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Since 2019, the OU Institute for Quality Communities (IQC), part of Gibbs College, has been helping to bring a very special event to Oklahoma City. All of this work is paying off, as the 2022 Congress on New Urbanism will take place in OKC from March 23-26, 2022.
According to IQC director Shane Hampton, “Each IQC staffer has been involved in some way in planning and hosting the Congress for the New Urbanism.”
Hampton continued, “This all started back in 2019, when I was part of a group that successfully pitched OKC to the CNU board as the next host city. After years of COVID delays, the conference is finally here next week, Tuesday through Saturday! We are anticipating nearly 1,000 attendees from all over the country.”
Hampton serves as the Programs Co-Chair for the Local Host Committee, which means that he is involved in every aspect of the week. Among his tasks include overseeing all tour programming, assisting with venues and logistical preparation, and reviewing session proposals. The conference will have 24 incredible tours of urban development in OKC and the region departing on foot, bikes, canal boats, streetcars, and buses!
Ron Frantz, IQC’s director of small town studios, is a speaker on the tour, “Resiliency: Impact of the OKC Bombing on Redevelopment of Midtown.” Frantz also provided access for all OU Environmental Design Capstone students to attend the conference for free.
Vanessa Morrison, IQC’s associate director, will also be a tour speaker. Through her work with Open Design Collective and IQC, Morrison has been a local leader in coordinating a Congress Legacy Project focused on the Jewel Theater, a historic landmark on Northeast 4th Street in OKC.
Grad student members of the IQC team will also attend the Congress.
Learn more at: https://www.cnu.org/
A team of Construction Science and Architecture students from the Gibbs College of Architecture made their mark on the national stage this week, earning third place out of 37 universities competing at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Student Competition, held during the International Builders' Show in Orlando, February 16-18, 2026.
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has elevated Gary Armbruster, FAIA, ALEP to its prestigious College of Fellows—AIA’s highest membership honor—for his exceptional work and sustained contributions to architecture and society. Fellowship recognizes architects who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession and made a significant impact at a national level. Members elevated to this distinction carry the FAIA designation after their name.
Students from the Spring 2026 Graduate 4 Architecture Design Studio, led by Professor Amy Leveno, exhibited their work at the School of Visual Arts. The exhibition, titled Reimagining the OU School of Visual Arts, featured drawings, models, and animations developed throughout the semester's studio project. The show was hosted in The Spotlight, a creative gallery space located on the first floor of the Fred Jones Art Center, and ran from January 20–30, 2026.
