OUR STORY
The firm of Omness Design, Inc. grew from the history of Omness Design, Inc. following the partnership of Edwards & Burris Architects. The original firm was established in 1953 to design a wide variety of educational, commercial, public and residential buildings.
In 1969 the firm changed its name to Edwards, Burris & Lockwood Architects, reflecting the addition of a new partner and the growth that was occurring in Central Ohio at this time. With the death of Mr. Edwards in 1975, the firm again changed names to Burris, Lockwood & Tangeman Architects practicing in the Central Ohio area until the restructuring of the partnership in January 1988.
1992 brought another change in identity to the firm. Duane Behne and Paul Omness brought a fresh and very customer-oriented philosophy to the firm. Another major change occurred when Paul Omness bought the firm from Duane Behne, changing the name to Omness Design, Inc. in 2016. Omness Design, Inc. (ODI) still remains completely dedicated to the unique role of the Architect in shaping our environment.
The impact of the firm on the city of Marion, Ohio has been great. Countless government, school, industrial, commercial and residential buildings stand as testament to the influence that the firm has had on our community.
Over the long existence of this firm, hundreds of projects have been successfully completed, from the smallest office renovation to some of the largest, most exciting structures in Central Ohio. The design awards presented to the firm are evidence of creative excellence.
OUR ARCHITECTS
PRESIDENT/OWNER
paul omness
Paul has worked with local, government, and school districts, private owners and corporate clients to successfully complete hundreds of projects. He is presently working on projects with Marion Family YMCA; Tiffin City Schools; Turning Point in Delaware, Ohio; Leapin’ Outreach; BKC Laboratory, LLC. Paul is also working on several projects for Marion City Schools and Goodwill Industries.
As the principal in a generalized practice, he has managed a wide variety of projects from health care to business offices, churches and education facilities. The experience and insight he has gained from these projects has provided a knowledge base essential to adaptive re-use projects. He is active in all aspects of the design process, in particular, design and construction document production, bidding and construction observation.
Paul lives in Marion, Ohio. He is a current member and past Chair of Goodwill Industries of Marion, Morrow, Delaware, Union and Crawford Counties. He is currently a Trustee for Marion Industrial Club. He has served as Trustee of the Ashley, Ohio UMC, and the Ashley Wornstaff Memorials Library. He has been an active volunteer with The Adaptive Adventure Sports Coalition (TAASC) for about twenty years.
ARCHITECT/OWNER
A long-time collaborator, he joins us now as an owner. Brad's extensive resume includes 18 years of experience in architecture - becoming registered in 2013, and bachelor's and master's degrees from The Ohio State University.
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He possesses a wide range of knowledge and experience, especially in multi-family, tenant fit-out, historic, restaurant, and the areas of office and commercial site development.
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Bradley is a graduate of Harding High School, a great guy and family man - father to 2 lovely daughters. We look forward to Brad's participation and to celebrating his successes in serving our clients and community!
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Kathy served the Marion Police Department as Property Caretaker for over 20 years - her skills will be an asset to the business.
Kathy started with the firm in April 2018, and we look forward to a long partnership with her quality administration.
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A cheerful soul, mother, grandmother and dedicated Harley enthusiast, she enjoys watching her grandson play baseball. She runs marathons, trains hard, and plays hard in addition to being one of the friendliest people you'll meet.
Kathy is happy about the opportunity to work with Paul and Brad, and we couldn't be happier to have her!
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER
Brianna Driver
Brianna Driver is an architectural drafter/designer at Omness Design, Inc. She has been working for the company since June 2020. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Industrial and Innovative Design from International Center for Creativity (ICC), partnered with Cedarville University. She is a strong believer in the ability of the architecture and research combined with design thinking for strengthening our societies and having a positive effect on the world.
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Passion and diligence are traits Brianna lives by and strives for as an individual. She believes that perseverance is a primary key to successfully providing outcomes that delight the client. She loves coming up with creative solutions to solve everyday problems, and she welcomes the lessons she learns from failure while finding those solutions.