Negar Matin, an assistant professor of Interior Design, was recently awarded funding as a part of the Gibb’s College of Architecture’s Program for Research Enhancement. Each year, this merit-based program grants funds to Gibb’s faculty members in order to increase their research and creative activities.
Dr. Matin received the grant to pursue her project A Human-Centric Responsive Façade, which will explore the effects of color variations in façades on human circadian rhythms. A responsive façade is a type of exterior wall that can change in response to the surrounding environment in order to improve its performance. They are the main source of daylight penetration, and they impact the intensity, color, and distribution of interior light.
Recent findings have confirmed the necessity of evaluating the circadian light performance of responsive façades, because they could be the main contributor to occupants’ comfort. Dr. Matin’s proposed façades will be tested with hourly adaptation and motion scenarios that address the effects of color temperature, light intensity, uniformity, and glare on human circadian rhythm.
Dr. Matin aims to use her study’s findings to design and develop a new type of responsive façades that will address all aspects of building occupants’ needs.
Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to recognize Petya Stefanoff, who is pursuing her doctorate in the Planning, Design & Construction (PDC) program, has been appointed the new role of Director of Community Development for the City of Shawnee, Oklahoma. She joined the city in 2024.
Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., associate professor in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture and Design and director of the Institute for Quality Communities, has received national recognition for her book Model Schools in the Model City. The book has been named a finalist for the 2026 the PROSE Awards.
Gibbs College of Architecture Regional + City Planning Professor of Practice Vanessa Morrison and Associate Professor of Architecture Deborah Richards’ Open Design Collective received top honors at the inaugural BlackSpace Urbanist Collective Studio KIN Pitch Night Competition, held last month in Brooklyn, New York City.
