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November 21, 2025

Interior Design Student Reimagines the Workplace, Wins IIDA Texas-Oklahoma Design Excellence Award

Senior Interior Design student, Jada Higgins, has achieved a remarkable milestone by winning the IIDA Excellence Award at the Texas-Oklahoma Chapter’s annual awards ceremony held on Friday, November 7th in Austin, Texas.


August 08, 2025

University of Oklahoma Construction Science Sets the Standard in Student Competitions

OU Construction Science students from the Haskell & Irene Lemon Division Construction Science have a long tradition of excelling in regional, national, and international competitions. From design-build to commercial and heavy civil projects, they have consistently earned top honors while gaining hands-on experience that mirrors the pace and teamwork of the construction industry.


May 05, 2025

Eco-Sooner Team Wins Top Honors at Global Sustainability Competition

A team of graduate students from the University of Oklahoma Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture claimed a significant victory April 27, earning top honors in the Multi-Family Housing Division of the international BuildingNEXT competition, held at the U.S. Department of Energy’s laboratory in Golden, Colorado.


March 17, 2025

OU Construction Science Student Teams Win Big at Competitions in Dallas-Fort Worth

Gibbs Construction Science and Architecture students recently represented The University of Oklahoma at the Associated Schools of Construction Region 5/TEXO student competition in Dallas-Fort Worth, and secured first place in the Design-Build, International Design-Build, and Open Commercial categories.


November 20, 2024

OU Construction Science Student Team Wins First Place at International Competition in Dublin, Ireland

Gibbs Construction Science students recently represented The University of Oklahoma at the Associated Schools of Construction Region 8 Student Competition in Dublin, Ireland, and secured first place in the Construction Management and Quantity Surveying category.


November 13, 2024

OU Chapter of NOMAS Student Group Invited to the White House

Last month, Gibbs architecture students represented OU’s chapter of NOMAS (National Organization of Minority Architect Students) at the 2024 National Organization of Minority Architects Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. While attending the conference, OU’s NOMAS group was invited to the White House, an opportunity provided by their parent organization, the National NOMA Organization. OU was one of the few universities nationwide whose students had the chance to visit the White House.


November 06, 2024

OU Architecture Faculty Places in International Tree House 2024 Design Competition

Unearthed Practice, a design studio founded by Robert L. Wesley Teaching Fellow Christopher Loofs and designer Jordan Loofs, has won 2nd place in the prestigious Tree House 2024 Design Competition organized by Volume Zero. Their project, “Forest Spirit,” was selected for its innovative approach to designing a tree house that meets the competition’s requirements of a compact 300-square-foot structure with multifunctional spaces for living, working, and relaxation.


March 13, 2024

Gibbs Ph.D. Student Wins Second Place in Graduate College Poster Competition

Salma Akter Surma, a Ph.D. student in Gibbs College’s Planning, Design and Construction program, recently won second place in the Graduate & Postdoc Research and Scholarly Activity Day Poster Competition. Each year, the OU Graduate College sponsors this event to offer graduate students and postdocs from all disciplines the opportunity to exhibit their research.


March 13, 2024

Gibbs Graduate Students Win Second Place at TEXO Design Build Competition

An interdisciplinary team of Gibbs graduate students recently competed in the TEXO Foundation Region 5 Student Competition in Hurst, Texas. The team of six competed in the Design-Build division in the Graduate category and won second place with their design proposal.


February 29, 2024

OU Eco-Sooners Team Selected as 2024 Solar Decathlon Finalists

An interdisciplinary team of OU students from the Gibbs College of Architecture, Gallogly College of Engineering and Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication was recently selected as a finalist for the 2024 Solar Decathlon Competition. The team is competing in this year’s Design Challenge in the Single-Family Housing Category.


December 06, 2023

Architecture and Interior Design Faculty Win Warming Huts International Design Competition

Christopher Loofs and Jordan Loofs, faculty in the divisions of Architecture and Interior Design, were recently selected as winners of Warming Huts v.2024: An Arts + Architecture Competition on Ice, hosted by The Forks. Supported by the Manitoba Association of Architects, this annual competition combines world-class design and art with the famous winters of Winnipeg, Manitoba.


December 04, 2023

Architecture Students Present at 2023 NOMA Conference

In October, a group of Architecture students represented OU at the 2023 National Organization of Minority Architects Conference in Portland, Oregon. The annual NOMA conference brings together NOMA members, allies and students to engage in thought-provoking seminar sessions, connect with industry experts and celebrate member achievements.


May 30, 2023

Gibbs College Dean Hans Butzer’s Firm Shortlisted for Global War on Terrorism Memorial

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.


April 27, 2023

OU Eco-Sooners Team Wins Award in 2023 Solar Decathlon

The OU Eco-Sooners received an award at the final competition of the 2023 Solar Decathlon Design Challenge. The team of Gibbs students won the Best Name of the Year award for their well-selected team name. According to the judges, the name strongly reflected the team’s design ideas and innovative strategies.


March 06, 2023

OU Eco-Sooners Team Selected as 2023 Solar Decathlon Finalists

A team of Gibbs students was recently selected as a finalist for the 2023 Solar Decathlon Design Challenge. The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon is a collegiate competition that has inspired thousands of students worldwide to enter the clean energy workforce since its inception in 2002. This competition challenges student teams to create innovative building designs that address real-world issues, including climate change, environmental justice, and affordability.


February 27, 2023

Gibbs Students Win 1st Place at Design-Build Competition

An integrated Design-Build team of OU students from Construction Science, Architecture, and Interior Design won 1st place at the TEXO Foundation | Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Region 5 student competition.


December 02, 2022

Gibbs Students Travel to Czech Republic for Design-Build Competition

A team of Gibbs students recently traveled to Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic, for the 2022 Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Region-8 Student Competition. The group was paired with three other students from Birmingham City University in the United Kingdom for the international event.


November 08, 2022

Gibbs Students Attend National Organization of Minority Architects Conference

Recently, a group of Gibbs College students from OU’s chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) attended the 2022 NOMA Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. The group was led by Felipe Flores, a Gibbs College PhD student and supervisor of OU’s NOMA chapter.


September 26, 2022

Arch. Student Shortlisted in Modular Homes Design Competition

Architecture students Hiroki Mishima and Quentin Puiseux recently produced a project, “Ranger Cabins” that designed modular housing for park rangers in national parks around the world. Their project was shortlisted in the 2nd Annual International Architecture Competition for Modular Homes. The competition, hosted by Buildner Architecture Competitions, asked participants to submit innovative design proposals for a modular home that can be constructed in any form in any location.