In a clearing within Central Florida’s Indian Hammock, students from the University of Miami School of Architecture spent part of their spring semester immersed in nature as part of an off-grid design studio.
The Spring Off-Grid Studio took place across a 3,200-acre site of pastures, wetlands and oak hammocks. Led by Armando M. Montero, R.A., LEED AP, assistant professor of practice and founding director of UM’s Master of Construction Management program, the studio focused on sustainability, self-sufficiency and connection to place.
Instead of starting in a classroom, students began with a weekend visit to Indian Hammock, where they walked through pine flatwoods and prairie openings, met with local residents, and spoke with Mary Jo Barkaszi, chair of the local preservation committee. They studied the site’s ecology and history to better understand its potential for resilient design.
In one highlight, students flew in a 1942 biplane to observe the site from above and gain a new perspective on scale and context.
Back in the studio, students were tasked with designing off-grid, multigenerational homesteads that aligned with the rhythms of the land. Designs included systems for collecting rainwater, using solar energy, managing greywater, and supporting edible gardens. Projects explored passive ventilation strategies, bioclimatic design, HVAC sizing, and material selection based on embodied energy and local sourcing.
“This studio was about more than designing structures,” Montero said. “It was about understanding life systems—water, wind, waste and food—and how architecture can honor them through thoughtful design.”
Students proposed a range of solutions, from clustered housing with communal kitchens to homes inspired by spiraling natural forms. Each project responded to environmental conditions and explored how design can foster resilience, community, and well-being.
Success in the course wasn’t measured by awards, but by the quality of ideas—how a home might stay cool under a tree, circulate fresh air naturally, or connect a family to the land.
The studio, which will return next spring as “The Rural Studio,” aiming to prepare students to design for changing climates and evolving community needs.
“What we’re asking,” Montero said, “is how can we build lives—not just buildings—between earth and sky?”
