Ordiz-Melby Architects, Inc.

07/10/2026

We're excited to highlight the completion of the Bell Tower Plaza transformation for Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS). Originally built in 1932, this historic Bakersfield landmark has been reimagined into a modern meeting and conference center for the educators of Kern County. Our renovation created open gathering spaces, updated conference rooms, and The Kern Room, a stunning new event space within the former sanctuary. While introducing modern accessibility and technology, we carefully preserved the building's historic character, including its original chandeliers.

We're honored to have partnered with KCSOS to breathe new life into this iconic building, creating a space that will support collaboration, learning, and the Kern County community for years to come.

07/04/2026

06/28/2026

Construction is underway on the 12,900-square-foot Fairfax School District Office, a facility designed to serve both the district and the community for years to come. The building blends clean, contemporary architecture with warm, welcoming materials, creating a space that reflects the district’s commitment to education and community connection. The building’s form draws inspiration from the district’s origins, echoing the simple gabled silhouette of the one-room schoolhouse that marked its beginnings. Reinterpreted through a modern lens, this familiar shape creates a meaningful connection between past and present. Built using modular construction, each section is prefabricated off-site, transported to the site and carefully craned into place. This innovative approach demonstrates how modular design can deliver efficiency while achieving a bold architectural presence.

06/23/2026

🎉 We are excited to welcome Riley Sherman to the Ordiz-Melby team as our new Student Intern. Riley recently completed his first year of architecture school at Texas Tech University and will be gaining valuable hands-on experience with our firm throughout the summer. We’re excited to have him on board and look forward to being part of his professional journey.

Please join us in welcoming Riley to Ordiz-Melby! 👋

06/12/2026

We’re excited to highlight the construction of a new Transitional Kindergarten/Kindergarten campus at Vineland Elementary School. Coming Fall 2026, this exciting expansion adds seven new classroom buildings, creating a dedicated learning environment for the district’s youngest students. OMA, in collaboration with , developed the new TK/K campus as a small neighborhood within the larger elementary school site—providing its own playground and outdoor spaces while maintaining a visual connection to the rest of the campus. The thoughtful design fosters safety, independence, and a strong sense of community for early learners.

06/04/2026

This weekend, we celebrated our incredible team and the families who support them at the Ordiz-Melby Architects Family Picnic at Windermere Park. The evening was filled with fun, laughter, and a little architectural inspiration. They showed off their impressive skills building houses of cards and building towers playing Tetris. The picnic gave us the opportunity to recognize and celebrate the families who make our work possible, and we are grateful to have them as part of the Ordiz-Melby family.

05/29/2026

Exciting things are coming to Delano Union School District’s Almond Tree Middle School December 2027! 🎼We are transforming their existing 4,300 square-foot music building into a modern multi-purpose performance and practice space. Designed to support band, orchestra, and choir, the renovated facility will feature enhanced acoustics and upgraded audio-visual technology to create an inspiring environment for student musicians. Go Lions!

05/22/2026

We’re excited to share a project highlight for Endeavour Elementary School’s outdoor lunch shelter, coming Summer 2027. OMA, in collaboration with Icon Shelters Inc., designed a 3,600‑square‑foot metal lunch shelter. Inspired by the school’s namesake, the NASA shuttle Endeavour, and its journeys through the cosmos, our team incorporated custom elements in the concrete. The flatwork features a central point representing the sun, with concentric concrete joints and embedded elements symbolizing the locations of the planets at the time the campus first opened in September 1995.

05/15/2026

Go Wildcats! Mullen Gymnasium at Taft Union High School is getting some much needed upgrades and modernizations. Once completed, the basketball gym will feature new bleachers, a new hardwood athletic floor showcasing the Wildcat mascot, new Tectum panels to enhance acoustics, and a new coat of paint that reinforces school spirit and identity.