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Dear Friends,In the 1980’s and 90’s, Charlotte was experiencing tremendous growth, as major corporations were relocating south, Charlotte obtained professional sport franchises and planning advances took shape in transportation including light-rail lines. UNCC was rapidly evolving into the University of Charlotte.  The airport was becoming one of the busiest in the United States.  Planning and Zoning policies were slow […]

Congratulations to Erica Kennedy, AIA, CSI, CDT Kennedy, ODA Principal, Hospitality Studio for receiving the AIA Charlotte Emerging Professional Award, presented to an architect who has been licensed less than 10 years. Erica received the award at the AIA Charlotte Design & Service Awards held on November 4, 2021 at the Mint Museum of Art in Charlotte. The ODA

Below are five additional projects that all tell meaningful stories and help connect the architecture to its local context.     The Tribute – Gatlinburg, Tennessee The Story of The Tribute, in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is of The Scoundrel, as told by our Interior Design Partners, Flick Mars, headquartered in Dallas, Texas.  The Story of The Scoundrel is

The Rudisill will tell the story of Charlotte’s discovery of gold in 1825 Architects integrate “storytelling” in architecture to help convey meaningful narratives that are more powerful than the programmatic functions within the building.  Some stories may be as subtle as a metaphor, while other stories are more blatant and obvious.  Stories provide magic, are engaging and

How will younger generations cope with the paradigm shift between high apartment rents and the desire to live in cool urban neighborhoods?   America will start to see more So-Lo (Single Occupants Living with Others) residential units, a term ODA Architecture created to define an alternative housing option.  The So-Lo living style is a blend of the Co-Living concept that has been

Hello Friends, By 2050, 6.4 billion people will be living in urban environments, according to the World Health Organization.  Before the pandemic, architects and planners were studying strategies to get more inhabitants in less area in a sustainable and environmentally sensitive manner.  Post pandemic, architects and planners are now tasked with the same challenge while creating living environments

Over half of the world’s population lives in cities.   By 2030, 60% of the world’s population is predicted to live in urban areas, creating more health risks to the inhabitants.  The pandemic taught everyone that Megacities created the most health risk.  Planners and Architects should strive to create a mixed-use community network that works together.  People can live