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On Friday, Oct. 19, principal of Substance Architecture, Paul Mankins lectured on his award-winning practice.
By breaking down his firm’s r2c2s4p ethos [respect, reduction, clarity, craft, sequence, stewardship, symbol, space, place], Mankins told the story of how Substance sensitively “finds agency in economy.”
By celebrating Iowa’s “shoulder seasons,” relentlessly carving out space for public art, and always looking for ways that “architecture can ‘be more,'” Substance Architecture’s practice demonstrates that there are “no excuses for not doing the best work imaginable.”
Humorous and inspiring, Mankins suggested that we should “celebrate the fact we’re ‘in the middle of nowhere,'” whether practicing in De Moines, Iowa, or Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Special thanks to RTA Architects for making Mankins’ lecture possible.
Read about Substance Architecture’s recent work in ARCHITECT Magazine.
Featured image: Principal Riverwalk Hub Spot, Des Moines, Iowa. Substance Architecture.
Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture assistant professor Amy Leveno and Mark Leveno, co-founders of OFFICIAL Design, have received a 2026 AIA Central States Region Design Award for the firm’s Granger Annex Community Center project in Garland, Texas.
Construction Industry Speaker Series welcomed Stephen Evans from the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum to give a lecture on better conversations and relationship building.
The University of Oklahoma Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture Hall of Fame recognizes a select number of high-character individuals who have made a significant and lasting positive impact on Gibbs College, its students, staff, faculty, alumni and/or to communities across the globe. The impact may have been, or continues to be, in the form of service and mentorship, sustained professional excellence, and/or advancement and financial support. Joseph Edgar Smay is part of the 2025 Hall of Fame class.
