On September 11, urban design studio students attended Harrah Days in the city of Harrah, Oklahoma. Harrah Days is an annual celebration of Harrah, Oklahoma, hosted by the Harrah Chamber of Commerce, held in Heritage Park. It includes a parade, food vendors, live music, and more.
The Urban Design team, led by Shawn Schaefer, along with Architecture faculty Dave Boeck and graduate assistant Mas Monjezi, is working with the City of Harrah, the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments, and the Institute for Quality Communities on a plan for Downtown Harrah, including an urban design vision for a walkable district, “Sweeney Switch.” Read more about the project.
The Urban Design Studio students attended Harrah Days in order to introduce themselves to the community as well as make the community aware of their project. To do this, students handed out fliers along the parade route that directed community members to their project website. The students also invited people to the booth they hosted. There, students collected data from residents to learn what they were proud of in Harrah and what they believed needed improvement. They also asked what community members wanted to see in the downtown development project. Students recorded this information on the display boards pictured above.
Featured Image: Urban Design Studio students (Left to Right) Roshita Taylor, Jeremy Banes, and Courtney Graham staff their booth at the 2021 Harrah Days celebration.
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.
