Lahari Peluri, an international student from India working on her master’s degree in Urban Design at OU-Tulsa, is currently interning at LandPlan Consultants. During her internship, she recently had the opportunity to participate in a parklet competition. We are proud to announce that she won first place!
The competition, hosted by Tulsa Young Professionals (“TYPROS”), was entitled “STREET CRED : PROJECT PARKLET.” The challenge was to transform parking spots into more vibrant spaces that support social distancing.
Peluri had the opportunity to work on this competition project, representing her internship firm, LandPlan Consultants, and partnering with This Machine Tulsa. Peluri’s winning “Work Bike Value” concept for the competition included an active outdoor workspace for downtown Tulsa, featuring socially distanced and stationary bicycle-desks.
Peluri said, “It’s different how architecture is turning out to be during the pandemic. All of us are doing work from home with no exercise and no movement.” She continued, “Tulsa is working towards this project to make it into reality with help of Downtown Tulsa and Tulsa Planning.”
Hopefully Tulsa can enjoy the “work+workout” parklet soon! Congratulations, Lahari!
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.
