OU Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that David J. Lewis, a principal of LTL Architects and dean of Parsons School of Constructed Environments, has been appointed as the Goff Chair of Creative Architecture for fall 2023. As Goff Chair, Lewis is invited to give a public lecture in the upcoming semester, open to all Gibbs students, faculty and staff.
For his lecture, Lewis will discuss his work related to Manual of Biogenic House Sections (ORO Editions, 2022), which articulates how plant-based and low-carbon materials can produce a profound rethinking of section in houses. It will be approximately 80 minutes long, with 50 minutes of lecture followed by 30 minutes of Q&A. The lecture will take place on Monday, October 23, 2023, at 4 p.m.
Manual of Biogenic House Sections by Paul Lewis, Marc Tsurumaki, and David J. Lewis.
Along with the other Principals of LTL Architects, Paul Lewis and Marc Tsurumaki, David J. Lewis has refocused the practice to embrace and expand carbon sequestering materials through architectural representation and work. This redefinition of the firm coincided with the release of Manual of Biogenic House Sections, which is a follow up to his previous book, Manual of Section (Princeton Architectural Press, 2016).
Through his research, teaching and practice, Lewis pursues fundamental transformations in the discipline of architecture brought about by regenerative material systems to address climate change. At Parsons, he is a Professor of Architecture and has served as Director of the Master of Architecture program and the Design Workshop program since 2002. He leads courses on design in the age of embodied carbon and is committed to reframing pedagogy around climate justice.
Lewis has previously taught at Cornell University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Limerick, Ireland, and Ohio State University. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Carleton College, a Master of Arts in the History of Architecture & Urbanism from Cornell University, and a Master of Architecture from Princeton University.
For more information, contact Wanda Liebermann at wkliebermann@ou.edu.
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.