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.
Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture congratulates Thinh "Henry" Duong, a master's student in the Division of Interior Design, for earning first place in the 2026 Robert Bruce Thompson Annual Student Light Fixture Design Competition.
Gibbs College of Architecture Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) Director and Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design (PLAD) faculty member Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., recently published a new book, Collective Yearning: Black Women Artists from the Zimmerli Art Museum.
In May, students from the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture's Architecture, Environmental Design, and Interior Design programs participated in an intensive five-day Studio in Residence at Taliesin West, the iconic winter home and desert laboratory of Frank Lloyd Wright.
