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 team of Construction Science and Architecture students from the Gibbs College of Architecture made their mark on the national stage this week, earning third place out of 37 universities competing at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Student Competition, held during the International Builders' Show in Orlando, February 16-18, 2026.
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has elevated Gary Armbruster, FAIA, ALEP to its prestigious College of Fellows—AIA’s highest membership honor—for his exceptional work and sustained contributions to architecture and society. Fellowship recognizes architects who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession and made a significant impact at a national level. Members elevated to this distinction carry the FAIA designation after their name.
Students from the Spring 2026 Graduate 4 Architecture Design Studio, led by Professor Amy Leveno, exhibited their work at the School of Visual Arts. The exhibition, titled Reimagining the OU School of Visual Arts, featured drawings, models, and animations developed throughout the semester's studio project. The show was hosted in The Spotlight, a creative gallery space located on the first floor of the Fred Jones Art Center, and ran from January 20–30, 2026.
