ARCHITECTURE.     HISTORIC RESTORATION.     CITY PLANNING.     URBAN DESIGN.     INTERIOR DESIGN.     SPACE PLANNING.     FEASIBILITY STUDIES.     CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION.     DESIGN BUILD.     PROJECT DEVELOPMENT.

 
O’Riordan Migani Architects LLC is a collaborative design firm headed by Joan O’Riordan and Joseph Migani.  The firm is based in Seymour, Connecticut, in the heart of the historic downtown district.  With over 40 years of experience in the New York metropolitan area, OMA has worked on over 400 projects in the commercial, institutional, residential and design-build sectors.  Our work focuses primarily on the design, development and funding of housing; urban planning initiatives; and the restoration and adaptive re-use of historic buildings.  Much of our work is from repeat clientele and client referrals, including state agencies, municipalities, boards of education, housing authorities, religious orders, hospitals, non-profit agencies and private developers.  OMA is a certified WBE/MBE.

Design Philosophy
Our focus is place-making, whether in the design of new buildings, the renovation and adaptive re-use of existing buildings, or the urban design and cultural analysis of a cityscape. As architects, we believe that design can improve the lives of people through the context of place and the built environment. Our goal is to provide the design support and programming necessary to creatively adapt current standards of usability to existing and new buildings; identify and assist with project funding and development; and to ultimately, make places that instill comfort and inspire joy.

Services

OMA offers full scope, comprehensive professional design services from initial project planning and budgeting through construction and occupancy. Services include Architecture, Historic Restoration, City Planning, Urban Design, Interior Design, Space Planning, Feasibility Studies, Construction Administration, Design Build, and Project Development.

Participatory Design Process
OMA is committed to participatory design in which clients and project stakeholders become an integral part of the design process. Our team utilizes interactive design workshops and planning sessions to engage clients and project stakeholders directly in the design process. Our firm has a demonstrated track record of working within communities to build consensus and support for proposed projects.

Team Organization
The principals of OMA direct all of the work in the firm. Each project is headed by a design principal and clients have direct access to the designated design principal through the duration of the project. Each project team is led by a designated design principal, a project architect and/or project manager, and supported by a staff of engineers and technical consultants determined by project type and scope.

Modeling
OMA uses 3-D Building Information Modeling (BIM) for all architectural project phases. This allows the comprehensive integration of A/E technical specifications and material quantity and cost data, which increases cost savings and reduces coordination conflicts during construction. BIM also provides full 3-D virtual modeling, photo-realistic rendering and bird’s-eye animation of interior, exterior, and site perspectives.

Sustainability and Environmental Design
OMA is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and has the capability to provide full LEED certification services. Founding principal Joseph Migani holds a professional advanced degree in Architecture in Environmental Design from MIT and a patent for ‘The Sun Machine’, an internationally selling solar assessment and modeling device; founding principal Joan O’Riordan has developed and taught several university-level course sequences in sustainable design; and our staff has received formal training from the Passive House Institute US.

Affordable Housing Development and Funding
OMA offers comprehensive design, funding application and administrative services for designated project types. Our team has extensive experience with Connecticut affordable housing funding programs and works directly with clients to prepare and submit application materials. OMA has an exceptional track record of obtaining public and regulatory approval for controversial housing and social service facility projects, successfully working within communities to build consensus and support for proposed social service/housing solutions.

Design Build & Project Development
OMA’s design-build services allow single source delivery for designated project types, providing comprehensive integration of all project phases, from pre-development through post-occupancy. OMA has a successful track record in securing and administering pre-development and development funding for projects in this sector.

Code Compliance
OMA offers comprehensive expertise in current building and fire safety codes and has extensive experience in the successful development and implementation of code compliance strategies for both new and existing buildings.

Capital Needs Assessments
OMA has a successful track record delivering comprehensive Capital Needs Assessments that provide the basis for capital planning and funding applications for many of our projects in the institutional sector. CNA’s are often the first phase of in preparing applications for funding and include a summary overview, photo documentation and relevant cost estimates and phasing for proposed rehabilitation and modernization improvements.

Independent Construction Review
OMA offers third party independent construction review for projects in the institutional sector, working with state agencies, municipalities and housing authorities to provide estimating, plan review, code evaluation and construction observation services.

Team

Joan O’Riordan, AIA is a founding member of O’Riordan Migani Architects and an active design principal in the firm. Ms. O’Riordan holds professional degrees in both Architecture and Urban Planning from Syracuse University and an advanced professional degree in Urban Design from Harvard University. Ms. O’Riordan began her career at the Harvard University Planning Office, and has worked with Parsons Brinckerhoff and Jung Brannen Architects. Joan previously taught in the school of Architecture at the University of North Carolina, and developed and taught the award-winning Architectural Studies Design Studio sequence in the Architectural Studies Program at Connecticut College. Ms. O’Riordan is a member of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) and American Institute of Architects (AIA) and is a registered architect in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York.

 

Joseph Migani, AIA is a founding member of O’Riordan Migani Architects and an active design principal in the firm. Mr. Migani holds professional degrees in both Real Property Analysis and Architecture from Syracuse University and an advanced professional degree in Architecture in Environmental Design from MIT. Mr. Migani holds patents on ‘The Sun Machine’, a solar heliodon that has been sold internationally, and founded the company that manufactured and distributed the device. Mr. Migani began his career at SOM and has worked with Parsons Brinckerhoff, Jung Brannen Architects, and William Lam Associates and has previously taught in the school of Architecture at the University of North Carolina. Throughout the last two decades, Mr. Migani has been instrumental in the planning, development, and tenanting of the core shopping district in historic downtown Seymour, Connecticut. Mr. Migani is a member of, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) and American Institute of Architects (AIA), is a registered architect in Connecticut, and has held registrations in North Carolina and Rhode Island. To read more about Mr. Migani’s work in downtown Seymour, click here.

 

Aidan Migani has worked with O’Riordan Migani Architects since 2011. Mr. Migani holds a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Aidan is responsible for technical oversight of all BIM production and is active as a project manager. Aidan’s recent projects include the construction management of an urban infill five-story residential apartment building, project management of the retail renovation of four-historic buildings, and construction management of a pilot net-zero duplex project.

 

Pia Migani has worked with O’Riordan Migani Architects since 2001. Ms. Migani studied Computer Science at Champlain College and Art History at Fairfield University. She has worked on project pre-development through post-occupancy in the design-build and affordable housing sectors and is responsible for all of the non-technical aspects of the firm’s business. She also serves as a Consulting Manager for affordable housing and occupancy compliance.