The Summer 2019 travel study experience of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West, led by Interior Design faculty Mia Kile and Natalie Ellis, was recently featured on the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation website in an article entitled “University of Oklahoma Students Explore Rich History of Design at Taliesin West.”
The article provides an overview of the experience, as well as photographs and interviews of the faculty and Gibbs College architecture student Casey Meyer. Read on for an excerpt or access the full article.
“This course really broadened my horizon in many ways,” Casey Meyer, University of Oklahoma architecture student said. “My outlook on how architecture and interior design should be approached has changed for the better. Understanding, or experiencing the time, effort and thought that was put into each foot of each building really left me astonished. That is the type of thoughtful design I want to pursue. Not cutting corners and using the land to your advantage. Overall, this course was truly inspiring and such unique experience.”
The students also lived like apprentices not only by living in the student shelters, but also by experiencing School of Architecture at Taliesin traditions like preparing meals for one another and cleaning up after the meals. While they were in Scottsdale the students also visited several other sites of architectural significance including the David and Gladys Wright House, the David Dodge estate, and Arcosanti.
During the Spring 2026 semester, students in Interior Design Studio IV and Graduate Studio IV gained hands-on experience in educational facility design through a semester-long partnership with MA+ Architecture.
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture congratulates Dr. Tammy McCuen, Robert E. Busch Professor of Construction Science, on beginning her term as president of the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC), an international organization dedicated to advancing construction education through teaching, research and service.
Following years of contributions to the College’s research and strategic initiatives, Gibbs College shares that Associate Dean for Research and External Engagement Angela M. Person, PhD, will step down from her position at Gibbs College as she moves to Tucson with her family, effective June 30, 2026.
