Vanessa Morrison, interim director of the Institute for Quality Communities and faculty member at Gibbs College, and Deborah Richards, assistant professor of architecture, were recently featured in the design magazine “Metropolis“. In addition to their roles at Gibbs College, Morrison and Richards are co-founders of Open Design Collective, a nonprofit design firm based in Oklahoma City that works to empower Black communities through architecture, urban planning, and cultural preservation.
The Metropolis article highlights their community-led approach to design, with an emphasis on reparative justice. Open Design Collective addresses historical inequities by working directly with residents to create spaces that reflect the cultural and social needs of marginalized communities. One notable project includes a $500,000 EPA grant to develop a green space and environmental monitoring system in northeast Oklahoma City, promoting environmental justice and community cohesion.
Open Design Collective emphasizes a collaborative, co-design process, ensuring community members play a key role in shaping their neighborhoods. By integrating architecture and urban planning with social justice principles, Morrison and Richards are working to reshape traditional design models and place community voices at the forefront.
Metropolis, an internationally recognized magazine in design and architecture, featured this work as part of its series on innovative design practices. The article shines a spotlight on the importance of community-focused design in addressing social and spatial inequities.
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.
