Designer

Job description

OXMAN OXMAN is a nature-based research and design company based in Manhattan. We incubate ventures and technologies that reimagine the relationship between humanity and the natural world. Working across disciplines—from architecture and ecology to materials science and computation, we develop nature-centric solutions to critical environmental challenges. EDEN Nature provides humanity with services that are critical for survival: the sequestration of carbon, the filtration of water, and the production of the air we breathe. EDEN works to strengthen and regenerate these natural processes by cultivating biodiverse, resilient ecosystems that sustain life for all species—human and non-human alike. EDEN is a digital design environment for engineering and designing ecosystems, modeling the flows, relationships, and processes that sustain them. We build tools that quantify how landscapes can be engineered to achieve specific performance goals, cooling cities, filtering water, sequestering carbon, and protecting key species, and use them to guide the design of ecologically active sites. One hectare of well-designed landscape can sequester up to four times the annual emissions of an average home, filter enough water to support thirteen neighborhoods, and reduce ambient temperatures by more than ten degrees. EDEN enables designers to plan intentionally for these outcomes through analysis, simulation, and optimization, turning ecological function into an actionable design parameter. Our design team works directly with clients to apply these tools toward site-specific goals, from logistics campuses and residential communities to rewilding and climate-resilient developments. Together with our clients, we are designing biodiverse, productive environments that serve both humanity and nature. ROLE OVERVIEW OXMAN is seeking an architect or landscape architect with exceptional design sensibilities and outstanding representation skills to join the EDEN design team. This role is for a designer who moves fluidly between rigorous spatial thinking and expressive visual communication, and who can rapidly translate complex ideas into clear, compelling visuals that drive projects forward. A successful candidate does not simply document a project, but actively constructs its narrative and spatial logic through drawing, diagramming, and visualization. They are comfortable working iteratively and at speed, producing sketches, diagrams, and renderings that distill core ideas and give form to new environments. The ideal candidate thrives in non-linear, research-driven design processes and is excited to work across a range of scales and project types, from urban parks to large-scale industrial and residential developments. Each project demands both conceptual clarity and precise design articulation, with an emphasis on integrating ecological performance into spatial design. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - Collaborate with architects, landscape architects, and computational designers to design nature-centric developments, including industrial campuses, residential communities, and urban interventions. - Develop spatial strategies and typologies that integrate built and living systems, dissolving conventional boundaries between human and non-human environments. - Rapidly generate and iterate on design concepts through sketching, diagramming, and modeling, clearly communicating core ideas at each stage of a project. - Produce high-quality visual materials—plans, sections, diagrams, renderings, and physical/digital models—that synthesize complex ecological and spatial relationships into accessible narratives. - Translate environmental performance data (e.g., carbon sequestration, water filtration, thermal regulation) provided by our computational designers into spatial design decisions and visual frameworks. - Contribute to the development of a coherent visual and representational language for EDEN projects across scales and typologies. - Support the development of design guidelines, toolkits, and reusable frameworks that extend across multiple projects. KEY REQUIREMENTS - A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in an architecture or landscape architecture practice. - Advanced degree or equivalent professional experience in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, or a related field. - A portfolio demonstrating strong conceptual design thinking and exceptional representation skills across multiple media (sketching, drawing, rendering, diagramming). - Proven ability to work quickly and iteratively, producing clear and compelling visuals under tight timelines. - Proficiency in Rhino, Grasshopper, V-Ray, and Adobe Creative Suite. - Strong planning skills across multiple scales. - Ability to synthesize complex environmental, technical, and spatial data into clear design logic and visual communication. - Interest in or experience with ecological design, systems thinking, or performance-driven design processes. - Strong collaborative mindset and comfort working in interdisciplinary teams. KEY GOALS AND OUTCOMES - Shape the design of large-scale developments to be measurably more ecological, resilient, and regenerative. - Help define and evolve EDEN’s design and representation language—how ecological systems are visualized and communicated. - Contribute to a new model of practice that integrates design, science, and technology into a unified workflow. - Deliver impactful, visually compelling work that communicates complex ideas to clients, collaborators, and broader audiences. - Contribute to projects that directly affect climate resilience, biodiversity, and the future of human–nature relationships. IMPORTANT NOTE: APPLICATIONS THAT DO NOT INCLUDE UPLOADS OR ACTIVE/WORKING LINKS TO PORTFOLIOS OF WORK WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.