July 15, 2016 - Costa Mesa

Oculus Architecture LTD established in 1998 in the Chicago Metro Area has opened a new office in Orange County, at 1901 Newport Blvd, Suite 300, Costa Mesa, CA as of May 1, 2016.  The office represents a move of the firm's Headquarters, formerly in the Chicago area (Hickory Hills) to Orange County.

Joining the new office are: Dennis Bonds, CA Registered Architect as Vice President, Principal formerly President of Perlman Architects Orange County Office; John Abbasi as Vice President, Principal, formerly with Perkowitz & Ruth Architects; Chris Coonan as President, Managing Principal of the Firm, formerly as VP of Design with RED Development, and as a Studio Director for MBH Architects in the San Francisco Bay Area and Target Corporation; Ramon Galvez-Arango, California Registered Architect, Principal, formerly with MCG Architects and MG2; Rudy Marin as Vice President, Principal, formerly with RTKL, Altoon & Porter; Paul Sterner, NCARB, Registered Architect as Executive Vice President, formerly with Gensler; David McMillan, SE, Civil Engineer, Principal of Structural Engineering, Mike Manganaro, Principal, Director Omaha Studio, Richard Freres, ASID, Principal, Director of Interior Design & Store Planning, formerly with Target Corporation; Shang Liu, Graphic Arts Director; Toby Zhou, Registered Architect of China, China Studio Director; Hanna Abdolopour as Designer, Grant Molstad and Pamela Nicholas as Architectural Staff.  Chris Coonan was promoted to firm President, and Paul Sterner to Executive Vice President.  Most of the partners and staff reside in the Orange County area, and came from other firms.

The firm is an award winning multi-discipline, full-service A/E firm that specializes in master planning, entertainment, retail, commercial, mixed use, restaurants, housing and hospitality.  The firm provides in-house design and engineering, including structural, electrical and civil.  While approaching the nineteen year anniversary, Oculus Architecture has had national contracts with Fortune 100 companies, since 2004.  Recently, Oculus Architecture won two major design competitions in China, one for the Shunde Eco City along the Pearl River; and one for the Hangzhou Food Industry Office, Research & Convention Center, both in partnership with the Guangdong Design Institute, with Oculus Architecture as the design leader for conceptual through design development phases.  The partners of the firm have designed significant projects though out California, and on a nationwide basis.

The firm owns a National Servicemark for the Oculus Architecture name, not to be confused with Oculus VR or Oculus the Motion Picture.  Partners of the firm are primarily located in Costa Mesa, however there are smaller offices in Chicago, Walnut Creek, and Omaha.  Members of the firm have active registrations in 13 States, and have professional collaborations in 23 States, as well as the whole of China.

The firm prides itself on a wide and deep level of experience in all types of buildings, but with a structure that keeps Principals involved in the daily development of the design, drawings and construction of projects.  With this hand's on approach, the client gets direct contact with the people actually working on the project, and not some figurehead four layers above!  Oculus Architecture LTD. is currently engaged in work in the Orange County/Riverside County area, as well as projects nationwide.  Oculus Architecture is planning an expansion of it's Orange County office, which  will be announced in September 2016.  Partners of the firm are members of the ICSC, and will be present at the Western Deal Making Convention in San Diego, in August,  with a corporate booth to highlight retail and entertainment projects.

Newly Elected Oculus Architects Professional Advisory Board:  Tom Castle, President, Sullivan Hayes Brokerage, Denver, CO; Dean Zurmely, Vice President of Real Estate, At Home Stores, Dallas, TX; Brian Buscher, President, Sbemco International, Algona, IA; Travis Henly, Sr. Vice President, Hewlett Packard, Houston, TX; Kim Clawson, AIA, CSI, Chairman, Chicago Committee on High Rise Buildings, Aon Fire Protection Engineering; Steve Hogge, Vice President, General Electric - China; Mark Hoistad, Professor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, College of Architecture; Colby Vogel, Director of Business Development of WL Butler Construction, Orange County; Nancy Smith, Ford Motor Company, Moscow, Russia; Jana Bean, Street Level Investments, Dallas, TX; Al Shaghagi, Owner, AMS Associates Civil Engineers, Walnut Creek, CA.

Oculus works on a wide variety of projects of all sizes and complexities, even small house additions and interior remodels all the way to 10 KM master plans.  Our Chinese partners own a Rendering Firm in Chongqing, China, and provide a unique in-house service to Oculus Architecture.  Oculus Architecture occupies a very unique building and suite, across from The Triangle in Costa Mesa, with the office open since May 1st, and Tenant Improvement just completed at the end of July.