A group of students from Peru recently spent the week at the Gibbs College of Architecture as part of a collaborative project between the University of Oklahoma and the Universidad Nacional del Altiplano. The project, “Inti Wasi Sustainable and Affordable Cold Climate Housing,” received funding from the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund during the spring 2023 semester.
The project is being led by Ben Bigelow, associate professor and director of Construction Science, and Victor Maqque, the managing director of the OU Latin America Sustainability Initiative. It is also being supported by René Peralta in the Architecture department and Professor Jorge Villegas from UNAP. For the project, students were tasked with creating an implementable solution to the affordable housing shortage within the Andes.
Peruvian students presenting their final Inti Wasi design.
Last spring, the UNAP students met virtually with Peralta’s class to select and refine their design concept. The students revisited this concept and presented it for an initial review during their recent visit to Gibbs College. Utilizing these critiques, they finalized their concept and developed a presentation to share their design. This design will soon be built as a prototype in Puno, Peru.
Ben Bigelow presents certficates to the visiting students.
They also got to participate in Professor Marjorie Callahan’s fifth-year Architecture studio, where her students are currently exploring student housing options within OU’s campus. The UNAP and OU students spent two days in studio collaborating to create an exhibit that will be on display at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art.
UNAP students in the fifth-year architecture studio.
To complete their travel study experience, the UNAP students got to attend a few OU events including a dinner with the Peruvian Student Association, a women’s soccer game and a campus tour. They also got to explore a variety of architectural sites in Norman and Oklahoma City.
UNAP students meet with OU faculty in Gould Hall.
They were introduced to the American School and got to visit Bruce Goff’s Ledbetter House and Herb Greene’s Prairie House. They also toured the Norman Regional Healthplex project as well as the First Americans Museum, the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum and Scissortail Park.
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.
