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Francesco Cianfarani

Francesco Cianfarani

Assistant Professor
Associate Director for Curriculum and Assessments, Division of Architecture

Francesco Cianfarani.

Education

  • DiAP Department, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
    PhD, ICAR/14 Architectural and Urban Design
  • School of Architecture Valle Giulia, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
    Doctor in Architecture, Degree Course in EU Architecture

Professional Credentials

  • Registered Architect, Italy, Ordine degli Architetti Pianificatori Paesaggisti e Conservatori di Roma e Provincia(2009-2018)

Francesco Cianfarani is an architect and Assistant Professor of Architecture at the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture at the University of Oklahoma. He joined OU after teaching at Sapienza University of Rome, where he served as an instructor in both the School of Architecture Valle Giulia and the School of Civil and Industrial Engineering.

He earned his PhD in Architectural and Urban Design at Sapienza’s DiAP Department, contributing to national interdisciplinary research focused on the renovation of Italy’s social housing stock. His architectural practice, based in Rome, has produced collaborative work featured in international journals such as Archithese, Paesaggio Urbano, and U+D, and exhibited in venues including Origine in Rome and the Stripe Festival in Fermo.

Professor Cianfarani’s research bridges architecture and urban design, with a particular emphasis on housing. His investigations span fieldwork, mapping, design proposals, and critical analysis, and have been published in journals including Urban Science, The Plan Journal, and Future Anterior. At OU, he leads research on infill and low-rise housing strategies for Oklahoma City’s urban core and serves as Co-Principal Investigator for the Oklahoma Housing Needs Assessment, supported by the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency.

His teaching focuses on second- and third-year design studios, urban design methodologies, and housing seminars. He also mentors students in national competitions, including the ULI Hines and HUD Innovation in Affordable Housing challenges.

Selected Publications

  • Cianfarani, F., Abdelkarim, M., & Ghosh, P. (Forthcoming). Land use and energy demand of low-rise residential neighborhoods in Oklahoma City, USA. SEB 2023. International Conference on Sustainability in Energy and Buildings, Springer.
  • Bigelow, B., Ghosh, S., & Cianfarani, F. (Forthcoming). A Comparison of Single-Family Home Energy Usage Based on Exterior Wall Assemblies and Insulation. 7th Biennial Residential Building Design and Construction Conference, State College, PA.
  • Cianfarani, F., Abdelkarim, M., Richards, D., & Kedarisetty, R. (2023). Assessing the Urban Vacant Land Potential for Infill Housing: A Case Study in Oklahoma City, USA. Urban Science, 7(4), 101. ISSN 2413-8851.
  • Cianfarani, F. (2022). Central State Infill: Middle Housing Solutions in Oklahoma City, USA. The Plan Journal, 7(2), 1–22. ISSN 2611-7487.
  • Cianfarani, F. (2022). Engaging Design-Build Pedagogy. In Person A., Cricchio A., Pilat S., Eds., Proceedings of “Schools of Thought: Rethinking Architectural Pedagogy” (pp. 122–125). DOI.
  • Cianfarani, F. (2022). The Entomological Programming Project: Contemplating Relationships between Morphology and Needs. In Burns S., Barry K., Eds., NCBDS37 Proceedings, 82–88. ISBN 978-1-4583-0165-9.
  • Cianfarani, F., Morganti, M. (2021). Preservation Themes in Mass Housing’s Retrofit. Climate and Energy in Tor Bella Monaca, Rome. Future Anterior, 18(1), 20–38. ISSN 1549-9715.
  • Aidoo, F. S., Barber, D., Siry, J., Morganti, M., Ross, S., Morris, J., Cianfarani, F., Yat Shun Kei, J., Jain, P., & Woolner-Pratt, K. (2021). Roundtable Discussion. Retrofitting Research: A Global Conversation on Challenges and Opportunities. Future Anterior, 18(1), 117–146. ISSN 1549-9715.
  • Cianfarani, F. (2021). The Evans-Fintube building: An Oklahoma oil industry architecture. In Tostões A., Yoshiyuki Y., Eds., 16th International Docomomo Conference Tokyo, Japan, 2020+1, Inheritable Resilience: Sharing Values of Global Modernities, 442–447. ISBN 987-4-904700-68-6.
  • Cianfarani, F. (2020). The Fascist Legacy in the Built Environment. In Jones, K.B., Pilat S., eds., The Routledge Companion to Italian Fascist Architecture: Reception and Legacy (pp. 10–53). Routledge. ISBN 978-0-367-34851-9.
  • Cianfarani, F. (2020). The Legacy of the Official Borgate. In Jones, K.B., Pilat S., eds., The Routledge Companion to Italian Fascist Architecture: Reception and Legacy (pp. 241–255). Routledge. ISBN 978-0-367-34851-9.
  • Cianfarani, F. (2020). Section 3. Contested Territories. In Jones, K.B., Pilat S., eds., The Routledge Companion to Italian Fascist Architecture: Reception and Legacy (pp. 193–197). Routledge. ISBN 978-0-367-34851-9.
  • Cianfarani, F. (2019). Intersezioni. Le opere costruite di Giorgios Papaevangeliu. In Porqueddu L., eds., Giorgios Papaevangeliu. Disegno e progetto (pp. 59–63). Libria. ISBN 978-88-6764-167-3.
  • Cianfarani, F. (2019). Prefazione. In Pilat S., Ricostruire l’Italia. I quartieri Ina-Casa del dopoguerra (pp. XXIX–XLII). Castelvecchi. ISBN 978-88-3282-299-1.
  • Cianfarani, F. (2017). Evoluzione del tipo museale dall’antichità al secolo XX. In Porqueddu L., ed., Il Museo. Temi e repertori contemporanei (pp. 13–21). Sistemi Editoriali. ISBN 978-88-513-0745-5.
  • Cianfarani, F. (2017). L’architettura del Villaggio Olimpico tra forma della casa e forma dell’evento. In De Matteis D., Reale L., eds., Quattro Quartieri (pp. 144–159). Quodlibet. ISBN 978-88-2290-106-4.
  • Cianfarani, F. (2015). Il quartiere IACP Pineto di Roma. Caratteri e storia del progetto. Roma Moderna e Contemporanea, 1–2, 109–126. ISSN 1122-0244.

Awards

  • 2014: International Design Competition, Mh17 Memorial and Park, organized by Matterbetter. Project for a Memorial of all the victims of the flight Malaysia Airlines 17 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Project selected in the 1st stage. With: Arch. T. Proietti.
  • 2011: National Design Competition, Un guscio per vivere in sicurezza e in armonia, organized by Poliespanso s.r.l. And Politecnico of Milan. Second place. Title of the project: Le Mur épais. Design of a residential cell and its urban configuration with Plastbau system. Competition promoted by Poliespanso s.r.l. and Politecnico of Milan. With: Arch. L. Arcangeli, Arch. M. Ekstrom, Arch. T. Proietti.
  • 2011: International Art Competition, A monument to the memory of Holocaust victims, organized by the Municipality of Naples, “Assessorato alla Memoria della Città IX Direzione Politiche Culturali Sportive e del Tempo Libero”. Third place. With: Arch. L. Arcangeli, Arch. T. Proietti.
  • 2007-8: Fellowship granted by Sapienza University of Rome, “Award for distinguished cursus studiorum.”

Academic Acknowledgements

  • 2022 Distinguished Teaching Award in the Division of Architecture (DivA), Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture, University of Oklahoma (Awarded).
  • 2022 ACSA 2022 New Faculty Teaching Award (Nominated).
  • 2021 James (Jim) Lynn Kudrna Professionalism Award, Gibbs College of Architecture, University of Oklahoma (Awarded).
  • 2008 Sapienza University of Rome, “Distinguished Cursus Studiorum” (Awarded).

Grants

  • Oklahoma State Housing Needs Assessment.
  • External grant, sponsored by the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency (OHFA), spring 2023-spring 2025, Co-PI with OU Faculty Shawn Schaefer, Ronald Barnes, and Joseph Havlicek.
  • Funding: $ 925,487.
  • Sand Springs Power Plant, The Historic Building in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
  • Program for Research Enhancement (PRE) Grant, Gibbs College of Architecture, University of Oklahoma, Co-PI, with OU Faculty Shideh Shadravan: Spring 2022.
  • Funding: $ 5,000.
  • HUD Choice Neighborhood Initiative. Analysis of The River West Project in Tulsa, OK.
  • Summer 2021 Funding, Gibbs College of Architecture, University of Oklahoma: Summer 2021.
  • Funding: $ 2,000.
  • Affordable Housing. Design Guidelines for the Assessment and Construction of Experimental Low-Cost Middle-Size Residential Types.
  • Program for Research Enhancement (PRE) Grant, Gibbs College of Architecture, University of Oklahoma: Fall 2020-Spring 2021.
  • Funding: $ 5,000.
  • Public Housing in Oklahoma: A Visual Compendium.
  • Honors Research Assistant Program, University of Oklahoma: Fall 2020-Spring 2021.
  • Funding: $ 2,000.

Journal Reviewer (selection)

  • The Journal of Architecture, ISSN 1466-4410, 2023.
  • Habitat International, ISSN 0197-3975, 2023.
  • ENQ, ISSN 2183-7635, 2022.
  • Urban Planning, ISSN 2183-7635, 2021.
  • KES-SEB-21, Sustainability in Energy and Buildings, ISBN 978-981-16-6268-3, 2021.

Fellowships

  • 2022/2024 Two-year Urban Design Fellowship, Urban Design Studio, Tulsa, OK, Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture, University of Oklahoma.
  • 2008/2012 Three-year fellowship granted by Sapienza University of Rome, “Doctorate DRACO”.
  • 2006/2007 Two-year Fellowship granted by Sapienza University of Rome, Library of Architecture of the Department of Architecture ARCOS.

Selected presentations in Town Halls, Symposia, and Conferences

  • Cianfarani F., Oklahoma Housing Town Hall Conference Retreat, “Panel on the State of Housing Supply in Oklahoma,” 2023 Academy Town Hall Conference addressing Oklahoma Housing: Affordable, Accessible, Attainable, organized by The Oklahoma Academy, Tulsa, OK, October 29, November 1, 2023. (October 29, 2023). Presentation, town hall.
  • Cianfarani F., Abdelkarim M., Ghosh P., International Conference on Sustainability in Energy and Buildings, “Land use and energy demand of low-rise residential neighborhoods in Oklahoma City, USA”, IS10: Climate-resilient neighbourhoods: analysis and design, SEB 2023, Bari, Italy, 18-20 September 2023. (September 18, 2023). Paper presentation.
  • Cianfarani F., Abdelkarim M., International EWRI Low Impact Development Conference, “Low impact infill for Oklahoma City: an incremental approach for integrating stormwater management to low-rise housing solutions,” EWRI, Oklahoma City, 6-9 August 2023. (August 9, 2023). Presentation.
  • Cianfarani F., Resilient Futures Symposium, “Urban Growth and Housing Models for Climate Migration Scenarios,” University of Oklahoma, C. Gibbs College of Architecture, Norman, OK. (April 14, 2022). Presentation.
  • Cianfarani F., NCBDS 37, National Conference of Beginning Design Student, “The Entomological Programming Project: Contemplating Relationships between Morphology and Needs,” Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, April 1-2, 2022. (April 1, 2022). Paper presentation.
Gibbs College of Architecture
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830 Van Vleet Oval
Norman, OK 73019
Phone: (405) 325-2444

Updated 9/22/2025 by Gibbs College of Architecture: coa-communications@ou.edu