Tiziana Proietti, assistant professor of Interior Design and Architecture and director of the interdisciplinary laboratory Sense|Base, recently presented her research at the 2023 Interior Design Educators Council Southwest Regional Conference. She was recognized with the Best Presentation award for her project, Vision Training for Designers.
Proietti presented her research regarding new pedagogical methods that aim to develop the sensorial abilities of young designers. According to Proietti, many architectural education programs focus on aesthetics and the use of certain shapes and proportions universally considered to be beautiful. However, this method of design ignores the larger issue regarding how certain qualities of objects are perceived and affect the overall experience of the built environment.
In her presentation, Proietti emphasized the importance of human perception in design education. She encouraged the use of innovative pedagogical formats, such as the Theory of Pure Design by Arthur Wesley Dow and Denman Walso Ross. This approach focuses on physio-psychology and relies on empirical studies to determine the visual appeal of various design forms.
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.