The Environmental Design (EnD) program at Gibbs College of Architecture (GCA) provides students with many opportunities to network with EnD professionals and community leaders through various field trips and conferences. Recently, students in Intro to Urban Development, Intro to Landscape Architecture, and Historic Preservation Planning had the chance to visit three sites in Oklahoma City to learn more about various aspects of environmental design work.
The first stop was Monarch Property Group, where students met with owners Erica Emery and Monique Short. Emery and Short educated students on the work they do to develop residential areas in OKC while showing them residential properties.
Next, students went to recently-opened Scissortail Park, which GCA students and Dean Hans Butzer helped shape through their Core to Shore proposal more than a decade ago. Brent Wall, studio director of LAUD Studio, gave students a tour of the park, allowing them to see how years of planning and saving paid off for the city.
Students learning about the State Capitol’s preservation efforts.
Last, the group attended the Oklahoma State Capitol, where Trait Thompson, Project Manager of the State Capitol Restoration Project, shared recent preservation efforts implemented by his team.
Though it was a cold and rainy, students were able to gain knowledge in multiple hands-on environments, making it a successful day for the EnD program.
You can learn more about the EnD program at our website.
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.
