Obi Agudosi, President/CEO of OCA Architects Inc. in Newark

With extensive experience in the field of architecture, the team at Newark-based OCA Architects Inc. has overseen some of New Jersey’s most iconic projects.

“We service clients and bring the right experience and expertise to every project we work on,” said President/ CEO Obi Agudosi, a 30-plus-year professional and former president of the New Jersey State Board of Architects. Founded in 2015, OCA Architects Inc. has worked on an array of prominent projects, the most recent of which includes its role as the firm of record behind the design and construction of a pedestrian bridge connecting Newark Liberty International Airport’s new Terminal A Building to an adjacent car rental facility. OCA also has played a key role in designing the terminal’s new conference center, backup data center space, and TSA offices and locker rooms.

“We’ve also done several projects for PSE&G in Newark, including construction of an aesthetically appealing exterior façade around a massive switching station of theirs that we designed to fit into the context of the city,” Agudosi said. “Because the project fronts a private school, our design involves teaching walls that feature images of prominent local figures and leaders embedded right into the precast as well as tree-lined seating areas where people can see and be inspired by these role models.”

For firms like OCA Architects Inc., which performs government work in urban areas, “the engagement of minority-owned firms is critical because it not only supports the minority firm and local community, but it also helps young people see professionals who look like them working on prominent projects and aspire to greater heights,” Agudosi said. According to Agudosi, his firm’s strengths lie in both the knowledge and diversity of its 15 experienced staff members who come from different countries and walks of life. “Having diverse talent on your team does so much for a firm because it ensures a variety of approaches to solving problems and enables you to arrive at the best solution.”

Founded in 2015, OCA Architects Inc. has worked on an array of prominent projects, including at Newark Liberty International Airport and at PSE&G in Newark.

A native of Nigeria who came to the U.S. at age 19, Agudosi studied architecture and city/regional planning at the University of Louisiana and worked at major architectural firms in New Jersey and New York City prior to starting his own. But despite OCA’s many successes, Agudosi confirmed that being a minority-owned business comes with its share of challenges.

Among them, “there’s a lot of paperwork required in most contracting opportunities, and it can be difficult to amass the financial resources to sustain your team as well as ensure access to all of the opportunities available to larger firms if you don’t have the relationships — you have to work extra hard to prove yourself,” he said. “I still possess the whole skillset I had when I was running major projects at larger firms, but when you start your own company, prospective clients often have less confidence. We just want a level playing field where we’re provided the opportunity to express ourselves and apply our demonstrated skills and experience.”

A participant in NJ Advance Media’s Mosaic Empowerment Program, which grants eligible minority-owned small businesses a free marketing/advertising program valued at $25,000, Agudosi is excited for the future.

“As a small firm that’s been focused on commercial projects, we  haven’t had the time or capacity to pursue marketing and advertising goals, but the Mosaic Program is now overseeing print and online ads for our firm and helping us develop a marketing campaign to put our name out there, which is great,” he said. “It’s a very valuable program because it helps minority firms engage in important marketing activities that they can’t necessarily focus on because they’re buried in their day-to-day operations. We’re excited for the program to help us promote our firm’s brand and expertise.”

Among his favorite parts of his job, “I love that we’re able to provide opportunities for minorities to share their skills and views,” Agudosi confirmed. “We all enjoy solving challenges by thinking out of the box and turning vision into reality for our clients.”

OCA Architects Inc. is located at 211 Warren St. in Newark, and can be reached at 973-732-0656 or by visiting oca-archplan.com.