Shaping Future Makers

Our mission is to prepare a new generation of architects, makers, and builders to act as powerful catalysts for positive change, leaders who design and construct environments that are sustainable, resilient, and deeply connected to the communities they serve. We envision a future where thriving communities and healthy ecosystems are inseparable, and where design operates in harmony with nature rather than in opposition to it.

The American School Design Build program offers a dynamic, immersive educational model that fuses conceptual design, advanced fabrication, and hands-on construction. Here, learning is active and applied: students don’t just imagine solutions, they build them, bridging theoretical knowledge with real-world execution through critical thinking, innovation, and technical mastery.

American School Design Build incorporates next-gen American School principles and methodologies, prioritizing sustainability, radical experimentation, digital fabrication processes, entrepreneurship, collaboration, and craftsmanship.

Rooted in research-based inquiry and guided by the American School’s next-generation principles, our pedagogy embraces:

Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship – Integrating strategies for climate resilience, biodiversity protection, and regenerative design.
Radical Experimentation – Encouraging bold ideas, unconventional solutions, and fearless exploration of new possibilities.
Digital Fabrication and Emerging Technologies – Merging craft traditions with cutting-edge tools like CNC milling, laser cutting, and 3D printing.
Entrepreneurship and Collaboration – Equipping students to navigate the economic, social, and collaborative realities of professional practice.
Craftsmanship and Material Intelligence – Honoring the tactile, the precise, and the enduring qualities of well-built work.

Through this integrated approach, students gain a holistic understanding of their craft, from design inception to final construction, while developing the agility to address complex, real-world challenges. They work in interdisciplinary teams, engage with community stakeholders, and produce spaces that are functional, beautiful, and deeply meaningful.

Our commitment is to transformative, context-responsive work that advances both human and environmental well-being. Every project is an opportunity to demonstrate how thoughtful design and responsible construction can shape a more equitable, sustainable, and inspiring built environment.

Sustainable Development Goals

The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls for bold, collective action to create a future where people and planet thrive together. The eight focus areas we’ve chosen reflect this vision, addressing the interconnected needs of human well-being, environmental stewardship, and social equity. From promoting health, education, and access to clean energy, to building resilient cities and shifting toward responsible consumption, these priorities recognize that sustainable development is as much about people as it is about the natural systems we depend on.

In Oklahoma, these commitments take on a heightened urgency. Our state faces unique challenges—from extreme weather and shifting climate patterns to rural-urban disparities in resources, infrastructure, and opportunity. Taking climate action, protecting life on land, and fostering strong partnerships are essential to safeguarding our communities and landscapes. By aligning our work with these global goals, we not only contribute to a worldwide movement but also address the pressing needs of our own region—ensuring that every project we create leaves a lasting, positive impact for Oklahoma’s people, places, and future.

United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Health & Well-Being

Human beings are entitled to a healthy and productive life, in harmony with nature and further recognizes the goals of sustainable development.

Quality Education

Promoting education for sustainable development and integrating sustainable development actively into education.

Affordable & Clean Energy

More sustainable, equitable and inclusive communities, and greater protections from, and resilience to climate change.

Sustainable Cities & Communities

Promoting sustainable construction industry activities, promoting human resource development and capacity-building for human settlements development.

Responsible Consumption & Production

One of the three overarching objectives, play an active role in changing unsustainable consumption and production patterns.

Climate Action

Interactive process of planning, participation and action in which the emphasis is on managing progress towards sustainability goals rather than producing a ‘plan’ and an end product.

Life On Land

Maintaining ecosystems that provide essential services, which are crucial foundations for sustainable development and human well-being.

Partnerships For The Goals

Multi-stakeholder partnerships as important vehicles for mobilizing and sharing knowledge, expertise, technologies and financial resources.

Building Change Together

Our mission is only possible through the vision and generosity of our sponsors, partners, and clients, including the University of Oklahoma and the Gibbs College of Architecture. These relationships bring resources, expertise, and real-world opportunities that transform our projects from ideas into tangible, lasting contributions to communities. Sponsors provide the financial support that fuels innovation and sustains our programs. Partners contribute knowledge, networks, and materials that expand our reach and impact. Clients offer authentic design challenges that give our students the chance to apply their skills in meaningful contexts. Together, they form the ecosystem that makes American School Design Build a place where future leaders can learn by doing—shaping spaces that serve people, protect the environment, and inspire change.