Each year, the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office, part of the Oklahoma Historical Society, hosts the annual conference with over 300 people from across the state in attendance. For the 2017 conference, Associate Professor Ron Frantz served on the local planning committee for the conference. As founder of this informal gathering a number of years ago, Frantz coordinated the annual “Eggs & Architects” breakfast for design professionals and historic preservationists to gather and talk about issues. This year, Frantz was the Master of Ceremonies for the annual Awards Banquet at the Oklahoma History Center, which drew over 150 people from across the state. During the Banquet, 22 Oklahoma sites were recognized with National Register designations and 39 Oklahoma projects or programs received Citations of Merit. Two of these were for student projects in Environmental Design programs. Frantz served as moderator during two of the sessions during the conference, introducing panels of preservation practitioners who presented a variety of projects.
Congratulations Ron!
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.