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OJB*lab

We seek to elevate the quality and craft of landscape design by researching into new thinking, processes, and implementation methods. Our leadership in sustainability and health & wellness comes from our belief that landscape has the power to heal, restore, and positively impact human experience.

Areas of Interest

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Ecological Resilience
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Climate Futures Design
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Firewise Design
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Air Quality Research
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Carbon and GHG impacts
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Designing with Community
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Vegetation Migration Planning and Design
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Pre-occupancy and Post-occupancy Analyses
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Human Wellness and Nature Effect Design

Our Process

OJB’s culture of practice grounded in research helps bring innovative perspective to projects. We use various methods of inquiry, including literature review, digital simulation, or field investigation to ensure our research is evidence-based and grounded in the realities of the site.

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We Communicate Performance

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We Design for The Future

Using resilient principles in design at Brisbane Baylands.
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We Push Human and Environmental Wellness

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We Drive Innovation

Our Team

We are a group of inquisitive and passionate researchers and designers with a diverse set of expertise. Our transdisciplinary research group works alongside design teams to identify, develop, and push project-based innovation goals.

Allison_Harvey ASLA PLA
Principal

Allison Harvey, ASLA, PLA

A Principal in the Philadelphia office, Allison earned a Master of Landscape Architecture and a Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts in Physics from Coe College. She is a licensed landscape architect in Pennsylvania. Allison has over 15 years of professional experience combining practical research with emerging design practices. As a co leader of OJB* Lab, she is a passionate advocate for finding evidence-based solutions to our complex and interrelated environmental challenges. She was the Primary Investigator for an 18-month interdisciplinary field study funded by the Landscape Architecture Foundation, which focused on measuring and analyzing the impact of air pollution point sources on landscapes adjacent to highways. A multi-industry advisory group was assembled to review the data and help develop better industry practices. Through the lab, she draws on her background in physics and material sciences as she continues to find new performance standards and approaches in project applications. An advocate for equity and accessibility, Allison is active with several landscape architecture committees including Philadelphia’s Design Advocacy Group, the Landscape Architecture Foundation, and the Transportation Research Board.
Rosa_Zedek
Project Designer

Rosa Zedek

Rosa joined OJB’s Philadelphia office full-time in 2020 after interning with the firm in 2019. During her internship, she played a significant role in OJB’s pilot research, where she documented the effects of air pollution on landscapes near highways in Philadelphia. Her invaluable contributions to this research directly contributed to the successful acquisition of the LAF grant proposal. She earned a Master of Landscape Architecture and a Bachelor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Pennsylvania. Focused on ecological systems and contemporary concerns, Rosa is committed to design that balances the needs of all living systems in her role as Project Designer. She is passionate about research in the field of landscape architecture, designing systems that mimic natural ecological processes, and the creation and protection of equitable urban landscapes. With her scientific grounding, Rosa is a central team member of OJB*lab, the firm’s innovation and research arm. In her spare time, she enjoys playing soccer, drawing, painting, and cooking.
Mrinalini Verma_OJB
Associate

Mrinalini Verma

Mrinalini joined OJB’s Philadelphia office in 2021. She earned a Master of Landscape Architecture and a Master of Environmental Building Design from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Architecture from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi. As a Sustainable Design Specialist with OJB*lab, Mrinalini has a deep understanding of the intersection of evidence-based design and landscape performance. Her ability to examine a project’s setting and infrastructure, both within and outside the physical parameters of the site, is an asset in evaluating and measuring efficacy of landscape systems. She was a research assistant for the LAF Deb Mitchell Grant, gathering field data and monitoring for a study on the impact of air pollutants on landscapes adjacent to highways in Philadelphia. She is currently contributing to OJB*Lab, where she is developing digital tools that are used in project sustainability evaluation as well as education within the firm. She is also leading a carbon study at lab for understanding project carbon footprints.

Passionate about the profession, Mrinalini has also led several Green Stormwater projects at public schools in West Philadelphia and has spoken at various conferences, including EPA, ASLA, CELA, and LAbash, about her work with OJB*lab. In her free time, she enjoys architecture sketching, printmaking, and traveling to different cities.

Sydnie Zhang 1
Lab Design Specialist

Sydney Zhang

Sydnie Zhang is passionate about creating harmonious environments that seamlessly blends nature and human interaction. After earning her master’s degree of Landscape Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania with a certificate in Urban Design, Sydnie joined OJB in August 2023 as a welcome addition to OJB*lab as a Sustainable Design Specialist. She also holds a bachelor’s degree of Landscape Architecture at Beijing Forestry University in China.

Motivated by an unwavering commitment to ecological balance and innovative design, Sydnie brings a wealth of expertise in sustainable practices to the table. Her past projects encompass a wide spectrum, ranging from resilient urban designs in Mexico City to creating a wildfire design catalog and developing a shoreline simulation model for the Maurice River. Armed with an insatiable curiosity and a dedication to pushing boundaries of conventional design, Sydnie excels in weaving diverse disciplines that unravel the intricate tapestry of landscape dynamics.

What Drives Us?

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Multidisciplinary collaboration
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Large scale infrastructure
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Using Peer Reviewed scientific research findings to inform our design process and goals
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Story telling through data
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Parametric modeling data visualization