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W. Geoff Gjertson

Professor
School of Architecture and Design

Office: Fletcher Hall, Room 124
Phone: 337.482.5175
Email: gjertson@louisiana.edu

W. Geoff Gjertson, AIA, is an architect and Professor of Architecture. He is the co-director of the Building Institute, a “hands-on” design/build program which serves the community by building market-rate, sustainably-designed homes as well as other community projects in urban neighborhoods. Prof. Gjertson began teaching at UL Lafayette in 2000. In his tenure he has had the great opportunity to teach every level of architectural design, professional practice, design history, theory, and building systems. Prof. Gjertson’s research has focused on the integration of the professional and academic worlds through educational design/build and community service. The Building Institute which Gjertson co-founded in 2003 has designed and built over $2 million in projects in our community in the aid of many underserved communities especially for Habitat for Humanity. Prof. Gjertson has published over twenty papers and articles in peer-reviewed journals on architectural pedagogy, design, and history, written a book (GENERATING HOPE) on the BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home, a chapter in Thinking While Doing: Explorations in Educational Design/Build, and won over a dozen design awards for his professional practice work and student’s work. Along with co-principal investigators, Prof. Gjertson has generated $3.4 million in grants and contributions to the university and our partners. He has had the great honor of receiving the university recognition of the Dr. Ray P. Authement Excellence in Teaching Award and the Leadership Service Award.

His private practice work such as the Golden Residence and previous work with Holly and Smith Architects such as the Columbia Theatre, Rolling Residence and the SLU Classroom Building have won several state and regional awards. 

Gjertson's work has been published in professional and academic journals such as Architectural Record, the Journal of Architectural Education, the Journal of Interior Design, and Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture proceedings.