During Spring 2019, six graduate students in Dr. Khosrow Bozorgi’s Architectural Design IV course designed and proposed six concepts for the Persian Cultural Center in Oklahoma City.
The course encourages innovative exploration, analysis, and experimentation in developing concept/schematic proposals.
“Their designs are inspired by the essence of Persian architecture,” said Bozorgi.
The students spent over four months designing both the exterior and interior of the building. One design aspect they had to focus on was the influence of classic Persian geometry.
“We are creating a modern contemporary building that escalates the old historical geometry,” said Nour Beshir, a student in the accelerated 2-year Master of Architecture program.
“The most challenging part of the project was bringing together the geometric space frame with the functionality of the building,” said Sean Harrell, another student in the accelerated program.
In addition to the design of the building, the students utilized Persian influence with the gardens and landscaping portion of the project.
Check out the video below to see all of the student designs!
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.
