Layers of history, reimagined. A 19th-century church evolves into modern living, without losing its soul.
Explore Germantown Ave Condominiums by OZ Collaborative on the 2026 Home Tours. Learn more with the link in bio.
#AIAPhilly #HomeTours2026 #AdaptiveReuse (Photographed by Don Pearse)
We need your voice! Vote in link in bio!
We’re honored to share that O Z Collaborative has been nominated for the Community Design Collaborative’s Linchpin Award for Leverage 2026. The winner is decided by community vote, and we’d love our community to support our team’s efforts to create impactful work.
At O Z Collaborative, community has always been our foundation. We create contemporary, sustainable spaces rooted in shared vision, designed with purpose, built through dialogue and trust. This recognition reflects the work we’ve done together.
Voting takes less than a minute. Your support means everything to our team and helps amplify community-focused design across Philadelphia and beyond.
Thank you for being part of our community, and for championing design that serves people!
#ozcollaborative #linchpinaward #communitydesigncollaborative
Last Friday, we celebrated the groundbreaking of the Vogt Recreation Center renovation alongside @community_ventures , @rebuild.phl PHL , @philaparkandrec city leaders, community members, and our project partners.
As architects for the building renovations, we are proud to help shape the next chapter of this important neighborhood space, honoring its role in the community while supporting a more welcoming, accessible future.
The $8 million project will bring comprehensive building renovations, including a new roof, windows, lighting, security upgrades, modern MEP systems, updated interiors, and ADA-accessible entrances and restrooms.
Site improvements will include new playground equipment, safety surfacing, seating areas, and landscaping to create a more welcoming, functional, and accessible public amenity.
Together, these improvements will support a recreation center that better serves the community today and for years to come.
Project Team: @community_ventures@rebuild.phl@clemensconstruction J+M Engineering
@huntengineeringco@flourateeter@revisionarch
A big thank you to @councilmembermikedriscoll , and @senator_tartaglione !
Spring is in full bloom at Old First House! We just installed new corner planters outside on the corner of 4th & Race too!
Design by @ozcollab@studiobryanhanes
#affordablehousing #oldcity #oldfirstchurch
Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 16th from 10am to 5pm! 7111 Germantown Ave Condominiums are on the AIA Philadelphia Home Tours hosted by @aiaphiladelphia
Nestled within a historic stone church complex in Mt. Airy, this adaptive reuse transforms underutilized auxiliary structures into 19 distinctive individual condominium residences. No two floor plans are alike. In partnership with Bancroft Green and @phillyofficeretail , O Z Collaborative introduced gracious contemporary living while honoring the church’s Gothic Revival character.
We invite you to explore three residences that embody the nature of this development.
🔗 Link in bio to get your tickets!
#OZCollaborative #AIAPhilly #HomeTours2026 #AdaptiveReuse
Photographed by Don Pearce.
Rooting for a greener world! 🌎 Yesterday, our team gathered for our annual Earth Day Potluck & Spring Refresh, a tradition that fills our hearts as much as it beautifies our space.
We fired up the grill, shared delicious food, pulled weeds, and planted fresh flowers to breathe new life into our patio, a space our team and clients will enjoy all year long. At O Z Collaborative, Earth Day is a reminder of our commitment to sustainability and a greener future. Celebrating the earth means investing in the world we share through community, mindful choices, and moments of gratitude for the life growing around us.
#OZCollaborative #EarthDay #greenworld
Our commitment to sustainability starts in our office and we bring that same commitment to our work. In November, O Z Collaborative partnered with Solar States @solarstates to install solar panels on our office roof in West Philadelphia, helping reduce our carbon footprint and feed clean energy back to the grid.
This investment reflects how we approach sustainability across our work and within our own practice: with measurable action, long-term thinking, and a commitment to reducing environmental impact. Guided by our Sustainability Action Plan and as signatories of the AIA 2030 Commitment, we bring the same high-performance mindset to our studio that we do to our projects.
Since installation, our impact has already grown to the equivalent of:
24 trees planted
179,000 phones charged
1.5 tons of CO2 reduced
And that number continues to rise, especially as we head into the summer months.
Learn more about our approach to sustainable design at the link in bio.
#ozcollaborative #sustainability #sustainablearchitecture #solarpanels
We were honored to open our doors to students from West Philadelphia High School this morning for ArchWeek, hosted by @designphilly
Students got an up-close look at our project in collaboration with Jones & Jones for Dickinson College, The Jim Thorpe Center for the Futures of Native Peoples. The students dove into our creative process from start to finish, learning how indigenous structures, symbols, and storytelling have shaped every design decision we’ve made, and why honoring that history isn’t just meaningful, it’s imperative to the work itself.
Thank you to Design Philadelphia for creating the space for students to learn from local architecture firms, and for West Philadelphia High School for their curiosity! #designphilly #architectureweek #ArchWeek
O Z Collaborative is proud to welcome two talented new members to our growing team!
Oona Ashraf joins as our Architecture Intern, a Pratt Institute graduate whose practice is grounded in craft, narrative, and community impact. Her experience across nonprofit, academic, and professional settings has given her a well-rounded understanding of the full arc of architectural practice, from early concept and design development to technical documentation and publication work.
Melissa Ojeda joins as Marketing Coordinator, bringing over a decade of experience in brand strategy, creative direction, and digital marketing. From content and campaigns to events and visual identity, Melissa works across mediums to ensure a brand is felt as much as it is seen.
Welcome to the team!
#ozcollaborative #newteammembers #architecture
Dreams have a way of shaping the future, especially when they start early.
For Carolyn Crego, that dream began in 6th grade. Today, she’s turning that passion into meaningful work as an Architectural Designer, creating spaces where communities can grow and thrive.
Fun Facts about Carolyn:
- Outside the office, Carolyn continues her community impact through volunteer work in historic preservation through facility improvements within her church community.
- She loves experimenting with new recipes and exploring Philadelphia’s vibrant food scene.
- Carolyn draws inspiration through her international travels.
- Carolyn collects rhino figurines! It all stemmed from a college project during her studies at Drexel.
#ozcollaborative #womenshistorymonth #womeninconstruction #womeninarchitecture
Building the future means recognizing the women shaping it. This Women’s History Month, we’re proud to spotlight the incredible women in construction on our team who are driving meaningful, impactful work every day.
We’re kicking it off with Kathy Lent, Project Manager, celebrating 10 years of leadership and lasting contributions to our projects and communities. Kathy discusses her current project with @gratzcollege and the moment she discovered she wanted to be an Architect!
Fun facts about Kathy: - She is active in the Philadelphia chapter of @aiaphiladelphia particularly with the Emerging Professionals group.
- Currently renovating a historic rowhouse.
- Kathy practiced in San Francisco, New York, and Boston, gaining diverse experience in residential, healthcare, and civic projects.
#ozcollaborative #womenshistorymonth #womeninconstruction #womeninarchitecture
Some buildings hold more than brick and mortar. They hold history.
Hilyard Robinson helped shape the physical and cultural foundation of Howard University @howard1867 a time when Black architects were rarely given the opportunity to design at scale. This Black History Month, we honor Robinson’s modernist vision that was rooted in progress and creating spaces that reflected possibility.
Cramton Auditorium stands as part of that living legacy that continues to be a place where generations have gathered to perform, celebrate, and be heard.
O Z Collaborative was honored to help carry that legacy forward through thoughtful renovation by improving accessibility, enhancing performance capabilities, and restoring the experience of the space while respecting its architectural integrity.
#BlackHistoryMonth #HilyardRobinson #HowardUniversity #OZCollaborative
