Dr. Francesco Cianfarani
Education
DiAP Department, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
PhD, ICAR/14 Architectural and Urban Design
School of Architecture Valle Giulia, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
Doctor in Architecture, Degree Course in EU Architecture
About
Francesco Cianfarani is an architect and educator, Assistant Professor of Architecture at the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture at the University of Oklahoma.
Since 2009 he has been an instructor at Sapienza University of Rome, School of Architecture Valle Giulia, and School of Civil and Industrial Engineering, Campus in Rieti.
He earned his PhD in Architectural and Urban Design at Sapienza, DiAP Department, where he participated in national interdisciplinary research programs on renovating Italian social housing stock (DiAP Quattro Quartieri: 2014-2017; MIUR PRIN 2007).
As an architect, he founded his practice in Rome. His collaborative design and research results in Italy have received the attention of international journals and magazines, including Archithese, Paesaggio Urbano, U+D, and exhibited in national architecture exhibitions such as Origine in Rome, and the Stripe Festival in Fermo.
Cianfarani’s research places between architecture and urban design with a focus on housing. Over the years he has investigated housing through field research, mapping, design proposals, and critical studies.
On these topics, he has recently published peer-reviewed papers in international journals, such as Urban Science, The Plan Journal, and Future Anterior.
At OU Cianfarani is PI of research initiatives on infill, low-rise housing solutions for Oklahoma City’s urban core, and Co-PI of the Oklahoma Housing Needs Assessment, sponsored by the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency (OHFA).
Cianfarani’s teaching agenda is focused on 2nd and 3rd-year Design Studios, cross-listed Urban Design Methodologies classes, and Housing Seminars. He is also a faculty advisor in national student competitions (ULI Hines, and HUD Innovation in Affordable Housing competitions).
Awards
2014: International Design Competition, Mh17 Memorial and Park, organized by Matterbetter. Project for a Memorial of all the victims of the flight Malaysia Airlines 17 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Project selected in the 1st stage. With: Arch. T. Proietti.
2011: National Design Competition, Un guscio per vivere in sicurezza e in armonia, organized by Poliespanso s.r.l. And Politecnico of Milan. Second place. Title of the project: Le Mur épais. Design of a residential cell and its urban configuration with Plastbau system. Competition promoted by Poliespanso s.r.l. and Politecnico of Milan. With: Arch. L. Arcangeli, Arch. M. Ekstrom, Arch. T. Proietti.
2011: International Art Competition, A monument to the memory of Holocaust victims, organized by the Municipality of Naples, “Assessorato alla Memoria della Città IX Direzione Politiche Culturali Sportive e del Tempo Libero”. Third place. With: Arch. L. Arcangeli, Arch. T. Proietti.
2007-8: Fellowship granted by Sapienza University of Rome, “Award for distinguished cursus studiorum.”
Academic Acknowledgements
2022 Distinguished Teaching Award in the Division of Architecture (DivA), Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture, University of Oklahoma (Awarded).
2022 ACSA 2022 New Faculty Teaching Award (Nominated).
2021 James (Jim) Lynn Kudrna Professionalism Award, Gibbs College of Architecture, University of Oklahoma (Awarded).
2008 Sapienza University of Rome, “Distinguished Cursus Studiorum” (Awarded).
Professional Credentials
Registered Architect, Italy, Ordine degli Architetti Pianificatori Paesaggisti e Conservatori di Roma e Provincia(2009-2018)
Grants
Oklahoma State Housing Needs Assessment.
External grant, sponsored by the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency (OHFA), spring 2023-spring 2025, Co-PI with OU Faculty Shawn Schaefer, Ronald Barnes, and Joseph Havlicek.
Funding: $ 925,487.
Sand Springs Power Plant, The Historic Building in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Program for Research Enhancement (PRE) Grant, Gibbs College of Architecture, University of Oklahoma, Co-PI, with OU Faculty Shideh Shadravan: Spring 2022.
Funding: $ 5,000.
HUD Choice Neighborhood Initiative. Analysis of The River West Project in Tulsa, OK.
Summer 2021 Funding, Gibbs College of Architecture, University of Oklahoma: Summer 2021.
Funding: $ 2,000.
Affordable Housing. Design Guidelines for the Assessment and Construction of Experimental Low-Cost Middle-Size Residential Types.
Program for Research Enhancement (PRE) Grant, Gibbs College of Architecture, University of Oklahoma: Fall 2020-Spring 2021.
Funding: $ 5,000.
Public Housing in Oklahoma: A Visual Compendium.
Honors Research Assistant Program, University of Oklahoma: Fall 2020-Spring 2021.
Funding: $ 2,000.
Fellowships
2022/2024 Two-year Urban Design Fellowship, Urban Design Studio, Tulsa, OK, Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture, University of Oklahoma.
2008/2012 Three-year fellowship granted by Sapienza University of Rome, “Doctorate DRACO”.
2006/2007 Two-year Fellowship granted by Sapienza University of Rome, Library of Architecture of the Department of Architecture ARCOS.
Selected presentations in Town Halls, Symposia, and Conferences
Cianfarani F., Oklahoma Housing Town Hall Conference Retreat, “Panel on the State of Housing Supply in Oklahoma,” 2023 Academy Town Hall Conference addressing Oklahoma Housing: Affordable, Accessible, Attainable, organized by The Oklahoma Academy, Tulsa, OK, October 29, November 1, 2023. (October 29, 2023). Presentation, town hall.
Cianfarani F., Abdelkarim M., Ghosh P., International Conference on Sustainability in Energy and Buildings, “Land use and energy demand of low-rise residential neighborhoods in Oklahoma City, USA”, IS10: Climate-resilient neighbourhoods: analysis and design, SEB 2023, Bari, Italy, 18-20 September 2023. (September 18, 2023). Paper presentation.
Cianfarani F., Abdelkarim M., International EWRI Low Impact Development Conference, “Low impact infill for Oklahoma City: an incremental approach for integrating stormwater management to low-rise housing solutions,” EWRI, Oklahoma City, 6-9 August 2023. (August 9, 2023). Presentation.
Cianfarani F., Resilient Futures Symposium, “Urban Growth and Housing Models for Climate Migration Scenarios,” University of Oklahoma, C. Gibbs College of Architecture, Norman, OK. (April 14, 2022). Presentation.
Cianfarani F., NCBDS 37, National Conference of Beginning Design Student, “The Entomological Programming Project: Contemplating Relationships between Morphology and Needs,” Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, April 1-2, 2022. (April 1, 2022). Paper presentation.
Selected Publications
Cianfarani, F., Abdelkarim, M., & Ghosh, P. (Forthcoming). Land use and energy demand of low-rise residential neighborhoods in Oklahoma City, USA. SEB 2023. International Conference on Sustainability in Energy and Buildings, Springer.
Bigelow, B., Ghosh, S., & Cianfarani, F. (Forthcoming). A Comparison of Single-Family Home Energy Usage Based on Exterior Wall Assemblies and Insulation. 7th Biennial Residential Building Design and Construction Conference, State College, PA.
Cianfarani, F., Abdelkarim, M., Richards, D., & Kedarisetty, R. (2023). Assessing the Urban Vacant Land Potential for Infill Housing: A Case Study in Oklahoma City, USA. Urban Science, 7(4), 101. ISSN 2413-8851. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci7040101
Cianfarani, F. (2022). Central State Infill: Middle Housing Solutions in Oklahoma City, USA. The Plan Journal, 7(2), 1–22. ISSN 2611-7487. https://www.doi.org/10.15274/tpj.2022.07.02.02
Cianfarani, F. (2022). Engaging Design-Build Pedagogy. Person A., Cricchio A., Pilat S., Eds., Proceedings of “Schools of Thought: Rethinking Architectural Pedagogy.,” 122–125. https://www.doi.org/10.15763/11244/335062
Cianfarani, F. (2022). The Entomological Programming Project: Contemplating Relationships between Morphology and Needs. Burns S., Barry K., Eds., NCBDS37 Proceedings, 82–88. ISBN 978-1-4583-0165-9.
Cianfarani, F., Morganti, M. (2021). Preservation Themes in Mass Housing’s Retrofit. Climate and Energy in Tor Bella Monaca, Rome. Future Anterior, 18(1), 20–38. ISSN 1549-9715. https://muse.jhu.edu/issue/48265
Aidoo, F. S., Barber, D., Siry, J., Morganti, M., Ross, S., Morris, J., Cianfarani, F., Yat Shun Kei, J., Jain, P., & Woolner-Pratt, K. (2021). Roundtable Discussion. Retrofitting Research: A Global Conversation on Challenges and Opportunities. Future Anterior, 18(1), 117–146. ISSN 1549-9715. https://muse.jhu.edu/issue/48265
Cianfarani, F. (2021). The Evans-Fintube building: An Oklahoma oil industry architecture. Tostões A., Yoshiyuki Y., Eds., 16th International Docomomo Conference Tokyo, Japan, 2020+1, Inheritable Resilience: Sharing Values of Global Modernities, 442–447. ISBN: 987-4-904700-68-6.
Cianfarani, F. (2020). The Fascist Legacy in the Built Environment. In Jones, K.B., Pilat S., eds., The Routledge Companion to Italian Fascist Architecture: Reception and Legacy (pp. 10–53). Routledge, Taylor and Francis. ISBN: 978-0-367-34851-9. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9780429328435/chapters/10.4324/9780429328435-2
Cianfarani, F. (2020). The Legacy of the Official Borgate. Design, Reception and Current Life of the Quarticciolo Neighborhood. In Jones, K.B., Pilat S., eds., The Routledge Companion to Italian Fascist Architecture: Reception and Legacy (pp. 241–255). Routledge, Taylor and Francis. ISBN: 978-0-367-34851-9. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9780429328435/chapters/10.4324/9780429328435-22
Cianfarani, F. (2020). Section 3. Contested Territories. In Jones, K.B., Pilat S., eds., The Routledge Companion to Italian Fascist Architecture: Reception and Legacy (pp. 193–197). Routledge, Taylor and Francis. ISBN: 978-0-367-34851-9. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9780429328435/chapters/10.4324/9780429328435-18
Cianfarani, F. (2019). Intersezioni. Le opere costruite di Giorgios Papaevangeliu. In Porqueddu L., eds., Giorgios Papaevangeliu. Disegno e progetto (pp. 59–63). Libria. ISBN: 978-88-6764-167-3. http://www.librianet.it/libro.php?id=1454
Cianfarani, F. (2019). Prefazione. In Pilat S., Ricostruire l’Italia. I quartieri Ina-Casa del dopoguerra (p. XXIX–XLII). Castelvecchi. ISBN: 978-88-3282-299-1. http://www.castelvecchieditore.com/prodotto/ricostruire-litalia/
Cianfarani, F. (2017). Evoluzione del tipo museale dall’antichità al secolo XX. In Porqueddu L., ed., Il Museo. Temi e repertori contemporanei (pp. 13–21). Sistemi Editoriali. ISBN: 978-88-513-0745-5. https://books.google.com/books/about/Il_museo_Temi_e_repertori_contemporanei.html?id=8eLhtAEACAAJ
Cianfarani, F. (2017). L’architettura del Villaggio Olimpico tra forma della casa e forma dell’evento. In De Matteis D., Reale L., eds., Quattro Quartieri. Spazio urbano e spazio umano nella trasformazione dell’abitare pubblico a Roma (pp. 144–159). Quodlibet. ISBN: 978-88-2290-106-4. https://www.quodlibet.it/libro/9788822901064
Cianfarani, F. (2015). Il quartiere IACP Pineto di Roma. Caratteri e storia del progetto. Roma Moderna e Contemporanea, 1–2, 109–126. ISSN: 1122-0244. https://doi.org/10.17426/37885
Journal Reviewer (selection)
The Journal of Architecture, ISSN 1466-4410, 2023.
Habitat International, ISSN 0197-3975, 2023.
ENQ, ISSN 2183-7635, 2022.
Urban Planning, ISSN 2183-7635, 2021.
KES-SEB-21, Sustainability in Energy and Buildings, ISBN 978-981-16-6268-3, 2021.