Assistant professor of Interior Design and Architecture, Dr. Tiziana Proietti, recently published her research, “Revisiting the plastic number theory from the perspective of perceptual psychology,” in the Architectural Science Review.
Abstract
Architect Hans van der Laan spent his lifetime studying human perception of proportion. His work led to the development of the plastic number system. In this system every step represents a group of fractions that describe objects of similar sizes. Indeed, each step is defined as the ‘representative size’ of a group of sizes that are perceptually indiscriminate from one another. Over decades of research, Van der Laan conducted a series of experiments to test his system. The clarity with which he approached the perception of proportion provides a suitable ground for testing the plastic number by scientific means. To take the first step in that direction, it is useful to consider Van der Laan’s approach within the context of sensory psychophysics and Gestalt psychology. Highlighting these connections suggests specific directions for future research of the plastic number and opens a new chapter in studies on proportion in architecture.
Telesis, a journal produced by students in the University of Oklahoma Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture, has earned first place in the 2026 Douglas Haskell Award for Student Journals for its seventh volume, “Unfold.” This marks the fourth time the publication has earned recognition for excellence in student architectural journalism. It shares the honor with student journals from Columbia University, University of Michigan, and Cal Poly.
Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture congratulates Thinh "Henry" Duong, a master's student in the Division of Interior Design, for earning first place in the 2026 Robert Bruce Thompson Annual Student Light Fixture Design Competition.
Gibbs College of Architecture Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) Director and Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design (PLAD) faculty member Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., recently published a new book, Collective Yearning: Black Women Artists from the Zimmerli Art Museum.
