With confidence and clarity, the new Zink Center for Competitive Innovation welcomes visitors and students into a bright, newly energized lobby at the Oklahoma State University’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. – Photo courtesy of Rand Elliott Architects
(STILLWATER, Okla., Nov. 20, 2025) — The sweeping renovation of Oklahoma State University’s Engineering South has earned national recognition, winning first place in the Whole Building category of Retrofit Magazine’s 2025 Metamorphosis Awards.
The project was a collaboration between Rand Elliott Architects — an Oklahoma City-based, nationally recognized firm by OSU alumnus Rand Elliott, FAIA — and OSU’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology.
The national award recognizes projects that transform existing buildings into modern, high-performing spaces while preserving their historic character. The magazine’s November-December issue features all 14 award winners.
“This renovation has exceeded my expectations in breathing new life into one of our heritage buildings,” OSU University Architect Jana Phillips said. “The exterior refurbishments maintain the elegance of our Collegiate Georgian style while the interiors are a refreshing juxtaposition for students, faculty and staff.”
The five-story, 88,000-square-foot building now features light-filled, flexible spaces designed to foster collaboration, innovation and hands-on learning. A new 12,000-square-foot addition houses a 300-seat auditorium and lobby that serve both students and the broader campus community. Sustainable upgrades include LED lighting, high-efficiency windows and mechanical systems, water-saving features, and restored historic details such as the Zodiac floor insignia.
Elliott described the project as both preservation and transformation.
“Our vision was to maintain the integrity of the original structure, to learn its architectural secrets, and to re-energize it,” Elliott said. “We wanted Engineering South to be a teaching tool — exposing structure, celebrating history and overlaying past, present and future. Most importantly, we brought it out of the dark. Now the building glows with the energy of engineering.”
Rand Elliott Architects team member Dallin Reese Whiting, another graduate of OSU’s architecture program, played a pivotal role in transforming Engineering South into a modern educational facility that bridges the past and future.
“Successful alumni like Rand and Dallin are living proof that we have an excellent school of architecture,” said Dr. Hanchen Huang, OSU CEAT dean. “Winning this award puts OSU at the forefront of a vital national conversation about adaptive reuse and sustainable design. Engineering South is not only a world-class academic space, but also a model of how historic buildings can be reinvented for the future.”
The project reflects themes voiced by CEAT faculty and students: imagination, innovation, transformation, disruption and evolution brought to life through design. Engineering South’s exposed orange structural steel now stands as a visible reminder of the university’s engineering legacy and future.
“Rand Elliott is an expert in nuanced building renovations,” said professor Nathan Richardson, CEAT’s School of Architecture head. “He retains and amplifies the building’s history while writing a new chapter with bold additions. The Engineering South renovation is one such example. He’s adept in using light to create meaningful experiences for people through architecture.”
Retrofit Magazine Article Highlights
“The transformation of Engineering South demonstrates that historic preservation and contemporary design are not conflicting concepts.” — Jim Schneider, LEED AP, Retrofit Magazine Writer
“The project stands as evidence that the most sustainable building is often the one already standing. It just needs someone to imagine its potential and bring it into the light.” — Jim Schneider, LEED AP, Retrofit Magazine Writer
Metamorphosis Awards Jury Comments
“A creative and innovative way to expose this structure for use as a teaching tool. I especially liked the way that modern innovations like glass entry walls were ‘slid’ into place within the historic building fabric—almost as if they’d always been there.” — Juror Daryl Johnson, American Institute of Architects (AIA), National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), and president, Johnson Architecture
“A sophisticated marriage of the contemporary and historic. Clever design integrating depictions of various engineering principles.” — Juror Andrew C. Smith, AIA, and principal, Hennebery Eddy Architects
Since its founding in 2012, Retrofit Magazine has become the premier U.S. publication dedicated to renovation, adaptive reuse and reinvention. Its annual Metamorphosis Awards highlight outstanding transformations across categories, including Interiors, Historic Structures and Whole Buildings.
OSU and Rand Elliott’s national recognition is featured on pages 44 through 49 in the November-December issue of Retrofit Magazine. View the article online at: https://issuu.com/retrofitmagazine/docs/retrofit_november_december_2025.
About Oklahoma State University
Oklahoma State University is a modern land-grant university that prepares students for success. OSU has more than 35,000 students across its five-campus system and more than 26,000 on its combined Stillwater and Tulsa campuses, with students from all 50 states and more than 127 nations. Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 290,000 students to serve the state of Oklahoma, the nation and the world.
About Rand Elliott Architects
Rand Elliott Architects is a widely noted architectural firm with an extensive portfolio of timeless, original work. An Oklahoma State University alumnus with team members who also “bleed orange,” their projects on the Stillwater campus inspire gratitude and great pride.
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