Each year, all students in the Gibbs College of Architecture are invited to participate in a cocktail napkin sketch contest. Presented by the Division of Architecture’s Professional Advisory Board, the cocktail napkin sketch contest gives students the opportunity to submit sketches on a 5”x5” white cocktail napkin to compete to win cash prizes. Three cash prizes — $750, $500, and $250 — were awarded to the top three entries, which were decided by a professional panel of jurors.
Students could choose any subject matter for their sketch, but the sketch had to be original and created specifically for the competition. Sketches could only be made with a black or blue ink pen. This year’s contest was the eighth annual sketch competition, and there was a record 76 entries!
This year’s winners were announced at the 2023 Charles W. Graham Travel Study Benefit Dinner. The winning sketches were also professionally framed and sold at the benefit dinner’s silent auction to raise money for travel study scholarships for Gibbs students. The three winning sketches raised over $800 in travel study funding.
The winning napkins framed for auction.
The first-place napkin, created by Fatemeh Amiri, was a sketch of Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic Fallingwater house. Fatemeh is a first-year graduate student in the Masters of Architecture program at Gibbs. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture in her hometown, Tehran, Iran.
Fatemeh Amiri and her napkin sketch.
When asked about the process of creating her sketch, Fatemeh wrote, “Drawing on a napkin was a challenging process due to the unique fabrication of the material. To achieve the desired results, it was crucial to choose the right drawing pen and be mindful of the line length to maintain the correct scale. I chose to draw the Waterfall House because I am passionate about sustainable architecture, and this house is an excellent example of a building that functions for people with minimal environmental impact.”
The second-place napkin was sketched by Jessica Ding, a third-year Architecture student. Her depiction of a castle includes an incredible level detail for such a small area.
Jessica Ding and her napkin sketch.
The third-place napkin was created by Nisha Daungudomdej, a first-year Architecture student. Her napkin shows a detailed street view. She decided to enter the contest to test her newly developed architecture skills.
Nisha Daungudomdej and her napkin sketch.
When asked about whether sketching on a napkin was difficult, she wrote, “The hardest part of the sketch was creating an idea. Because the idea was to be original, I had some trouble thinking of what I wanted and ways I could differentiate myself from the other sketches. I settled in with something that wasn’t common to western architecture and researched the structures and layout. Because I wasn’t used to sketching on a napkin, it was hard to control the pen ink but got used to it after a few attempts.”
A special thanks to Ted Reeds, Meenakshi Krishnasamy, and the rest of the OU Architecture Professional Advisory Board for their work on organizing and supporting this opportunity for Gibbs students.
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.
