René Peralta, a lecturer in Architecture at OU and alumnus of the Master of Science in Planning, Design and Construction program (Dec. 2022 graduate), was recently awarded the 2022-2023 Architectural Research Centers Consortium’s (ARCC) King Medal.
One student from every ARCC member college is awarded this medal each year to recognize their innovation, integrity and dedication to architectural and environmental design research. Peralta was recognized for his master’s thesis, “Design and Construction Technology in Mexican Social Housing at the End of the 20th Century.”
In his thesis, Peralta examines the Mexican government’s attempts to provide housing for working class citizens. Specifically, he explores the role of construction systems and their sociocultural impact on the region’s urban development. According to Peralta, Mexico’s 20th century housing policies produced thousands of housing units that materialized into low-income neighborhoods during the global economic crisis of the period.
Peralta served as the inaugural OU Herb Greene Teaching Fellow from 2019-2021.
Congratulations to Rene Peralta for receiving this well-deserved recognition!
Robert L. Wesley, a pioneering architect and beloved mentor, has died at age 88. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Wesley joined Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in 1964 and became the firm's first Black partner in 1984. Throughout his career, he contributed to significant architectural projects while maintaining a strong commitment to civic engagement and professional mentorship.
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to celebrate a series of recent accomplishments by Dr. Jim Collard, Professor of Practice in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design, whose work continues to shape conversations around Indigenous economic development nationally and internationally.
University of Oklahoma Gibbs College of Architecture Dean Hans E. [PA1.1]Butzer returned to one of his most significant works on December 15, joining survivors and past and present board members for the groundbreaking of a $15.8 million expansion of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.
