OCBA

🌿 The next generation of designers may be closer than we think.

Sometimes inspiration starts with a walk in the woods. Sometimes it's a playground, a good book, a favorite park, or simply the freedom to ask questions and explore.

At OCBA, we believe curiosity is one of the most powerful tools for learning. The spaces we create have the ability to spark imagination, build confidence, encourage empathy, and help young people develop a deeper connection to the world around them.

Design is more than lines built in space. It is building a space that helps people discover where they belong.

Read our latest blog as we reflect on the role curiosity, play, nature, and learning have in inspiring future generations. https://www.ocba.com/blog/inspiringyoungdesigners

We're excited to share that the recently completed Western Michigan University (WMU) Pedestrian Green Space has been featured on Landscape Architect . com :
https://landscapearchitect.com/landscape-articles/wmu-pedestrian-green-space

This campus design project transformed a major pedestrian corridor into a welcoming outdoor environment that improves so many aspects of a students everyday experience. The new green space creates opportunities for gathering, studying, and enjoying the outdoors while strengthening connections throughout the WMU campus.
We're grateful to have been part of a project that supports the future of higher education campus planning and outdoor learning environments.

Read the full feature:
https://landscapearchitect.com/landscape-articles/wmu-pedestrian-green-space

Landscape Architect & Specifier News | LADetails Product Search Landscape Architect project reviews, news and commercial grade products for parks, campuses, resorts, streetscapes, custom residential and land development projects worldwide

Kicking off the summer strong with master planning camps in Northern Michigan! ☀️

One of the things we love most about this process is stepping into the immersive world of camp life and helping create experiences that better connect the needs of campers, staff, and administrators alike.

We never walk in with all the answers—and that’s by design. Not knowing everything creates space for meaningful conversations, thoughtful questions, and a deeper understanding of the people, places, and programs that make each camp unique.

The best solutions come from listening first, learning together, and building something that truly reflects the community it serves. We’re excited for the season ahead.

Please join us in welcoming Adam to OCBA as our Summer 2026 Intern!

Adam is excited to gain real-world experience and explore the collaborative nature of landscape architecture in -office and on-site.

Adam was drawn to landscape architecture after learning that a park he loved growing up had been intentionally designed by a landscape architect and family friend. The realization — that someone had thoughtfully created a place connected to so many core memories — inspired him to pursue the profession himself.

Outside of landscape architecture, Adam is a passionate writer nearing three million written words, enjoys traveling, loves cooking, and is currently fascinated by deep sea ecology. (There is so much down there!)

This summer, we’re excited to help Adam continue learning through meetings, job site visits, design collaboration, and community engagement as we also look forward to learning what Adam can teach us.

Welcome to the team, Adam!

Internships should be a doorway to reality. 🌿

They’re the first chance to step beyond the classroom and into the day-to-day of the profession—collaborating with teams, solving real problems, understanding workflow, and seeing how design impacts communities. It takes their passion and shows how reality can transform it.

More than just experience for a résumé, internships build confidence, connection, and a stronger foundation for the future.

See what Molly, 2023 Summer Intern, has to say about their internship at OCBA - https://www.ocba.com/blog/whyinternshipsmatter

As WLAM comes to a close, we’re looking ahead. 🌿

The spaces we design today shape the experiences of future generations. With that comes responsibility to honor the land, respect our communities, and create places that reconnect people to the outdoors and each other.

“My hope for the next generation is to continue to create strong connections with the communities in which we work so that design is truly a reflection of who they are, and strong connections with nature so that outdoor spaces are authentic and encourage use.”
– Sandra J. Bliesener, PLA, LEED, AP

Access to landscape matters.
It matters for our health.
For moments of therapy and restoration.
For connection—with nature, with our communities, and with each other.
Well-designed outdoor spaces bring value to neighborhoods and help create a sense of balance between the built environment and the natural world. They remind us that cities and nature are not meant to compete—but to coexist.
Having access to landscape and the outdoors isn’t a luxury. It’s a fundamental part of healthy communities.
That’s one of the many reasons landscape architecture matters.
Celebrating World Landscape Architecture Month 🌱

Why do we continue to choose landscape architecture?

Because it’s more than design—it’s responsibility.

Responsibility to the land.
Responsibility to our communities.
Responsibility to the generations who will experience these places long after we are gone.

Our work is rooted in where we come from and guided by where we hope the future will go. Every project is an opportunity to listen—to the land, to the stories of the past, and to the voices shaping tomorrow.

The decisions we make today aren’t temporary solutions. They are lasting relationships between people and place.

And that responsibility is exactly why we choose this work—every day.

Celebrating World Landscape Architecture Month 🌿

A before. An after.
It’s wild how quickly the world around us can change through thoughtful design.

During World Landscape Architecture Month, we’re reminded how fortunate we are to help shape the landscapes where people gather, play, and connect. It’s a responsibility we never take lightly—and a privilege we’re grateful for every day. 🌱