Vivek Vijay, a Regional and City Planning graduate student with Gibbs College of Architecture, shared his recent volunteer experience with Blackspace Oklahoma, an organization that is dedicated to creating, developing, and supporting Black communities and professionals within the realms of city planning, architecture and design.
While Vijay was helping in a number of capacities for the organization during their Storytelling Project series, including set up and take down, photography, and digital content, he was able to listen to the stories and experiences being shared.
The Storytelling Project series consisted of three lectures and two workshops throughout March that were focused on ‘Celebrating the Past, Building Community.’
“The story is about the unseen, unheard, unknown voices of life that have been forgotten in time,” he explained. “I saw emotions, feelings, struggle, tears of joy, and so much more.”
Part of Blackspace’s mission is to acknowledge the past, particularly how city planning and architecture within Oklahoma has changed over the years.
“I got to see what happened in the past and how much things have changed,” said Vijay.
“It made me realize empowering others is as important as empowering yourself, as you live in the very same world that they do.”
A project designed by Gibbs College of Architecture faculty member Austin Lightle has been selected for BuildFest 2026, a national art and architecture festival held at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in New York, on the historic grounds of the 1969 Woodstock Music Festival.
Two Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture alumni are helping shape recommendations that could influence affordable housing design and construction across Oklahoma.
The University of Oklahoma Libraries recently welcomed Carl Siegel as an Architecture Librarian and Archivist and Assistant Professor. In his role, Siegel supports students, faculty and staff across the Gibbs College of Architecture while also serving as archivist for the American School of Architecture Archives.
