Oz Ozburn is a Partner at o p e n studio and serves as Senior Director of Design at Goldin Institute. With a background in architecture and a commitment to socially responsive design, Oz draws on research, deep listening, and collaborative engagement to guide projects that address complex challenges in community building and rural revitalization. Before joining Goldin, she led major institutional and residential work at Studio Gang, contributing to projects for the University of Chicago, the Academy of Global Citizenship, and Spelman College, and helping advance the studio’s focus on design that supports both social change and environmental stewardship.

In 2020, Oz founded the nonprofit Ladder Up Ladies to equip women with the skills, tools, and confidence to participate in residential construction and renovation work. The program’s emphasis on equity, access, and hands-on learning in the built environment directly inspired the seminar she teaches at the University of Virginia, where students explore the role of labor, materials, and design in shaping the built world. Oz holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Virginia and a Master of Architecture from Yale University, and she is committed to mentoring emerging designers and expanding pathways into design and construction. Her work continues to bridge nonprofit leadership, design practice, and education, grounded in the belief that the built environment can strengthen community agency and resilience.