Three Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture students spent part of their summer building a playhouse to be sold at the Dallas CASA Parade of Playhouses competition.
The competition raises funds for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving abused and neglected children in the area.
“The reason I enrolled in the CASA playhouse course is because it is for a good cause,” said Skye Reid, one of the students in the class. “Also, this was the perfect opportunity for something I really believe is helping me learn in a more hands on environment.”
In just a few weeks, the students designed and built the playhouse, entitled “The Tower of Shadows,” to capture a childlike perspective and sense of wonder. The playhouse uses stacking layers cut to create unique interior spaces.
“This course is a good experience for students who want to gain a better understanding of how things are built in real life,” said Reid.
“Most of our time in the studio is designing in a 3D program, but this class gives you the opportunity to work with different materials and connections to make something come into life at full scale.”
The project is offered as a course at the end of the spring semester, and was taught by Francesco Cianfarani and Garrett Stowe this year. The course name is ARCH 4970: CASA Playhouse Parade 2019 Design and Build Course.
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.
