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.
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.
