The OU Eco-Sooners received an award at the final competition of the 2023 Solar Decathlon Design Challenge. The team of Gibbs students won the Best Name of the Year award for their well-selected team name. According to the judges, the name strongly reflected the team’s design ideas and innovative strategies.
The Eco-Sooners' Best Name of the Year award certificate.
As first-time participants, the Eco-Sooners received wonderful feedback on their design. The judges highlighted their excellent integration of net-zero strategies into a preserved building, as well as their water harvest system and resilience ideas in the event of a tornado.
According to Dr. Negar Matin, a professor of Interior Design and faculty leader of the Eco-Sooners, “We moved one step closer to our mission of providing true net-zero affordable housing for Oklahoma City residents. Our journey has just begun.”
Congratulations to the OU Eco-Sooners for winning this well-deserved award!
View the video below to learn more about the Eco-Sooners' design.
A team of Construction Science and Architecture students from the Gibbs College of Architecture made their mark on the national stage this week, earning third place out of 37 universities competing at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Student Competition, held during the International Builders' Show in Orlando, February 16-18, 2026.
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has elevated Gary Armbruster, FAIA, ALEP to its prestigious College of Fellows—AIA’s highest membership honor—for his exceptional work and sustained contributions to architecture and society. Fellowship recognizes architects who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession and made a significant impact at a national level. Members elevated to this distinction carry the FAIA designation after their name.
Students from the Spring 2026 Graduate 4 Architecture Design Studio, led by Professor Amy Leveno, exhibited their work at the School of Visual Arts. The exhibition, titled Reimagining the OU School of Visual Arts, featured drawings, models, and animations developed throughout the semester's studio project. The show was hosted in The Spotlight, a creative gallery space located on the first floor of the Fred Jones Art Center, and ran from January 20–30, 2026.
