Blair Satterfield

Blair Satterfield is an Associate Professor of Architecture and current director pro tem at the University of British Columbia's School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA) in Vancouver. He teaches design studios across undergraduate and graduate programs, coordinates design media courses, and directs the HiLo Lab research initiative focused on sustainable construction and digital fabrication accessibility.

His educational background includes:

• Master of Architecture, Rice University
• Bachelor of Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Satterfield's research centers on material behavior and production processes in architecture, emphasizing second stream materials, embodied carbon reduction, and energy-efficient construction methods. His work integrates digital fabrication accessibility with architectural narratives, creating universally applicable sustainable building strategies through the interface of software, tools, and materials. The HiLo Lab serves as the primary vehicle for this interdisciplinary exploration.

His scientific recognition includes:

• ACSA National Design Award
• R&D Awards from Architect magazine (2008, 2014, 2020)
• Core77 Design Award for Environments (2014)
• ID Magazine Best in Environments award
• Killam Teaching Prize (2019)
• Multiple AIA and SARA design awards

As an educator, Satterfield supervises thesis projects and independent research, with two students winning the Canadian Architect Magazine Student Award of Excellence (2019, 2022). He secured a Large Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund Grant to expand hands-on building and fabrication opportunities across SALA programs, directly connecting pedagogy with practical construction experience.

Satterfield founded and directs the HiLo Lab, which develops energy/material-efficient construction methodologies through applied student research. The lab's Zippered Wood project won the 2020 Architect magazine R&D Award, and its 2023 Venice Biennale Canada Pavilion proposal (with YAO+) was shortlisted. The lab actively bridges academic research with community access to digital fabrication tools.