Oculus Inc., an award-winning, WBE-certified architecture and interior design firm, announced the addition of John Berendzen, AIA, LEED AP, as Senior Project Architect & Thought Leader to the firm’s St. Louis office. In his role, Berendzen will help expand Oculus’ capabilities in workplace and industrial environments while collaborating on projects across commercial sectors, including an internationally recognized flight simulation training facility.

“I’ve known John since our undergraduate years, and he’s been part of our story in more ways than one – even helping us move into our first Oculus location,” said Lisa Bell-Reim, President of Oculus Inc. “That shared history makes this moment especially meaningful. John is a talented architect and designer who is deeply committed to connecting people and communities to the built environment. I’m thrilled to officially welcome him to the team and look forward to the impact he’ll make and the ideas we’ll bring to life together.”

Berendzen brings more than 35 years of architectural experience to Oculus. As a licensed architect in 18 states, including Missouri, California, and Texas, Berendzen has built a career designing complex workplace environments, industrial facilities, and operational spaces. He has supported numerous high-profile projects over his career, including InSinkErator’s headquarters in Racine, Wis., the Flow Innovation Center for Emerson’s Micro Motion division, the Orthwein Animal Nutrition Center at the Saint Louis Zoo, and the Jesuit Archives & Research Center in St. Louis, which houses the records and artifacts of past and current administrative provinces of the Society of Jesus in the United States.

Committed to the communities he lives in and serves through his work, Berendzen is passionate about educating the next generation of young architects and supporting programs that seek to change people’s lives through architecture. He is involved in the American Institute of Architects, serving as the past president of the St. Louis Chapter, and is a trustee of the AIA St. Louis Scholarship Fund, which has distributed $1.53 million to students over the course of Berendzen’s twenty-year involvement. He also serves on the board of Building Futures, a design-and-build workshop in the Old North neighborhood of St. Louis that provides STEAM project-based learning programs for youth ages 5-18.

A graduate of Washington University in St. Louis with a Master of Architecture, Berendzen continues to support his alma mater through the Eliot Society, serving on the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts membership committee.

“I’m thrilled to start this next chapter of my career with Oculus Inc. and have the opportunity to work alongside such a talented team,” said Berendzen. “My experience shaping high-performance workplace and industrial facilities has always been rooted in understanding how people and systems interact, and I’m excited to bring that perspective to projects that are both highly functional and thoughtfully designed. I look forward to the journey ahead and contributing to Oculus’ continued growth across multiple sectors.”