Populous has purchased OJB Landscape Architecture. For Populous, the acquisition widens the civic contributions the firm can make with its large-scale projects by tapping into OJB Landscape Architecture’s acumen and expertise in landscape architecture and urban design. A price or other financial details were not provided.
In a press release, Populous called the acquisition “strategic.” Per the terms of the acquisition, OJB Landscape Architecture will keep its current studios—in Boston, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Philadelphia, and San Diego—and maintain its firm leadership. With this move, Populous’s total staff size across its global offices grows to 1,600 people.
“We are committed to expanding the breadth of our practice and the impact of our work. OJB Landscape Architecture is globally recognized for its exceptional landscape architecture, urban design and planning and its ability to create meaningful, enduring public spaces,” Bruce Miller, chairman and CEO of Populous said in a statement. “Bringing OJB Landscape Architecture into Populous strengthens our ability to design complete, immersive environments, from venues to the public realm around them, ensuring every part of the experience is thoughtful and cohesive. Both firms are focused on people-centric design and that is reflected in the cultural fit between us.”
Future collaborations between the two firms are now a guarantee, but they won’t mark the first time they’ve worked together. Populous and OJB previously collaborated on Baylor University’s McLane Stadium in 2014.
OJB, or Office of James Burnett, was founded by landscape architect James (or “Jim”) Burnett in 1989. As a writer, advocate and designer, Burnett has helped expand the role of landscape architects as creators and protectors of public space. A graduate of Louisiana State University, he founded the Office of James Burnett in 1989. Under his leadership, OJB has earned more than 100 design awards, including the 2020 National Design Award for Landscape Architecture from the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian National Design Museum. Burnett himself was awarded fellowship in the ASLA and has received the ASLA Design Medal. He served as a juror for AN’s Best of Design Awards in 2022.
The firm initially worked from offices in Houston and Solana Beach, north of San Diego, before expanding. (For a time, its Texas office was located in Pennzoil Place.) It has completed high-profile landscapes across a range of programs, including Sunnylands Center and Gardens in Rancho Mirage, California and Gene Leahy Mall at The RiverFront in Omaha. Recent projects include Downtown Cary Park in Cary, North Carolina, and aa sweeping landscape proposal for the forthcoming Washington Commanders stadium in Washington, D.C.
Envisioning Landscapes: The Transformative Environments of OJB, a monograph about the firm, was published by Monacelli Press in 2021. The office also operates OJB*lab, a research effort that uses “various methods of inquiry, including literature review, digital simulation, or field investigation to ensure [its] research is evidence-based and grounded in the realities of the site.”
Populous’s portfolio spans just about every sports stadium typology, from basketball training facilities to temporary cricket grounds and horse-racing venues.
“Populous shares our belief in the power of design to bring people together and shape communities,” Burnett, president of OJB, said. “Together, we can extend the reach and impact of our work, creating more integrated and meaningful environments for people around the world.”
Last year, Populous acquired Fentress Architects, a firm with a strong background in infrastructure and airport projects. The firm also recently opened an office in Toronto, its second in Canada.