We look forward to another year of developing relationships with our communities and delivering quality landscape architecture.

OCBA celebrates another successful year, including receiving Michigan ASLA’s Firm of the Year.

The charrette returns to pen and paper and collaborative design to imagine together. This article discusses the process, tools, and creativity involved in a charrette.

"You’re invited to share your feedback!" Public input is a vital step in the design process for community project—it guides the vision by understanding how the community wants to use their natural spaces. Whether it’s gathering, playing, relaxing, exercising, or planting, we don’t tell a community what they need. Instead, we listen and then thoughtfully weave the feedback into a design that truly serves the community.

Hearing directly from those who live, work, and play in an area provides valuable insight in developing and realizing a vision that will be specific to a community.

The bidding process is a critical step in every construction process that ensures the right contractor is selected for the job. But not all bidding processes are the same. The way a project is bid often depends on who owns and funds it. Understanding the difference between public and private bidding helps clients, contractors, and consultants navigate their roles more effectively.

This article explores key differences—and takes a closer look at how landscape architects fit into the process.

An approved site plan is a critical milestone for most projects. How do you get there? Through the municipal site plan review process.

Get to know how our team discovered their passion for Landscape Architecture as we celebrate World Landscape Architecture Month 2025.

We reflect on highlights from our 60th year!

Where our memories collide with those that once called the Kindleberger their home.

60 years of experience and the themes of practice we strive for are still applicable today.

While OCBA’s roots are in Kalamazoo, our branches have reached to Grand Rapids.

OCBA is rooted in Kalamazoo, but we’ve had a few homes, including the Kindleberger Mansion and now Argos East.

Bob O’Boyle would say if you have talented people, provide them with great projects and a supportive environment, the business will inevitably be successful.

60 years of OCBA, what has changed? How we work has moved from hand-drawn graphics to computer-generated renderings.