October 2025 — The Lemon Family Distinguished Speaker Series in Community and Real Estate Development launched this fall with its inaugural lecture delivered by Jared Della Valle, CEO and Co-Founder of Alloy Development. Hosted jointly by the Gibbs College of Architecture and the Price College of Business, at the University of Oklahoma, the lecture took place at the Thurman J. White Forum and marked the beginning of an annual collaboration between Gibbs College and the Price College.
Della Valle’s talk offered insights into the planning, design, and community impact of the Alloy Block—a pioneering mixed-use development in Downtown Brooklyn that integrates architecture, sustainability, and civic engagement.
With more than 25 years of experience as a real estate professional and architect, Della Valle has led the acquisition and pre-development of more than two million square feet in New York City, including projects in Chelsea along the High Line, Hudson Yards, DUMBO, and Downtown Brooklyn. He also serves as Chair of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, sits on the board of the Architectural League of New York, and is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA).
The Lemon Family Endowed Distinguished Speaker Series was established to advance dialogue on the intersection of community and real estate development by bringing leading voices from both practice and academia to campus. The series is co-hosted by Gibbs College of Architecture and Price College of Business, with coordination duties alternating annually between the two colleges.
The event brought together students, faculty, and staff from Gibbs College and Price College, along with members of the Lemon family. Gibbs College offers its deepest thanks to all who made this event possible—especially the Lemon Family for championing this meaningful cross-campus collaboration.
To learn more about Jared Della Valle’s work and the Alloy Block project, visit thealloyblock.com.
Della Valle addresses audience members.
A project designed by Gibbs College of Architecture faculty member Austin Lightle has been selected for BuildFest 2026, a national art and architecture festival held at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in New York, on the historic grounds of the 1969 Woodstock Music Festival.
Two Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture alumni are helping shape recommendations that could influence affordable housing design and construction across Oklahoma.
The University of Oklahoma Libraries recently welcomed Carl Siegel as an Architecture Librarian and Archivist and Assistant Professor. In his role, Siegel supports students, faculty and staff across the Gibbs College of Architecture while also serving as archivist for the American School of Architecture Archives.
