same people, different name.

We are pleased to announce our new firm name, brand identity, and website! Office of Architecture and Design (OAD) is now known as ZINN Architecture + Interiors (ZINN). Why did we decide to rebrand? Our decision was born from the realization that as OAD, the people behind the brand were too obscured. We realized that the experience of working with us was removed from the connotation of our firm name. 

“I was once asked “Are you a government agency or something?” which made us laugh. It also made us rethink our approach and come to terms with the need to put ourselves a little more in the forefront.” - Rob Zinn, ZINN Cofounder and Vice President 

Originally, we wanted to resist the instinct to tie our work to our personality; we wanted to put the business and its priorities before our egos. However, as much as we didn’t want the business to be about us personally, we kept hearing from friends and clients that it was indeed about us. Thus began our journey into who we are, what we do, why we do it and how to accurately express all of that via a new name and associated graphics. 

“What convinced me to finally want to make the change was when our friend, Steve Williams, presented the logo to us. The way he envisioned our brand made ZINN feel more like an idea or a word than our last name.” - Kassia Zinn, ZINN Cofounder and President

The rebranding process was an interesting inverse of what we usually ask of our clients. Introspection is something we ask our clients to engage in all the time. This time, the lens was turned on us, which can be scary. Ultimately, we had the thoughts and ideas, we just needed to organize them into a legible story. 

Charrette Venture Group (CVG), one of the only investment groups focusing on the architecture space, guided us through each step of the rebranding process. Working with the CVG team was one of the highlights of this experience. They helped us to clarify what our brand means to us and what we want it to convey to the world. We love our new logo and website! 

Something else that gives our rebrand announcement extra significance? Our new brand launch coincides with our 8 year anniversary as a firm!