A multidisciplinary team of OU researchers from the Gibbs College of Architecture and the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the Gallogly College of Engineering has been selected by the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) to create the Oklahoma State Housing Needs Assessment.
The $925,000 grant will fund the development of a searchable, geodatabase and web portal. This portal will be used by policymakers to allocate funds in the most efficient and equitable way possible to promote affordable housing in the communities with the greatest need. It will also be used by housing developers, lenders, and real estate professionals to identify housing locations and develop market analyses for affordable housing projects.
The research and development team will be led by the following skilled professionals: Shawn Michael Schaefer, a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), and Director of the Urban Design Studio; Shane Hampton, a member of the AICP and Director of the Institute for Quality Communities; Dr. Francesco Cianfarani, an Assistant Professor of Architecture; and Dr. Joe Havlicek and Dr. Ron Barnes, Co-Directors of the Center for Intelligent Transportation Systems. The team hopes to launch the web portal in early 2024.
For more information contact Shawn Schaefer at: sschaefer@ou.edu.
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.
