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The University of Oklahoma (OU) Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture will host “Schools of Thought: Rethinking Architectural Pedagogy,” from March 5-7 2020, at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art on the University of Oklahoma Campus in Norman, Oklahoma.
The symposium is designed to bring together scholars, architects, and designers to explore questions about how we teach design. It coincides with the exhibition Renegades: Bruce Goff and the American School of Architecture, on display at the Fred Jones during the conference.
Keynote lecturers will include award-winning scholars Beatriz Colomina, Howard Crosby Butler Professor in the History of Architecture at Princeton University, and Joan Ockman, Senior Lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania. The symposium will also include paper sessions, lightning talks, and a poster session.
Scholars, architects, and designers are invited to submit papers for the following sessions. Submissions are due August 30, 2019. Paper proposal submissions should include a 300-word abstract and 100-word author bio.
“Do not Try to Remember”: Pedagogy in Transition | Chaired by Winifred Elysse Newman, Professor and Director of the Institute for Intelligent Materials, Systems and Environments at Clemson University, and Lee Fithian, Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Oklahoma
Participatory Design and Community Engagement | Chaired by Justin Ferguson, Assistant Dean at Ball State University’s College of Architecture and Planning, and Shane Hampton, Director of the OU Institute for Quality Communities
Decolonizing Architectural Pedagogies | Chaired by Harriet Harriss, Dean of Architecture at Pratt Institute, and John Harris, Director of the OU Center for Peace and Development
Engaging Design-Build Pedagogy | Chaired by Christian Dagg, Head of the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture at Auburn University, and Hans E. Butzer, Dean of the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture
“Schools of Thought” invites proposals for 5-minute lightning talks highlighting innovations in and critical questions about contemporary design pedagogy. Lightning talk submissions should include a 200-word abstract and 100-word scholar bio.
Just starting to flesh out an idea? Have something important to share, but not enough time to prepare a full conference presentation? Want to get a new conversation started about design pedagogy? Looking for feedback on an emerging project? Consider submitting a proposal for a 5-minute Lightning Talk.
The University of Oklahoma invites architects, scholars, and designers to reconsider how and what we teach our students, this time for the 21st century. Poster submissions should include a 200-word abstract, 100-word author bio and a PDF draft of the 24” x 36” poster.
Poster submissions may highlight innovations in design pedagogy regarding a wide range of questions. For example, poster submissions may ask about the critical practices, daily rituals and habits an aspiring designer must learn in order to master the art of designing buildings. What role should the new technologies of design and fabrication play in shaping architectural curricula? Moreover, what is the ideal relationship between teacher and student—master and disciple, mentor and mentee? What do we need to do better to foster a more inclusive and diverse culture in design schools? And what role should history play in the design studio?
The “Schools of Thought” conference is made possible with support from the Bruce Goff Chair of Creative Architecture.
The Gibbs Design in Action Awards (GDAA) program, led by Dr. Wanda Liebermann, has announced its 2026–2027 funded student projects. The initiative supports design and research work that addresses social, cultural, and economic issues in the built environment through collaboration with faculty and community partners.
The OU Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) 2024 collaboration with the Historic Threatt Filling Station has been recognized in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's newly released Byways Report: The Scenic Route to Rural Prosperity – a story-driven publication exploring how road trip culture and place-based tourism can fuel economic growth in rural communities.
The Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Camille Germany, Chief of Staff, has been named the 2026 recipient of the university-wide Jennifer L. Wise Good Stewardship Award.
