RESEARCH
We imagine a future in which all communities are resilient and empowered to maximize their social, economic and environmental well-being. Our research in the areas of social and environmental equity; community health and housing; resilient planning, design and construction; and data and digital design supports this vision for the future and prepares our students to make life-long contributions in their fields.
We care deeply about constantly re-imagining great cities that support social and environmental equity. To accomplish this, our faculty explore important issues like rural food systems, racial disparities in homeownership, neighborhood revitalization, Main Street revitalization, historic preservation and providing children access to natural environments in urban areas.
Paulina
Baeza
Urban Design
Hans
Butzer
Architecture
John
Harris
Regional + City Planning
C. 
Aujean
Lee
Regional + City Planning
Sarah
Little
Landscape Architecture
Hope
Mander
Environmental Design
Joseph
Pierce
Regional + City Planning
Matthew
Reyes
Construction Science
Deborah
Richards
Architecture
Charles
Warnken
Regional + City Planning
Meghan
Wieters
Regional + City Planning
By exploring intersections between the built environment and community health and housing, we make a difference. Recent projects have looked at how residents understand hope in their communities, building beautiful, accessible housing for low-income residents, and integrating neuroscience into design.
Suchismita
Bhattacharjee
Interior Design
Ben
Bigelow
Construction Science
Bryan
Bloom
Construction Science
Dave
Boeck
Architecture
Marjorie
Callahan
Architecture
Francesco
Cianfarani
Architecture
Natalie
Ellis
Interior Design
Ron
Frantz
Environmental Design
Luca
Guido
Architecture
Shane
Hampton
Environmental Design
Mia
Kile
Interior Design
Bryce
Lowery
Regional + City Planning
Angela
Person
Architecture
Stephanie
Pilat
Architecture
Shawn
Schaefer
Urban Design
Thomas
Woodfin
Landscape Architecture
Working at the leading edges of our disciplines, we are helping secure a resilient future for our built environments and communities. Whether engineering timber construction that withstands severe weather, designing new clips for solar panels, or responsive, sustainable facades, our faculty are dedicated to seeking solutions.
Bret
Betnar
Landscape Architecture
Daniel
Butko
Architecture
Khosrow
Bozorgi
Architecture
Sam
Callahan
Architecture
Anthony
Cricchio
Architecture/Interior Design
Lee
Fithian
Architecture
Somik
Ghosh
Construction Science
Michael
Hoffner
Architecture
Leehu
Loon
Landscape Architecture
Anthony
Perrenoud
Construction Science
Shideh
Shadravan
Architecture
We put data analytics and digital design practices to work, allowing for more efficient construction processes, more sustainable buildings, and designs that are responsive to users’ needs. Our faculty use computational design to produce solutions to complex problems, model acoustical environments, and explore and refine designs using virtual reality programs.
Ken
Marold
Architecture
Andres
Cavieres
Architecture
Tamera
McCuen
Construction Science
Elizabeth
Pober
Interior Design
Tiziana
Proietti
Architecture
Deborah
Richards
Architecture
Prairie House. Herb Greene.
Photo: Julius Shulman
The American School
The American School Project strives to document and share the development and impacts of the school of design and practice that developed at the University of Oklahoma in the 1950s and ’60s.
Center for Middle Eastern
Architecture and Culture
CMEAC seeks to advance knowledge of the Middle Eastern built environment and culture for its intellectual and academic values.
Center for
Peace and Development
The CPD builds upon a legacy of collaborative partnerships between OU faulty and students and communities affected by conflict in northern Uganda.
Institute for Quality Communities
The IQC is a forum for researchers, students and local leaders to collaborate in an effort to enhance Oklahoma communities through projects centered on placemaking and tactical urbanism.
The Creating_Making Forum
Since 2010, the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture has hosted two scholarly conferences on the theme of Creating_Making. Scholars from all over the U.S. and abroad gathered to address interdisciplinary, contemporary and historical issues of creating and making. The next Creating_Making Forum will take place in Spring 2020, and will explore creating_making pedagogies in conjunction with the 2020 American School exhibition at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. To request more information about the Creating_Making Forum, contact Angela Person (a@ou.edu).
2010 Creating_Making Forum
The 2010 Creating/Making Forum was held in conjunction with the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art’s “Bruce Goff: A Creative Mind” exhibition and featured peer-reviewed paper sessions titled: Design Education and Tacit Knowledge; Digital Creating and Making; Community Engagement; The Found Object; Innovation, Interdisciplinarity and the Environment; Interpreting Architecture; and History Reframed, as well as a juried poster session. Keynote speakers at the 2010 Forum were Sheila Kennedy, Craig Borum, and Marlon Blackwell. To view the conference proceedings, click here (PDF).
2014 Creating_Making Forum
The 2014 Creating/Making Forum featured peer-reviewed paper sessions titled: Do the Tools Matter; Lessons From Home; Fabricating Political Capital; Working Within Others’ Walls; Defining the Dash; Mid-Century Modern and the Landscape; Sourcing Creativity; and Towards a New Studio Environment, as well as a juried poster session. Keynote speakers at the 2010 Forum were Hans Butzer, Robert Fishman, Andrew Freear, E.B. Min, and Kirsten Murray, and Min and Murray led a student workshop as part of the 2014 Forum. To view the full conference proceedings, click here (PDF).
Recent Publications
2019
Harris, J.C., & Little, S. (2019). “Mapping Hope: How Do Vulnerable Youth Locate Hope in Informal Settlements?”. Urban Forum. Abstract
2018
Allen, D., Lawhon, M., & Pierce, J. (2018). Placing Race: On the Resonance of Place with Black Geographies. Progress in Human Geography, 20(10), 1 – 19. Abstract
Cox, A., Loebach, J., & Little, S. (2018). Understanding the Nature Play Milieu: Using Behavior Mapping to Investigate Children’s Activities in Outdoor Play Spaces. Children, Youth and Environments, 28(2), 232-261. Abstract
Greenlee, A., Jackson, A., Garcia, I., Lee, C. A., Chrisinger, B. (2018). “Where are we going? Where have we been?: The Climate for Diversity within Urban Planning Educational Programs.” Journal of Planning Education and Research. doi: 10.1177/0739456X18815740.
Jackson, A., Garcia, I., Greenlee, A. J., Lee, C. A., Chrisinger, B. (2018). “All Talk No Walk: Student Perceptions on Integration of Diversity and Practice in Planning Programs.” Planning Practice and Research. doi: 10.1080/02697459.2018.1548207
Lee, C. A. (2018). “Heterogeneity in Income: Effects of Racial Concentration on Foreclosures in Los Angeles.” Housing Policy Debate. Abstract
Lee, C. A. & Ong, P. (2018). “Extending the Kim Methodology: Using the Prominent Ethnic Surname Methodology to Examine Asian American Ethnic Groups.” Asian American Policy Review, 28, 17-32.
Little, S. E., Derr, V. (In press). “The influence of nature on a child’s development: Connecting the outcomes of human attachment and place attachment.” Springer International Handbooks of Education. Research Handbook on ChildhoodNature: Assemblages of Childhood and Nature Research. Abstract
Little, S. E., Loebach, J., Cox, A., Eubanks Owens, P. (In press). Routledge Handbook for Designing Public Places for Young People: Design Practices, Processes and Policies for Youth Inclusion Routledge.
Lawhon, M., Pierce, J., Bouwer, R. (2018). “Scale and the construction of environmental imaginaries in local news.” South African Geographical Journal 100(1) 1-21. Abstract
Lawhon, M., Pierce, J., Makina, A. (2018). “Provincializing urban appropriation: agonistic transgression as a mode of actually existing appropriation in South African cities.” Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography 39(1) 117-131. Abstract
Pierce, J., Lawhon, M. (2018). “The right to move: informal use rights and urban practices of mobility.” Urban Geography, 39(5) 667-686. Abstract
Ramseyer, C., Floyd, R., Holliday, L. M. (In press). “Performance of Enhanced Residential Building Code Requirements During the March 25, 2015 Moore Tornado.” ASCE Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities. Abstract
Salary, S., Holliday, L., Keesee, M., & Wachter, H. P. (2018). “Building Features in Schools That Influence Academic Performance.” Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture 12 (2018) 163-197. Abstract/Full article (PDF)
Wu, W., Mayo, G., McCuen, T. L., Issa, R. R., Smith, D. (In press). “Building Information Modeling Body of Knowledge Part I: Background, Framework & Initial Development.” Journal of Construction Engineering and Management. Abstract
Zhou, L., Wu, Y., Woodfin, T., Zhu, R. and Chen, T. (2018). An Approach to Evaluate Comprehensive Plan and Identify Priority Lands for Future Land Use Development to Conserve More Ecological Values. Sustainability. Abstract
2017 Barrett, C. J. (2017). “Founder’s Concepts of Space in the First Bastides.” Abel, M., ed. Medieval Urban Planning: The Monastery and Beyond. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Bhattacharjee, S., Langar, S., Everett., B. (2017). “Assessing the Resilience of LEED Certified Facilities in Oklahoma.” Volz, J., ed. AEI 2017: Resilience of the Integrated Building, 1007-1018. Bigelow, B. F., Zarate, V., Soto, J., Arenas, J., Perrenoud, A. J. (2017). “Attracting and Retaining Tradesmen, an Evaluation of Influencers on Construction workers in Two Different Trades in Texas.” International Journal of Construction Education and Research. Abstract Bigelow, B. F., Saseendran, A., Elliott, J. (2017). “Attracting Students to Construction Education Programs; An Exploration of Perceptions By Gender.” International Journal of Construction Education and Research. Abstract Burgett, J. M., Perrenoud, A. J., Smith, J. P. (2017). “Identification and Prioritization of Critical Subject Matter within Mechanical Systems Curriculum in Construction Management Education.” International Journal of Construction Education and Research. Abstract Cavieres, A., Al-Haddad, T., Goodman, J., & Valdes, F. (2017). U.S. Patent No. 9571031. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. “Mounting Clips for (Solar) Panel Installation.” Coffman, R., Fithian, L., Akins, E. (2017). “Deploying shipping containers for innovative living architecture design education.” Living Architecture Monitor, Vol. 4, No. 2, 16. Abstract/Full Article (PDF) Davine, T., Lawhon, M., Pierce, J. (2017). “Place-making at a national scale: framing tar sands extraction as ‘Canadian’ in The Globe and Mail.” The Canadian Geographer/Le Géographe Canadien 61(3) 428-439. Abstract Elliott, J. W., Thevinin, M., Bigelow, B. F. (2017). “Promoting CM Student Success: Establishing an Academic Performance Benchmark Given Construction –Education Self Efficacy, Motivation and Planned Behavior.” International Journal of Construction Education and Research. Abstract Fithian, L. A., Wang, N., Siddique, Z. “Investing in Sustainable Buildings to Enhance Community Resilience.” Vols, J., ed. AEI 2017: Resilience of the Integrated Building, 1034-1043. Ghosh, S., Dieckerson, D. E., Mills, T. (2017). “Effect of the Last Planner System® on Social Interactions among Project Participants.” International Journal of Construction Education and Research. Abstract Ghosh, S. (2017). “Using Percent Complete Metric to Highlight the Root Causes of Delays in Home Building Industry.” The Professional Constructor. Article (PDF) Harris, J. C. (2017). “Vulnerable youth’s perspectives and priorities for informal settlements: Photovoice evidence from Lusaka, Zambia.” Journal of Planning Education and Research. Abstract Lee, C. A. (2017). “’Between the Haves and Have-Nots’: Using an Interdisciplinary Approach to Inform Federal Data Collection Efforts of Indigenous Populations.” The International Indigenous Policy Journal, 8(2). Lee, C. A., Karna Wong, and Deirdre Pfeiffer. (2017). “On the Front Lines of Immigrant Homeownership: Asian American Nonprofits during the Great Recession.” Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly. doi: 10.1177/0899764017713726. Lines, B. C., Perrenoud, A. J., Sullivan, K. T., Kashiwagi, D. T. (2017). “Implementing Project Delivery Process Improvements: Identification of Resistance Types and Frequencies.” Journal of Management in Engineering, Vol. 33, No. 1. Abstract Perrenoud, A. J., Lines, B. C., Savicky, J., Sullivan, K. T. (2017). “Using Best-Value Procurement to Measure the Impact of Initial Risk-Management Capability on Qualitative Construction Performance.” ASCE Journal of Management in Engineering, Vol. 33, No. 5. Abstract Pierce, J., Martin, D.G. (2017). “The law is not enough: seeking the theoretical frontier of urban justice via legal tools.” Urban Studies 54(2) 456-465. Abstract Pierce, J., Widen, H. (2017). “Visceral pedagogy: teaching challenging topics emotionally as well as cognitively.” Journal of Geography 116(2) 47-56. Abstract Pilat, S. (2017). “Slow Architecture: Production in Postwar Italian Housing.” Journal of Architectural Education 71(1) 2017. Abstract Shadravan, S., Ramseyer, C. C. (2017). “Torsional Bracing of Cold-Formed, Roof Systems.” AEI , ASCE. Abstract Shadravan, S., Reyes, M. D., Butko, D. J., Holliday, L. M., Hines, K. R., Huizar, J. (2017). “Sustainability of Compressed Earth Block Construction: Comparative Analysis of Compressed Stabilized Earth Block and Traditional Wood Framed Single Family Residences.” AEI ASCE, pp. 368 – 374. Abstract Shelbourn, M., Macdonald, J., McCuen, T. L., Lee, S. (2017). “Students’ perceptions of BIM education in the higher education sector: A UK and US perspective.” Industry and Higher Education, Vol. 31, No. 5, 293-304. Abstract Sindhu, J., Choi, K., Lavy, S., Rybkowski, Z., Bigelow, B. F., Li, W. (2017). “Effects of Front-End Planning under Fast-Tracked Project Delivery Systems for Industrial Projects.” International Journal of Construction Education and Research. Abstract Trachtenberg, Z., Castro, A. J., Gates, K. K., Randall, A. R., Schlupp, I. B., Soreghan, G. S., Theriault, N. W., Wieters, K. M. (2017). “(Inter)facing the Anthropocene: How to Represent an Interdisciplinary Interaction.” Resilience: A Journal of the Environmental Humanities, Vol. 5, No. 1, 18-38. Preview Wachter, H.-P. (2017). “Cognitive Health, Education and Adult Development.” Journal of Education and Human Development. Williams, O.R., Pierce, J. “Inserting scales of urban politics: the possibilities of meso-urban government shims.” Urban Geography 38(6) 795-812. Abstract Zhou, L., Shen, G., Woodfin T. (2017). “Ecological and economic impacts of green roofs and permeable pavements at the city level: the case of Corvallis, Oregon.” Journal of Environmental Planning & Management, Vol. 61, No. 3, 430-450. Abstract 2016 Asadi, S., Fakhari, M., Fayaz, R., Mahdaviparsa, A. (2016). “The Effects of Solar Chimney Layout on Ventilation Rate in Buildings.” Energy and Buildings, Vol. 123, 71-78. Abstract Barrett, C. J. (2016). “Origins of the French Bastides.” Journal of Urban History, online, 1-36. Republished Journal of Urban History Vol. 44, No. 3, 421-456. Abstract Frantz, R. H. (2016). “Rebuilding Oklahoma City: The Development of Automobile Alley in the Wake of the Bombing.” Social Science Quarterly. Abstract Harris, J. C. (2016). “Joint Action in Nairobi’s Informal Production Clusters.” International Development Planning Review, Vol 38, No. 3, 317-337. Abstract Harris, J. C. (2016). “What are the slum upgrading priorities of vulnerable youth in a city of young people.” Journal of Planning Education and Research. Holliday, L. M. (2016). “Collapse of a Historic Adobe Wall.” Journal of Structural Integrity and Maintenance, Vol. 1, No. 1, 18-21. Abstract Holliday, L. M., Ramseyer, C., Reyes, M. D., Butko, D. J. (2016). “Building with Compressed Earth Block within the Building Code.” ASCE Journal of Architectural Engineering, Vol. 22, No. 30. Abstract Hosseini, M. Reza, Banihashemi, S., Chileshe, N., Namzadi, M., Udaeja, C., Rameezdeen, R., McCuen, T. L. (2016). “BIM Adoption within Australian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs): an innovation diffusion model.” Journal of Construction Economics and Building, Vol. 16, No. 3, 71-86. Abstract Lawhon, M., Silver, J., Ernstson, H., Pierce, J. (2016). “Unlearning (un)located ideas in the provincialization of urban theory.” Regional Studies 50(9) 1611-1622. Abstract Little, S. E., Loon, L., Amoroso, N. (2016). “The Hybrid Zone in Divergent and Convergent Thinking.” Representing Landscapes: Hybrid Routledge, 72-85. Lowery, B. C. (2016). “Planning for Private Consumption and Collective Beauty: Regulating outdoor advertising in Los Angeles, 1881-2014.” Journal of Planning History, Vol. 15, No. 3, 191 – 209. Article Lowery, B. C., Sloane, D. C., Payan, D., Illum, J., Lewis, L. B. (2016). “Do Farmers’ Markets Increase Access to Healthy Foods? Assessing the nutritional environment at 24 markets in Los Angeles.” Journal of the American Planning Association, Vol. 82, No. 3, 252-266. Abstract McCuen, T. L., Pober, E. F. (2016). “Process and Structure: Performance Impacts on Collaborative Interdisciplinary Team Experiences.” Journal of Information Technology in Construction, Vol. 21, 177-187. Article (PDF) Perrenoud, A. J., Sullivan, K. T. (2016). “Analysis of Executive Succession Planning in 12 Construction Companies.” International Journal of Construction Education and Research, Vol 13., No.1, 64-80. Abstract Person, A. (2016.) “Interview with Hans Butzer and Torrey Butzer, Designers of the Oklahoma City National Memorial,” in Social Science Quarterly (97) 1, pp. 86-95. Pierce, J., Lawhon, M. (2016). “What do you mean when you say “urban”? Divergence between everyday language and Northern analytical vocabularies in South African cities.” Die Erde 147(4) 284-289. Abstract Pierce, J., Williams, O.R. (2016). “Against power? Distinguishing between acquisitive resistance and subversion.” Geografiska Annaler: Series B, Human Geography 98(3) 171-188. Abstract Pierce, J., Williams, O.R., Martin, D.G. (2016). “Rights in places: an analytical extension of the right to the city.” Geoforum 70(2016) 79-88. Abstract Shadravan, S., Ramseyer, C. (2016). “Bending Capacity of Cold Formed Z-Purlins Supporting a Standing Seam Roof System with Torsional Bracing.” Journal of Structural Integrity and Maintenance, Vol. 1, No. 4, 177-188. Abstract Shadravan, S., Ramseyer, C., Kang, T. (2016). “Dimensional Stability of Concrete Slabs-on-Ground.”, 53-65. Abstract Wachter, H.-P. G., Keesee, M. S., Holliday, L. M. (2016). “Evaluating School Building User Needs.” Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture Research, Vol. 3, No. 10. Ward, J. A., Pilat, S. Z. (2016). “Terror, Trauma, Memory: Reflections on the Oklahoma City Bombing. An Introduction”. Social Science Quarterly, Vol. 97, No. 1, 1-8. Preview Williams, O.R., Pierce, J. (2016). “Iterative parallelism as research praxis: embracing the discursive incommensurability of scholarship and everyday politics.” Area 48(2) 222-228. Abstract
