Thirty-eight architecture undergraduate and graduate students recently took a two-day field trip to Bentonville, Arkansas and Wichita, Kansas. The students visited multiple architecture offices and firms as well as toured the Crystal Bridges Museum and Exploration Place.
In Bentonville, the students explored the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. The museum displays American art exhibitions, features beautiful architecture, and is surrounded by 120 acres of Ozark wilderness with five miles of sculpture and walking trails. Students also visited Marlon Blackwell Architect’s office in Bentonville. There, they were able to meet Marlon Blackwell, founder and principal of the firm, as well as tour the firm’s Thaden School project.
In Wichita, the students visited Exploration Place, a science and technology interactive museum. They also attended an office visit at Hutton, a design-build firm in Wichita. Hutton does both the design and construction components of projects, allowing for a more seamless workflow.
The students at a trail rest area at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.
During this trip, students were able to engage with real examples of great design. As Amy Leveno, Assistant Professor of Architecture, explains, “The experience of moving around and through an excellent piece of architecture unparalleled. In addition, the students were able to get up close to the details of how a building is put together which relates directly to the design work they are doing in the Design 7 / Grad 3 studio. They also got to meet Marlon Blackwell, visit his office, and tour his Thaden School project. Exposing students to acclaimed architects and different work environments really opens their eyes to the many different future paths their lives can take.”
Travel-study experiences like this one are an integral part of the architecture curriculum at Gibbs College. Leveno writes, “Travel is undoubtedly an incredible learning experience. Even short trips, like this one to Arkansas, exposed the students to so many new things: a different climate, environment, culture, aesthetic, etc. and how the architecture can respond.”
The Design 7 instructors were Daniel Butko and Amy Leveno. The Grad Design 3 instructors were Amber Sarmiento and Sam Callahan.
View more photos from the trip in the gallery below.
Petya Stefanoff, Chair of the Educational Committee with the American Planning Association, Oklahoma Chapter (APA-OK) and Gibbs College PhD candidate, has developed a new training program for local government officials. The program, focused on land use, zoning principles, and land development, recently certified its first graduates with Certified Citizen Planner status.
Gibbs Construction Science and Architecture students recently traveled to Dublin, Ireland, to compete in the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Region 8 Student Competition. The team partnered with Czech Technical University and secured third place in the Design-Build category.
Gibbs College is pleased to present the exhibition Vollendorf in Oklahoma: The Architecture of Dean Bryant Vollendorf during the Spring 2026 semester. It will be on display in Gould Hall, on the OU-Norman Campus, from February 16, 2026 - March 13, 2026.
