Welcome Ian & Jesse!

Bringing a wealth of knowledge and a passion for elevated design, two new staff have joined our dynamic team at OPN. 

Ian Ford, OPN Minneapolis

Where did you go to school?  Drury College in Springfield, Missouri
What inspires your work?  The opportunity to shape shapes with a lasting and positive impact based on how we engage the senses. This can include the way light moves within a space throughout the day, the sound of footfalls on a walking surface, or the textural quality of materials we select. I am inspired to create memorable moments in everyday spaces that enhance our users’ daily experience.
What are you reading right now?  “How to Walk into a Room” by Emily P. Freeman
What is your favorite podcast?  Song Exploder
What do you like about your industry? I thrive on the variety and scale of design problems architects have the opportunity to work on. What we do is complex, and it takes an open, eager, and thoughtful team to execute projects well. I love the feeling you get when the team is working at its best.

 

 

Jesse Jacob, OPN Cedar Rapids

Where are you originally from? Waukegan, Illinois
Where did you go to school? University Of Iowa & ECPI University
What do you like about your industry? The fact that you can see progress in real time and know that it will be there for people to use, hopefully for a long time. 
Which phase of a project is your favorite?  Framing and masonry, watching a structure take form is the best part.
What is one way you’d like architecture or design evolve? I love mixed use development and would like to see more of it throughout.