OU Architecture Associate Professor Daniel Butko and his collaborators, which include Gibbs College alumnus Zachary Maggia, AIA, as well as Coreslab Structures (Oklahoma City), and Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories, were recently announced as winners in ARCHITECT Magazine’s 15th annual R+D Awards program.
The award-winning project is entitled “Acoustically Diffuse & Absorbent Lightweight Aerated Concrete” (ADALAC). According to the jurors, “The [six] winners are ‘a good representation of the fertile ground that is the architectural space and of where the industry is heading,… Even during pandemic times, interesting design and product exploration are still going on, which is a [testament] to the industry.”’
“Concrete’s porosity, durability, and moldability make the material ideal for nonstructural use,” says Butko. His research on ADALAC explores the relationship between material and geometry to utilize concrete in a different way. Currently, concrete—planar, dense, and highly reflective of sound waves—is not the material of choice for acoustical mitigation. However, along with its inherent structural and thermal properties, concrete can be quite porous, not to mention amenable to experimentation with form. To test its noise-control capabilities, Butko and his team of researchers are developing sawtooth panels made of acoustically diffuse and absorbent lightweight aerated concrete.
For more information on Butko’s project on ADALAC or to check out the other five award winners, visit ARCHITECT’s R+D Awards article.
Robert L. Wesley, a pioneering architect and beloved mentor, has died at age 88. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Wesley joined Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in 1964 and became the firm's first Black partner in 1984. Throughout his career, he contributed to significant architectural projects while maintaining a strong commitment to civic engagement and professional mentorship.
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to celebrate a series of recent accomplishments by Dr. Jim Collard, Professor of Practice in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design, whose work continues to shape conversations around Indigenous economic development nationally and internationally.
University of Oklahoma Gibbs College of Architecture Dean Hans E. [PA1.1]Butzer returned to one of his most significant works on December 15, joining survivors and past and present board members for the groundbreaking of a $15.8 million expansion of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.
