Gibbs College of Architecture dean Hans E. Butzer recently served as a featured speaker during the 2019 Texas Society of Architects Design Conference, “UNEXPECTED.” The event was held this past weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and included a day trip to Bartlesville. The conference included tours of buildings by Bruce Goff and Frank Lloyd Wright, as well as discussions with contemporary architects working in unexpected environments.
Butzer’s lecture, entitled “Bruce Goff and the American School: Impacts on the Teaching and Practice of Architecture,” shared how Goff and other American School educators and practicing architects helped shape contemporary architectural pedagogy, including the academic design-build movement. He also addressed how they became leading advocates for sincere client and community engagement and gave significant momentum to the sustainability movement. He concluded by discussing how these educators and practitioners contributed to an emerging experimentalism with architectural space and form.
On April 24, 2026, the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture hosted its annual Graduate Student Showcase, a celebration of research, design innovation, and creative exploration across all graduate programs within the College.
The Gibbs College of Architecture celebrates fifth-year architecture student Haley Praytor, who has been recognized at the national level for her design work. In early March, Haley received a Graduate Division Award of Merit for her submission to the 2025 Metal Building Manufacturers Association student design competition.
Ronald Frantz Jr., emeritus professor, has been named a 2026 Mary Means Leadership Award recipient, the highest honor presented by Main Street America. The award was announced at the Main Street Now Conference in Tulsa, recognizing leaders who advance preservation-based economic development and community revitalization.
