Oscar Concessao, an alumnus of the OU Master of Urban Design program, and his wife Ponni Concessao recently designed the Telangana State Secretariat, the largest state capitol in India. Their firm, OCI Architects, won a national competition held by the Telangana government and was chosen out of a large pool of accomplished firms, also making Ponni the first woman architect in India to design a State Secretariat.
Oscar and Ponni Concessao.
The Concessaos founded OCI Architects in 1996, shortly after completing school in the United States and returning to their hometown of Chennai, India. Their firm has received widespread recognition for its innovative designs, and has won over 150 international, national and state awards. They have designed a large variety of projects at universities, hospitals, government state buildings and now, the largest state capitol in India.
Their firm completed the State Secretariat in just two years, despite the struggles brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. They utilized local materials and a blend of Eastern and Western cultures to reflect the heritage and traditions of the local Telanagana people in their design. The 1.2 million-square-foot building received a Green Gold rating from the Indian Green Building Council, which recognizes the project’s national excellence.
Featured Image: Exterior view of the Telangana State Secretariat.
The Gibbs Design in Action Awards (GDAA) program, led by Dr. Wanda Liebermann, has announced its 2026–2027 funded student projects. The initiative supports design and research work that addresses social, cultural, and economic issues in the built environment through collaboration with faculty and community partners.
The OU Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) 2024 collaboration with the Historic Threatt Filling Station has been recognized in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's newly released Byways Report: The Scenic Route to Rural Prosperity – a story-driven publication exploring how road trip culture and place-based tourism can fuel economic growth in rural communities.
The Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Camille Germany, Chief of Staff, has been named the 2026 recipient of the university-wide Jennifer L. Wise Good Stewardship Award.
