University of Oklahoma Architecture alumnus Asa Highsmith was recently recognized as an honoree in the Architectural League of New York’s 2023 Emerging Voices competition. The Emerging Voices program is an annual event that recognizes outstanding Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Design firms across North America.
This year’s winners were selected by a reputable board of judges who reviewed submissions from over 50 competitors. Highsmith’s firm, Common Works Architects, was awarded along with seven other accomplished firms.
Common Works Architects was founded in 2015 by Highsmith in Oklahoma City. According to Highsmith, the firm is dedicated to “democratizing design and elevating that which is common.” The firm has designed a wide variety of different projects including residences, restaurants, and public spaces.
Village Park by Common Works Architects.
Common Works was previously listed among Architect’s Newspaper Interior’s “Top 50 Architects and Designers of 2022” and highlighted in a Metropolis New Talent Feature.”
Learn more about the Emerging Voices Award and see the full list of recipients.
Past emerging voices from the OU Architecture program include Brian Phillips of ISA and Lyn Rice of Rice+Lipka.
Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to recognize Petya Stefanoff, who is pursuing her doctorate in the Planning, Design & Construction (PDC) program, has been appointed the new role of Director of Community Development for the City of Shawnee, Oklahoma. She joined the city in 2024.
Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., associate professor in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture and Design and director of the Institute for Quality Communities, has received national recognition for her book Model Schools in the Model City. The book has been named a finalist for the 2026 the PROSE Awards.
Gibbs College of Architecture Regional + City Planning Professor of Practice Vanessa Morrison and Associate Professor of Architecture Deborah Richards’ Open Design Collective received top honors at the inaugural BlackSpace Urbanist Collective Studio KIN Pitch Night Competition, held last month in Brooklyn, New York City.
