cearnal, and Detty Peikert organized “Making State Street Work”, a design charrette and day of urban planning and architecture.

On Saturday October 3rd, local architects and guest gathered together to tour nine homes and businesses, which featured an intriguing personal and construction story that profile many of the design challenges encountered during the building process.

Join us this Saturday, April 18, 2015 for the LA Urban Bus Tour organized by AIA Santa Barbara. The bus leaves from Goleta at 8am and will return around 6pm. Registration is $35, click here to register.