2020 Schools of Thought Conference Proceedings

Abstract

The Schools of Thought conference took place at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma, from March 5-7, 2020. It drew more than 100 faculty from over fifty institutions from the United States and beyond. The idea for the Schools of Thought conference grew out of research into the history of pedagogy at the University of Oklahoma (OU). In the postwar era, faculty at OU developed a truly original approach to teaching design known as the American School. Students were taught to begin with the natural context: the slope of the land, the quality of light, and the local materials. They were instructed to earnestly respond to the program and sincerely listen to the needs and desires of each client. Most importantly, students were taught to trust their own creative instincts and avoid imitation of all kinds. Their work was hard to define stylistically but united by a commitment to resourcefulness, experimental form, and respect for context. Today, we find aspects of the American School approach resurfacing in architectural pedagogy and practice. Designers are again considering how to be materially resourceful, design sustainably, and work sincerely with clients and sites. More than 70 years after the American School era was founded at OU, the “Schools of Thought” symposium sought to extend the American School tradition of reconsidering how and what we teach our students.