Felipe Flores, a PhD Student in Planning, Design, and Construction under the advisement of Dr. Angela Person, was recently awarded the Architectural Research Centers Consortium’s (ARCC) 2022 King Medal for the University of Oklahoma. The King Medal, named in honor of the late Jonathan King, is awarded to one student per ARCC member institution. Recipients are selected at the discretion of member institutions based on criteria that acknowledges innovation, integrity, and scholarship in architectural and/or environmental design research.
Felipe, an Ecuadorian architect, is currently conducting research involving Indigenous communities in the Amazon. He is particularly interested in exploring how design can alternatively engage with issues related to encroachment on Indigenous territories, resource extraction, and contemporary narratives of what a possible post-development landscape in the Andean Amazon could hopefully look like.
Felipe recently presented a poster with the early stages of his research at 34th Annual National Conference on Race & Ethnicity in American Higher Education (NCORE 2022) held in Portland, Oregon. He used the conference presentation to determine receptiveness of the audience towards the topic and gather important feedback.
Felipe also co-organized the Resilient Futures Symposium and contributed to the Muscogee Futurity exhibition, which both took place in the Spring of 2022. As part of his role as a graduate fellow with the Center for Peace and Development, Felipe co-organized the Youth Perspectives on Climate Change symposium. He also was a student editor for the most recent volume of the student journal Telesis.
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.
