Butzer Architects and Urbanism, a firm led by Hans E. Butzer, professor of architecture and dean of Gibbs College, and his partner Torrey Butzer, has been selected for the shortlist of prominent designers to be considered for the Global War on Terrorism Memorial in Washington, D.C.
BAU is one of the final five candidates to be considered for the project, selected from an international pool of 177 firms. Previously, BAU partnered with Oklahoma-based artist Harvey Pratt, a member of the Cheyenne Nation and Vietnam War veteran, on the National Native American Veterans Memorial, also in Washington, D.C.
The Global War on Terrorism Memorial is led by the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation, which was started in 2015 to aid in the creation of this memorial. This site will act as a place for veterans, families and citizens across the United States to gather, reflect and learn about the war on terrorism. It will encompass U.S. actions that have occurred following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, to honor, heal, empower and unite the larger community.
The site for the Global War on Terrorism Memorial.
The total site will take up a full acre within the National Parks Service jurisdiction, near the Lincoln Memorial. The official design firm for the project will be selected by a well-rounded advisory board, chaired by a variety of accomplished designers and educators. Alongside BAU, the five candidates include Marlon Blackwell Architects, James Corner Field Operations, Kengo Kuma and Associates, and Rogers Partners Architects + Urban Designers. The final firm will be selected by the end of the summer.
See the full list of candidates and learn more about the Global War on Terrorism Memorial.
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.
