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Earlier this academic year, OU first-year Interior Design studio students showcased their understanding of design principles through an innovative mid-term project: creating a mobile. This assignment allowed students to explore and demonstrate their mastery of fundamental design principles in a dynamic and engaging way.
The project, part of the fall 2024 midterm for the first-year Interior Design studio class, was led by Associate Professor Chelsea Holcomb and Lecturers Jennifer Shirley and Julie Hornbeek. Students were tasked with designing and constructing a mobile—a type of kinetic sculpture composed of suspended, weighted objects or rods that move in response to air currents or motor power. The two-week assignment culminated in presentations to Gibbs faculty.
Students present their mobile projects.
The mobile was chosen as a medium because it inherently embodies key principles of design, such as balance, harmony, and, most importantly, movement. To emphasize this, students were required to submit a video of their mobiles in motion, demonstrating how their designs interacted with the surrounding environment.
Mobiles by first-year Interior Design students.
During their presentations, students delivered concise “elevator pitches” lasting 30 seconds to a minute, explaining their design concepts and the rationale behind their choices. They also fielded questions from instructors about how their work reflected the design principles studied throughout the semester.
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.
Gibbs Construction Science and Architecture students recently traveled to Dublin, Ireland, to compete in the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Region 8 Student Competition. The team partnered with Czech Technical University and secured third place in the Design-Build category.
Gibbs College is pleased to present the exhibition Vollendorf in Oklahoma: The Architecture of Dean Bryant Vollendorf during the Spring 2026 semester. It will be on display in Gould Hall, on the OU-Norman Campus, from February 16, 2026 - March 13, 2026.
