A team of University of Oklahoma students were recently named finalists during the National Organization of Minority Architects’ (NOMA) annual student competition, held in Brooklyn, New York, during the NOMA meeting held October 16-20, 2019.
The University of Oklahoma was represented during the competition by students Alecia Buffington, Magdalena Schaffernicht, Anthony Andrade and John Grunewald. Tanaka Kawondera and Shichen Cao also supported the presentation; their faculty adviser is associate professor of architecture David Boeck.
The competition narrative asked students to work on a block of vacant houses in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn to propose a mixed-income residential development that includes commercial, retail and community spaces. To address the city’s depleting housing stock, the students were asked to maximize the number of residential units and provide multiple housing typologies.
“This was one of my first NOMA conferences, and it was reassuring to me as I met other students and professionals that our common goals were the same,” said Gibbs College architecture student Anthony Andrade.
This year’s NOMA student design competition included around 40 submissions from all over the United States. We are so incredibly proud of our students for advancing to the final round. Read on to see their entry and presentation.
To learn more or get involved with the OU NOMA student organization, contact faculty adviser David Boeck (dlb@ou.edu).
During the Spring 2026 semester, students in Interior Design Studio IV and Graduate Studio IV gained hands-on experience in educational facility design through a semester-long partnership with MA+ Architecture.
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture congratulates Dr. Tammy McCuen, Robert E. Busch Professor of Construction Science, on beginning her term as president of the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC), an international organization dedicated to advancing construction education through teaching, research and service.
Following years of contributions to the College’s research and strategic initiatives, Gibbs College shares that Associate Dean for Research and External Engagement Angela M. Person, PhD, will step down from her position at Gibbs College as she moves to Tucson with her family, effective June 30, 2026.
