Oscar Concessao, an alumnus of the OU Master of Urban Design program, and his wife Ponni Concessao recently designed the Telangana State Secretariat, the largest state capitol in India. Their firm, OCI Architects, won a national competition held by the Telangana government and was chosen out of a large pool of accomplished firms, also making Ponni the first woman architect in India to design a State Secretariat.
Oscar and Ponni Concessao.
The Concessaos founded OCI Architects in 1996, shortly after completing school in the United States and returning to their hometown of Chennai, India. Their firm has received widespread recognition for its innovative designs, and has won over 150 international, national and state awards. They have designed a large variety of projects at universities, hospitals, government state buildings and now, the largest state capitol in India.
Their firm completed the State Secretariat in just two years, despite the struggles brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. They utilized local materials and a blend of Eastern and Western cultures to reflect the heritage and traditions of the local Telanagana people in their design. The 1.2 million-square-foot building received a Green Gold rating from the Indian Green Building Council, which recognizes the project’s national excellence.
Featured Image: Exterior view of the Telangana State Secretariat.
Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to announce the promotion of Ph.D. student Rafael Hernandez to lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Gibbs College of Architecture Assistant Professor Dr. Ladan Mozaffarian, in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture and Design, has co-authored a new book chapter with Josh Newton and Andrew Born, published in De Gruyter Handbook of the Geographies of Race.
Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design (PLAD) alumni Trey Ingram, AICP recently spoke with current PLAD student and graduate media assistant Molly Strobel to share his experiences with the Regional and City Planning program and current work with the Toyota Mobility Foundation.
