Two Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture alumni are helping shape recommendations that could influence affordable housing design and construction across Oklahoma.
Matthew Peacock, an architect, and Sam Day, an alternate architect/home designer/engineer, served on the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission’s Affordable Housing Consolidated Dwellings Technical Code Review Committee. The committee was tasked with reviewing proposed changes to the state’s building codes with a focus on options for affordable housing and consolidated dwellings.
The committee’s work is particularly relevant as communities across Oklahoma face challenges related to housing affordability and availability. During its review, members considered proposals aimed at making multifamily housing more affordable and feasible to build while maintaining appropriate safety standards. Recommendations included changes that could reduce construction costs for smaller multifamily developments and provide more flexibility in the design of certain apartment buildings.
Throughout the process, committee members considered how building codes affect the cost and availability of housing, while also weighing fire safety, accessibility, insurance and emergency response. The committee also reviewed research on the higher cost of multifamily construction and how building requirements can affect housing affordability.
For Peacock and Day, the work represents an opportunity to apply their architectural and technical expertise to an issue affecting communities throughout the state while continuing a tradition of OU graduates contributing their knowledge and experience to Oklahoma’s built environment.
The Affordable Housing Consolidated Dwellings Technical Code Review Committee presented its recommendations Aug. 18 as part of the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission’s review of proposed modifications to the 2024 building codes.
Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to announce the promotion of Ph.D. student Rafael Hernandez to lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Gibbs College of Architecture Assistant Professor Dr. Ladan Mozaffarian, in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture and Design, has co-authored a new book chapter with Josh Newton and Andrew Born, published in De Gruyter Handbook of the Geographies of Race.
Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design (PLAD) alumni Trey Ingram, AICP recently spoke with current PLAD student and graduate media assistant Molly Strobel to share his experiences with the Regional and City Planning program and current work with the Toyota Mobility Foundation.
