In collaboration with OU Landscape Services, first-year Environmental Design student Justin Jones is designing new planting beds on the east side of Gould Hall. This project ties into Jones’s Field Work course with Ron Frantz, director of the EnD Division.
Jones (left) with Torrey Redmon (center) and Joe Mars (right) from OU Landscape Services.
Inspired by his passion for plants and landscaping, Jones transferred to Gibbs College last semester to gain knowledge in the Landscape Architecture field and help him in his current role in OU’s Landscape Services. While Jones has only been in Gibbs College for a short period of time, he has already had a significant positive impact on the Gibbs community.
Jones with his planter bed designs.
“The landscape department is really striving to return campus to its former glory,” Jones said. “Many have told us how well-maintained grounds are therapeutic and help them relax. This is one of our main goals for the OU community.”
Jones planting in the new garden.
With this project, he hopes to improve the environment of Gould Hall and the surrounding OU campus and encourage interest in the LA program. While Jones has not taken any LA classes yet, the Historical Preservation course he took with Professor Frantz sparked his interest in the discipline. After he completes his undergraduate education, Jones hopes to continue his studies in the LA program.
Jones and OU Landscape Services planting in the new garden.
Make sure to check out the new planter beds outside of Gould Hall!
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.
