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The Center for Architecture + Design in San Francisco hosted an opening reception for the “Do Not Try to Remember” exhibition. Organized by the University of Oklahoma Gibbs College of Architecture, the exhibition explores the groundbreaking work of renegade architects who helped shape Bay Area design in the mid-20th century.
The event took place on February 20, 2025, and featured a talk by lead curator Marco Piscitelli, as well as a moderated panel discussion with scholars of the American School, including Stephanie Pilat, Angela Person, and Hans Baldauf. Additional commentary was provided by the architect Donald MacDonald, builder Jim Lino, filmmaker Lila Cohen, and others. There were over 200 guests in attendance during this sold-out event.
Part of the "Do Not Try to Remember" exhibition.
The exhibition explores how Bruce Goff’s innovative teaching approach differed from traditional East Coast programs, encouraging creativity over conformity in design. It also touches on how California’s unique culture and landscape influenced architects, how they used materials and structure as expressive elements, and how they reimagined urban spaces with a focus on making architecture more inclusive and accessible for all. Featured architects include Valentino Agnoli, Violeta Autumn, Robert Bowlby, Donald MacDonald, John Marsh Davis, Mickey Muennig, and Robert Overstreet.
The architecture students at the University of Oklahoma developed out of the box designs while mentored by Bruce Goff, Herbe Green and others. They taught students to develop original, creative designs. Known as the American School of Architecture, bold originality replaced European teaching styles.
The moderated panel discussion.
Panelists Hans Baldauf, Angela Person, and Stephanie Pilat with moderator.
View the full panel discussion below.
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.
