A design produced by Ocra-Projects, founded by architecture professor Andrew Stone, has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce ahead of the Route 66 Centennial. Located in Hydro, Oklahoma, the project celebrates the Mother Road’s milestone by transforming a repurposed bridge into an interactive, land-based monument that offers a unique experiential journey along the historic highway.
Top view of monument.
The new Hydro monument transforms an old bridge into an immersive experience through nature, history and community. It moves away from machine-oriented experiences, bringing nature back into recreation. The aim is to reconnect visitors and communities with the historic significance of the Mother Road while allowing locals to discover the community spirit that once defined Route 66. Revitalizing these routes and landmarks sparks renewed interest in western Oklahoma and small communities like Hydro. It encourages locals to see repurposing artifacts like the bridge as a way to boost the economy and visitor experience through placemaking.
Accentuated view of monument.
day, there’s often a stark divide between urban and rural spaces, with rural areas seen as relics of a ghosted past or romanticized in association with untouched nature. Rural areas are functional landscapes operating at the service of urban centers, often with a cost to local communities and their environment. This perspective on rural spaces as a distant, anonymous center, that is driven by commodity rather than community, overlooks the contributions they bring. A broader understanding could help bridge that divide and foster a more integrated view of rural areas and allow small communities like Hydro to thrive.
The design references the nuances of the prairie landscape, tying it back to the local environment. A lookout point over Hydro will be available from the top of the bridge accompanied by a canyon-embedded rest area. Contrasting the typical car-based experience, the monument allows visitors to engage with the site through tactile and visual senses. They are invited to explore on foot to create a deeper connection with the bridge and surrounding landscape.
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.
