BUILD - Q3 2025 For more than 30 years, OZ, an international architectural design office based in Amsterdam, has been delivering innovation across the mixed-use urban architecture and urban redevelopment projects it has taken on. Blending strategic concepts with value-adding integrated design solutions, the firm creates unique locations defined by both the quality of their architecture and the user-oriented nature of their designs. Owner Oresti Sarafopoulos was on hand to tell us more. Most Innovative Workplace Architecture Design Firm 2025 – Netherlands Contact Details: Contact: Oresti Sarafopoulos Company: OZ Web Address: https://ozarchitect.nl/ Over the past several decades, technological development and exponential changes in living and working patterns across urban communities have resulted in cities across Europe rapidly becoming hotbeds for innovation and economic growth. With urbanism positioning itself as increasingly important in developing society as a whole, architects have been able to channel this shift into transformative projects that not only improve quality of life for its inhabitants, but which also mitigate environmental impact. None do this better than OZ. A firm wholly focused on creating durable, sustainable, and sitespecific designs, OZ collaborates closely with its clients to analyse the likes of feasibility, future usage, and social/environmental impact across its projects. By going beyond adding value to the client and instead ensuring that all interested stakeholders and the wider community benefit from a build, the firm has solidified itself as an enabler of social and economic opportunities – sparking improved interactions across living, working, and recreation spaces. OZ’s ethos is best seen through its encompassing design research, which sees it leverage its skills across multiple disciplines to nurture bold and innovative ideas. Its seamless blending of social, technical, urban, and architectural themes see it inject a healthy dose of diversity into the design process, and everything that its team take out of an experience is then recycled back into the next project. This has seen the firm go from strength to strength. “We are OZ. We take pride in our craftmanship and work from an investigative, down-to-earth attitude. Without preconceived ideas we create modern architecture that embraces the complexity of life and enriches its environment.” Demonstrating that the mastery of the firm starts from within, the team have recently been designing and developing what will be their new office building, ONO: Open Natural Office. This low-tech, 100% bio-based building will be ‘built to breathe’, and advantages for tenants – OZ will only be occupying one part of the building – include lower maintenance and replacement costs, lower service costs, and significantly lower energy bills. The building permit will be handed in later this year, with construction set to begin in 2027. As the Netherlands’ first low-tech, bio-based office, ONO – which is being developed together with Synchroon – aligns perfectly with the Paris-proof commitments for a sustainable building industry. From the high ceilings to the natural ventilation and bio-based materials, the passive design techniques used all help to reduce both construction and maintenance costs. This, combined with the significantly lower energy consumption it offers, makes ONO much more than just a step in the right direction. However, the theme of eco-intelligent design is not just present in the firm’s own office development and can be seen further through OZ’s vision of a world where a fundamental shift has been experienced in the built environment – going beyond buildings being turned into ‘machines’ as a result of over-automation. Oresti explained: “We aim to shift back the focus from technology to architecture, creating ‘real spaces’ with tactile materials like wood and clay that prioritise the human experience and also feel alive.” Oresti continued: “We have described our approach as ‘back to the future’, combining lessons from pre-modern architecture with modern software and analytical tools. The design process is integral and relies on parametric modelling and building physics simulations (using software like Energy Plus) to optimise the building’s form, orientation, façade openings, and material properties to achieve the desired indoor climate passively.” With a number of remarkable and sustainable projects under its belt across the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, and beyond, it is clear that OZ’s embracing of eco-intelligent design and adherence to Parisproof building is beginning to have a long-lasting impact on urban areas across Europe. As ONO, the jewel in the firm’s crown, begins to take shape, its message of sustainable design will only spread further, culminating in a bright future for this, the Most Innovative Workplace Architecture Design Firm 2025 – Netherlands. AIS-Jun25137
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