OU Architecture Professors Khosrow Bozorgi and Keith Gåddie recently announced the release of their new book, The Philadelphia House: Organic Architecture and Placemaking in Chestnut Hill, published by Rowman & Littlefield. The official release date is July 15, 2023, from Philadelphia House, but Amazon and Barnes & Noble have already announced the pre-ordering of the book.
The book explores the very beginning of the interwar period, where a small collection of formally trained architects created a distinctive residential type that is now recognized as a Philadelphia landmark. These architects surpassed the conventional pseudo-classic and eclectic neo-Gothic solutions through a unique adaptation of design principles to suit the exclusive cultural tradition of the clients and respond to the natural environment.
Bozorgi and Gåddie analyzed the works of three Philadelphia architectural firms to explore this proposition: Mellor, Meigs & Howe, McGoodwin, and Willing & Sims. As a basis, they used six houses constructed between 1917 and 1928 in the historic Chestnut Hill neighborhood. While these homes are aesthetically pleasing, they also represent the emergence of a new ‘type’ of architectural design, generally conceived as ‘organic’ architecture.
This work, which contains over 200 photographs and drawings, considers the houses, the training and development of the architects, the creation and development of Chestnut Hill itself, and the larger, distinct culture of Philadelphia in contributing to the emergence of this distinctive and lasting style.
Pre-order the book from Amazon or Barnes & Noble here.
Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to recognize Petya Stefanoff, who is pursuing her doctorate in the Planning, Design & Construction (PDC) program, has been appointed the new role of Director of Community Development for the City of Shawnee, Oklahoma. She joined the city in 2024.
Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., associate professor in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture and Design and director of the Institute for Quality Communities, has received national recognition for her book Model Schools in the Model City. The book has been named a finalist for the 2026 the PROSE Awards.
Gibbs College of Architecture Regional + City Planning Professor of Practice Vanessa Morrison and Associate Professor of Architecture Deborah Richards’ Open Design Collective received top honors at the inaugural BlackSpace Urbanist Collective Studio KIN Pitch Night Competition, held last month in Brooklyn, New York City.
