Master planning begins with a simple question: How will people experience this place? For us, it begins long before drawings take shape. It is about shaping movement, connection, and memory from the very first step.
We approach master planning as a way to create spaces that people are drawn to and want to return to. It’s about more than just organizing land uses. It is about unlocking what a place can become.
Learn how Amador Saucedo, our Design Director, and Mick Granlund, Director of Planning and Business Development, shape master plans that guide meaningful environments from vision to reality.
The Holistic Power of Master Planning
Master planning in architecture is about more than arranging buildings on a site. It is a creative process that considers how a place will live, grow, and evolve over time. A well-considered plan accounts for how people move through the space, where they gather, and how it connects with its broader context.
“Master planning is looking at a project holistically. We approach design with the full picture in mind. From creating a plan that performs, down to small details that create memories for the people activating the spaces. Everything relates and is a reflection of the values of our clients and the communities we’re designing for.”
For O’Brien Architects, a master plan sets the tone for everything that follows. It becomes a flexible framework that integrates brand identity, movement patterns, and shared experiences from the start.
“Creating a plan that achieves the financial destination the developer wants to achieve, in addition to creating an environment that the people that are going to be using the space want to be in.” Mick Granlund, Director of Planning and Business Development
By stepping back to understand the larger story a site can tell, we help create environments that feel intuitive and complete.
Exploring the Different Dimensions of Master Planning
Master planning can take many forms depending on the project’s scale, use, and long-term goals. At O’Brien Architects, we approach each plan with a deep understanding of how people interact with their environment.
While every project is different, they all share a common foundation: shaping places that are thoughtful, adaptable, and people-focused.
Our Master Planning Capabilities:
- Urban and Regional Planning
Shaping large-scale environments such as city districts, neighborhoods, and regions with cohesive frameworks for growth, mobility, and community connection. - Campus and Institutional Planning
Designing campuses for education, healthcare, or corporate institutions where buildings and outdoor spaces support collaboration, learning, and well-being. - Mixed-Use and Community Development
Crafting walkable environments that blend residential, retail, office, and public spaces in ways that invite everyday use and long-term engagement. - Land Use and Site Analysis
Evaluating the opportunities and constraints of a site to inform strategic, sustainable, and purposeful development decisions.
Turning Vision into Reality: Listening, Extracting, and Interpreting Client Goals
Sometimes a client comes to us with a detailed plan. Other times it begins with a sketch, a few scattered ideas, or a simple question. For us, that is where the real work begins.
“Everybody comes to us with some level of a vision. In some cases, people who do this all the time can explain that fairly easily. Others, they sort of have an idea or the seeds of a vision, but they don’t even know how to talk to us about it.” Mick Granlund added.
Our process begins by listening. We ask questions, interpret goals, and help shape ideas into something tangible.
“Master planning for us is something that is really important, because it drives a different conversation with our clients. It helps them see things in a different light.” Amador Saucedo says.
Whether the vision is market-driven, community-centered, or simply aspirational, we meet clients where they are. We guide them through a planning process that is part strategic, part creative, and fully collaborative.
Designing for Experience: The Space Between the Buildings
The most memorable places are defined by how people move through them. We think about the paths they follow, where they pause, and the unexpected moments that make them want to return.
At O’Brien, we begin with people. We study how the environment shapes daily life. We ask how people will engage with the space and where the moments of connection happen. These insights inform every element of the plan.
One of Mick Granlund’s early projects, the Shops at Highland Village, helped crystallize this way of thinking. As Director of Planning, he and the O’Brien team worked closely with Regency Centers to create an open-air shopping center that felt fresh and engaging.
“We tried to design the architecture of the building so that every time you turned the corner, it was a little bit different,” Mick says. “So, it kept you moving through the project.”
The design achieved its goal, but what stood out most came later. At a neighborhood gathering, Mick found himself in a conversation with a group discussing the project. They didn’t know he had helped design it.
“The things they talked about had nothing to do with the buildings,” Mick Granlund recalls. “It had to do with the space they moved through and the experience they had.”
Creating Memorable Moments: The Art of Placemaking
Within a master plan, placemaking shapes how people connect to a space. While the plan provides structure, placemaking brings it to life through atmosphere, energy, and interaction.
“The demand for these mixed-use environments is about shared experiences. People want to connect with each other within these spaces.” Amador Saucedo shares with us.
That connection can happen through a small installation in a paseo, a shaded green space, or an outdoor patio full of conversation. These moments do more than activate a site. They give it identity and purpose.
“Whether it be an art installation that you see in a paseo you are like, what is happening over there? The curiosity that people are having is driving them to these spaces.” Amador adds.
Programmable outdoor space is often a vital ingredient in these plans. These elements may seem small, but they help define a place’s character. They invite people to return, interact, and share the space in different ways.
Designing with Flexibility: Developing Places That Evolve
A strong master plan doesn’t lock a space into a fixed idea. It creates a framework that can evolve over time, with use, and within the community. We approach planning with the understanding that the best places aren’t just built to function; they’re built to grow, adapt, and keep people coming back.
Every project’s different, but I think it’s something that everybody can relate to. You don’t have to convince people that trees that provide shade and texture and color, layers of landscaping are good. Inherently, everybody has a sense for that and a feel for that.” says Mick Granlund, Director of Planning / Business Development.
It’s in those familiar elements that people find comfort and possibility. Mick Granlund describes it as layering in subtle changes:
“A little bit of variety, a little bit of change in the elements… so that no matter what day you’re there, how you feel that day, or who you’re with, you still have the opportunity for a good experience.”
That idea is central to how we plan spaces: build in moments of surprise, allow for different kinds of engagement, and let the environment respond to how people live in it.
The best master plans don’t dictate how a place should be used, they invite people to shape their own experiences.
And that’s the heart of it. Whether someone visits once or a hundred times, the space should continue to offer something meaningful, a rhythm that feels both familiar and new.
Closing Thoughts
Whether you’re revitalizing a community district, developing a mixed-use site, or expanding a campus, a well-considered master plan provides the framework to make confident, informed decisions as your vision evolves.
We work alongside clients to uncover the deeper goals behind every site, asking the right questions, interpreting the possibilities, and designing with the people who will use the space in mind.
Planning something new? Let’s talk about how we can help shape your next chapter with a master plan rooted in experience, flexibility, and purpose.
About O’Brien Architects
For over 50 years, O’Brien Architects has been more than a design firm, we’ve been a trusted partner bringing vision to life.
Founded in 1974, our legacy is built on integrity, creativity, and a relentless commitment to our clients. Led by Sean O’Brien, alongside Josh Pollard, Kathy Filbert, Robert Evans, Mick Granlund, Ashley Acuff, Lorelei Mewhirter, and Amador Saucedo, our team believes great architecture isn’t just about buildings—it’s about the people who experience them.
We don’t impose a signature style, we listen, collaborate, and design with purpose, ensuring every project reflects the unique story behind it. With deep relationships and an unwavering dedication to excellence, we create more than spaces, we create moments that matter.