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Who we are

We are renowned for creating smart, beautiful and expressive spaces.

  • 40+ Years and 14 market sectors strong
  • 100+ Employees in five cities
  • 34+ LEED Projects 20 Gold plus 2 platinum certified
  • 3.6 Million+ SF of LEED Certified Projects results of smart, sustainable design
  • $225 Million/Year in Average Annual Construction Value a regional leader in architecture with work across the country
  • 54+ Awards from industry and community

Our Principles

'Ask the hard questions'

Our team brings experience to the table, but we know every great vision must embody your aspirations. One of the best ways to do this is through dialogue. We discuss beauty, spirit, inspiration, education, humane and healthy spaces, and community connections because our goal is to get a 360-degree perspective of what our client’s wants and needs are and who our client is. "When working with clients we ask them a lot of questions and a lot of aspirational questions to find out what they truly want out of a project. "- Wesley Reynolds

'Craft stories, create legends'

We fundamentally believe that our clients are a critical part of our design process. Whether the project is a school or a corporate headquarters, covers 2,000 or 200,000 square feet, has a tight budget or a generous one, or is led by an individual or a group of dozens of stakeholders, your vision is key to the ultimate success of the project. We don’t take your role lightly.

'Uphold promises'

We are proud of our track record of completing projects on time and within budget. We understand that predicting and controlling costs is critical to project success, and we always hope to exceed our client’s expectations. We take the stewardship of our client’s resources very seriously and work diligently to ensure the imperatives of time, budget, and schedule are met.

'Grow and give back'

We started off as a small and humble group in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. As we have grown over the years to four different cities and four different studios with over 100 employees it stays forefront on our mind to give back to the cities and communities who have given so much to us.

'Play and let loose'

OPN brings together a diverse group of intelligent and creative designers, thinkers, and planners. People at OPN believe in the importance of doing what you love, doing it well, and having fun along the way. OPN is a truly open design studio, and we seek diversity in both our people and our projects. As a studio, we make time to have fun with each other. Regular lunches, wellness challenges, athletic leagues, parties, and retreats keep our team in sync. Our annual retreats are a mix of strategic updates, architectural appreciation, mixing, and mingling.

Meet our leadership

This group fearlessly leads our teams, pushes boundaries in the design world, and above all pursues and inspires excellence in all things.

Our Team
Terry Gebard Principal
Roger Worm Principal
David Sorg Principal
Richard Seely Principal
Wesley Reynolds Principal
Danielle Hermann Principal
Kristin Lewis Principal
Joseph Feldmann Associate Principal
Toby Olsen Associate Principal & Library Practice Leader
Tate Walker Associate Principal

Life at OPN

Our Culture
“OPN always strives to design with excellence and has the desire (and passion) to nurture and mentor younger generations of designers.”
Ruth Kuswara Architectural Intern
“There is diversity in age, backgrounds, experiences, and approach to things.”
Vicki Hyland K12 Practice Leader

Building a better world

At the center of our core values is our shared commitment to community involvement. OPN is invested in the well-being of its communities and often donates time, talent, and money to organizations in need. As a firm, we regularly undertake pro-bono projects; office-wide, we annually support Habitat for Humanity, Canstruction, and United Way. Our designers serve on boards and committees for national- and state-level professional organizations and have been recognized for their advocacy in architectural and civic life. In the aftermath of the devastating floods of 2008, OPN offered its services to civic and corporate entities to recover and revive the affected areas, including Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, and Des Moines, Iowa.

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