A new pergola designed by Urban Design students Virginia Paiva and Samiul Haque was recently installed at Chapman Green in downtown Tulsa. The pergola was funded by a grant from the Claritin® Clarity Parks Project, which helps restore community outdoor spaces that have been impacted by natural disasters. The grant was administered by the Project for Public Spaces, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating and maintaining community places.
Chapman Green is a public park that is used for a variety of community events, including Tulsa Mayfest. However, with the park’s previous lack of shade and Tulsa’s sometimes severe summers, the park could quickly become unbearably hot. Led by Shawn Schaefer, director of OU’s Urban Design program, the students conducted in-depth observations and research to determine innovative design solutions for the park. In collaboration with several organizations and the local community, the students developed the idea to install a pergola.
The pergola designed by Virginia Paiva and Samiul Haque.
The project originally began in 2020, but it was delayed for several years due to the pandemic and other issues. The pergola now joins 20 previously planted trees to provide shade for park visitors. According to Schaefer, the project was a true community collaboration. Schaefer and his students would like to thank the local stakeholders and organizations that contributed, including:
Feature Image: Chapman Green, photo by Stephan Pingry.
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.
