Marco Piscitelli, an Herb Greene Teaching Fellow of Interior Design and Architecture, was recently awarded funding as a part of the Gibb’s College of Architecture’s Program for Research Enhancement. Each year, this merit-based program grants funds to Gibb’s faculty members in order to increase their research and creative activities.
Piscitelli received the grant to pursue his project Rust on a Razor Blade: the Architecture of Mickey Muennig (1962-2002). Mickey Muenig, otherwise known as “the man who built Big Sur,” was an American architect who largely contributed to the built environment and cultural landscape of the Central Coast of California.
Muenig was responsible for the development of organic architecture in Big Sur, which is an architectural ideal that promotes harmony between humans and the natural environment. Piscitelli’s proposed project will delve into Muenig’s recently acquired archives, which explore the history of the Big Sur region’s geographical and cultural constraints and how it shaped Muenig’s architectural practices.
Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to recognize Petya Stefanoff, who is pursuing her doctorate in the Planning, Design & Construction (PDC) program, has been appointed the new role of Director of Community Development for the City of Shawnee, Oklahoma. She joined the city in 2024.
Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., associate professor in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture and Design and director of the Institute for Quality Communities, has received national recognition for her book Model Schools in the Model City. The book has been named a finalist for the 2026 the PROSE Awards.
Gibbs College of Architecture Regional + City Planning Professor of Practice Vanessa Morrison and Associate Professor of Architecture Deborah Richards’ Open Design Collective received top honors at the inaugural BlackSpace Urbanist Collective Studio KIN Pitch Night Competition, held last month in Brooklyn, New York City.
