OU Architecture faculty Dr. Stephanie Pilat and Dr. Angela Person, along with Dr. Carmina Sanchez-del-Valle of Hampton University, recently published a special edition of the architectural research journal Enquiry. The special issue, themed “Inclusive Design Pedagogies and Practices,” brings together recent scholarship that examines ways to break from traditional architecture studio teaching practices by providing inclusive pedagogies and learning modes.
In their introduction to the issue, Pilat, Person, and Sanchez-del-Valle argue that a critical rethinking of all facets of design teaching is necessary if the profession of architecture is to ever become truly equitable, diverse, and inclusive. As the abstract describes, “While architectural and design curricula have evolved in the intervening decades, the culture of the design schools, teaching methods, and role models remain far too similar to the one […] decades ago.” The special issue then features articles that present and examine evidence-based teaching and learning strategies for creating more inclusive design pedagogies and practices.
The issue includes the following articles:
The University of Oklahoma College of Architecture is proud to announce that Model Schools in the Model City, authored by Director of the Institute for Quality Communities, Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., has been named one of ten finalists for the 2026 ASALH Book Prize for Best New Book in African American History and Culture.
This semester, students in the LA 5535 Studio: Ecological Planning and Design, led by Prof. Afsana Sharmin, took on an ambitious hypothetical project to redesign key parts of the OU campus. Their mission: to tackle the critical real-world challenge of stormwater management through innovative green design.
Petya Stefanoff, Chair of the Educational Committee with the American Planning Association, Oklahoma Chapter (APA-OK) and Gibbs College PhD candidate, has developed a new training program for local government officials. The program, focused on land use, zoning principles, and land development, recently certified its first graduates with Certified Citizen Planner status.
