Earth Day, Every Day

We’ve come a long way since the 1970s, when environmental awareness and action became a critical issue for humanity – and for our team here at OZ Architecture.

For more than 50 years, OZ has had a team dedicated to advancing responsible design. Along the way, we’ve become a leader in development and design practices that support ecological, human, and economic health and vitality, helping hundreds of clients achieve ambitious sustainability goals. Our work reflects our belief that the buildings and communities we design should move beyond sustainability towards regenerative design and positive impact.

As building and environmental sciences have advanced and climate change has become a more persistent crisis, our design approach and the resources we are able to offer have likewise evolved. Today, we are a more powerful partner to our clients than ever.

In honor of Earth Day, we’re taking a look at our Positive Performance process, one of the key tools we’ve developed to help our clients define, achieve and exceed sustainability goals for their building projects.

OZ’s Positive Performance process was born out of a belief that while the goals and budget for every project may be different, every client deserves a resilient, healthy, high-performing, and beautiful space.

Designing for Positive Performance & Impact

OZ’s Positive Performance Process is a robust tool that allows our clients to look at their project through the lens of 12 key markers that help narrow the values and focus for the project – from social equity to environmental performance to future maintenance costs.

Our goal is to help our clients identify holistic solutions for their project that are environmentally, socially and economically sustainable – the triple bottom line. This results in buildings that strengthen and leave a lasting positive impact on our communities.

Whether a client is pursuing a particular certification or not, every single project we work on gets the benefit of our team in designing to the most ambitious performance goals and access to our dedicated Sustainability Department’s expertise from day one. This department can assist with all aspects of sustainability project management – from leading charrettes and providing sustainable design strategies, to reviewing drawings/specifications, product submittal review, and coordinating the design team to meet specific client goals and targets. This team goes above and beyond to include services such as educational materials, case studies, and guidance on sustainable facility management programs.

Here’s a look at some of our most recent/upcoming work that has benefitted from OZ’s sustainability process:

Aspen Club & Residences, Aspen, CO: Pursuing LEED and WELL Certification
Kindred, Keystone, CO: Pursuing Green Globes Certification
McNeil Hall, Colorado School of Mines, Golden CO: LEED Gold Certification
Northfield Fire Station 39, Denver, CO: LEED Gold Certification
OZ Architecture Studio, Denver, CO: Pursuing WELL Certification
Platte Fifteen, Denver, CO
Richardson Design Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO: LEED Gold Certification
St.Vrain Community Hub, Longmont, CO: LEED Platinum
Trimble, Westminster, CO: Phase I LEED Gold + Phase II LEED Silver
Vaisala, Lousiville, CO: Net Zero Ready
VF Corporation, Denver, CO: LEED Platinum Certified + Fitwel