Benjamin Anderson
Co-Founder | Principal
As Co-Founder and Principal, Benjamin Anderson has worked to develop a design culture rooted in youthful curiosity, fearless exploration, and a thoughtful engagement of ideas. Approaching design with an ambitious drive, he brings over 20 years of experience creating award-winning projects. Recognizing that true innovation requires exceptional teams, he has rapidly grown the practice and resources within the firm to operate in urban environments at transformative scales. Always searching, Benjamin has spent over ten years developing platforms for the research and implementation of new computational opportunities in design. A native of the US Southwest, he understands the importance of place and strives to imbue projects with a sense of respect for the communities they serve.
Prior to co-founding OU, Benjamin served as Design Director for the mixed-use, master planning, and adaptive re-use studios at Gensler Los Angeles, where he worked with co-founders Shawn Gehle and Christian Robert. Benjamin’s work has been recognized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Chicago Athenaeum, Architizer A+ Awards, and published in numerous outlets including Dezeen, Wallpaper, Interior Design, and Fast Company. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture and Art History from Cornell University’s School of Architecture.
Defining the design problem clearly, rigorously pursuing opportunities, and crafting powerful narratives to bring people together around a shared vision, inspires me most. If our clients, and those that ultimately use the spaces we design, feel a sense of wonder—then I know we have been successful.
