The University of Oklahoma (OU) Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Luftwerk, the artistic collaboration of Petra Bachmaier and Sean Gallero, has been appointed as Fall 2020 Bruce Goff Chairs of Creative Architecture. Irene Hwang will also serve as Fall 2020 Goff Chair.
As Goff Chairs, Bachmaier and Gallero offered a free public lecture via Zoom on “Engaging the Lyrical Geometry of Bruce Goff’s Ford Residence” on Tuesday, October 20th, at 11:30 a.m. CST.
Luftwerk explores light, color, and perception in immersive, experience-based installations. Focused on the context of a site Luftwerk applies their own interpretive layer, integrating the physical structure, historical context, and embedded information into each piece. Since its founding in 2007, Luftwerk has amassed a significant body of work ranging from site-specific installations to experimental projects that interpret data. In each project they are interested in the abilities of how light and color can be utilized to shift perception and enhance experience.
Among the projects Luftwerk will present is “Music, Light, and Architecture,” produced for Bruce Goff’s Ford Residence in Aurora, Illinois. While Third Coast Percussion revived Bruce Goff’s 1936 player piano composition, Luftwerk created projections for the circular ceiling of the Ford House.
The Bruce Goff Chair of Creative Architecture is an endowment that was created to honor Goff’s pedagogical legacy at OU. Among past Goff Chairs are Deborah Berke, Odile Decq, Lebbeus Woods, and Rick Lowe.
The Gibbs Design in Action Awards (GDAA) program, led by Dr. Wanda Liebermann, has announced its 2026–2027 funded student projects. The initiative supports design and research work that addresses social, cultural, and economic issues in the built environment through collaboration with faculty and community partners.
The OU Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) 2024 collaboration with the Historic Threatt Filling Station has been recognized in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's newly released Byways Report: The Scenic Route to Rural Prosperity – a story-driven publication exploring how road trip culture and place-based tourism can fuel economic growth in rural communities.
The Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Camille Germany, Chief of Staff, has been named the 2026 recipient of the university-wide Jennifer L. Wise Good Stewardship Award.
