Tanvin Mahtub Fariha, a first-year Master of Landscape Architecture student in the Gibbs College of Architecture and a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture and Design, has earned recognition for her work. Her undergraduate thesis project, Redeveloping the Urban Fabric around the Maijdee Court Building Dighi, received a Merit Award from the St. Louis Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects Central States Conference Awards jury.
Her project focuses on the Maijdee Court Building Dighi, a historic urban pond at the civic heart of Noakhali, Bangladesh. Originally excavated as part of the city’s administrative district, the Dighi holds deep cultural significance but has become environmentally stressed and increasingly disconnected from the surrounding community.
Rendering of Maijdee Court Building Dighi
Through her design, Fariha reimagines the Dighi as a vibrant and welcoming public space. She combines ecological restoration, improved pedestrian access and culturally meaningful gathering areas to strengthen its role as a civic landmark. Strategies such as restoring pond edges, planting native vegetation and using permeable paving help manage stormwater, support local wildlife and create a cooler, more comfortable environment while reinforcing the site’s identity as a shared destination.
New pedestrian corridors and waterfront promenades reconnect nearby institutions and neighborhoods, encouraging everyday use, community events and informal recreation. The project presents a model for mid-sized cities seeking to balance heritage, climate resilience and active public life through landscape-driven urban design.
A project designed by Gibbs College of Architecture faculty member Austin Lightle has been selected for BuildFest 2026, a national art and architecture festival held at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in New York, on the historic grounds of the 1969 Woodstock Music Festival.
Two Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture alumni are helping shape recommendations that could influence affordable housing design and construction across Oklahoma.
The University of Oklahoma Libraries recently welcomed Carl Siegel as an Architecture Librarian and Archivist and Assistant Professor. In his role, Siegel supports students, faculty and staff across the Gibbs College of Architecture while also serving as archivist for the American School of Architecture Archives.
