Church-William Mangin

Growing up, I passed by this church on my way to school everyday. Back then the church was simply known as "the flying saucer church". I saw the church again over spring break; and even now, every time I see it, I am reminded of a flying saucer.

Multi level home- William Mangin

Located in a hilly neighborhood, this house uses its different floors really well. The front door and garage seem to be on the ground (basement) floor; but, there are entrances to the house from all levels. The back patio is accessed from the 3rd story. Great design that uses the lot its on to the fullest.

Round House- William Mangin

I drove past this house while in Dallas for spring break, and it caught my attention. The house mimics the curve in the road, so you really get a good look of the whole "front" of the house. There are a lot of windows, but proper placed walls and the exterior metal framework seems to help with the privacy. very cool house.

Rockefeller Center - Benjamin Colbert

Over spring break I went to New York City. It is a completely different world compared to Oklahoma. One night I went exploring with one of my friends in Manhattan. We stumbled upon this colossal building in the Rockefeller Center. I have never felt so small before in my life. The clouds made it seem like the building never ended, it just kept going up.

Eero Saarinen-Dulles International Airport Terminal

The main terminal was designed in 1958 by famed Finnish architect Eero Saarinen.  I got to fly in and our of this terminal when going to DC for a meeting last fall.  Again a visit is worth a thousand photographs.  To me this is building does what all great buildings should do-transform the lives of the users as they move through it, to see and begin to understand the eternal and spiritual realm.  This certainly does that for me!

Bavinger House-Norman Oklahoma

I have been thinking about the Bavinger House located  in east Norman after showing the animated video develop by Skyline Inc. for the Goff exhibit a few years ago.  Just looking at these images and thinking back to the last time people actually got to tour this incredible space makes me sad in knowing, at least at this time, it seems that no one will ever get to walk around it and inside to experience the scale and form and organic integration of this house with it's natural surroundings.  It also makes me think about how today's building codes would no allow for this to be built.  

Zambia-Contrasting Buildings There to Those in Dubai

The next leg of our journey took us to Zambia to look at developing a service learning class for our students for August.  After spending a day running around Dubai, this image, and the others taken, filled our eyes with the sharp contrast of rich and poor.  This is a typical street business and residence in a city of 83 % unemployment.  No infrastructure can be seen in most places.  No sewer system.  No water system.  No storm drain system.  No paving.  Just lots of Toyota buses, like this one, carrying people everywhere hustling for work and the next deal.  I am still trying to understand how this can be.

Building Buildings Bigger in Dubai

Got a chance to stop in Dubai over Spring Break on our way to Zambia.  We architects have read about buildings going up in Dubai for years since they hire the worlds top Starchitects to design them.  Having visited has showed me how inadequate ,'A picture is worth a thousand words," really is.  In fact, the phrase I am making up-"a visit is worth a thousand photographs," is closer to the truth about understanding any place. The Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, is in the center of the photo is is a long way away from where I am taking this photo.  It is about 144 stories tall!  to help you understand what that means just think about the Devon Tower in OKC.  It is 52 stories tall.  Think about how it dominates the OKC skyline.  The other building is this photo are the same size as Devon!  this is a case of putting it all in perspective-literally.

A storage building that my Dad and I built- Wayne Williams

   I know that this did not take much about Archeology to build this storage building, but I thought that is was pretty cool to build this over spring break. It has racks to store things in top of the building  as well as the bottom. The building is located at my Dad's house in Bogata, Texas.

Home town buildings- Wayne Williams

                                                                         On the subject of hometowns, my hometown had 738 people living in it when I lived there. It is called Bogata, Texas and has 1100 people living in it now. This is the First United Methodist Church and is the only semi-interesting building that is in the my hometown. I don't know when it was built, but it is older than me and I'm 33. 

Fireplace at my parents house -Whitney Apperson

This is the fire place at my parents home in Arkansas. I've always thought this was the coolest fireplace I've ever seen.! You can't really tell from this picture but the chimney pipe goes up another 5 feet. I love how its inset into the wall and rocked in. As a kid I would always try to climb the rocks. This fireplace will run you out of the house with how much heat it produces.

Home in Norman-Whitney Apperson

This is a building/house I drive by in Norman off of Main Street. I'm not completely sure if it's a house or a business because I have a friend that lives on that street that said it used to be a dentist office. I've always thought this was such a neat building in terms of colors, textures and it's lines. It doesn't really fit in the neighbor but I still like it

The Golden Gate Bridge - Kara Miller

This spring break I spent in San Francisco, California.  The Golden Gate Bridge, a well known landmark, was my favorite sight to see.  It was amazing to think something so tall and miraculous could be made to provide transportation across a body of water.  

Devon Energy Hall Balcony - Nathan Ferraro

Makeshift panoramic picture from the balcony of Devon Energy Hall

View from red dot looking south

On a warm day, the balcony is the perfect option. You can see all over campus from this vantage point. It's refreshing to get outside and be able to work in the fresh air. The sunlight energizes you much more than a fluorescent light.  

Oklahoma Memorial Union - Nathan Ferraro

I was walking up the steps near the theater in the union and I was caught off guard by this little gem. It's so simple that I think it's brilliant. The symmetry is aesthetically pleasing. The long vertical window makes the space seem as if the roof is 1000 feet up. The luminaire, chairs, and chest look as if they were taking from a 100 year old picture. I also find it fitting that there was a half eaten apple resting on the chest (it was a real apple). It makes the space more cozy. This small corner just invites you in. Quite, desolate, and tucked away in a stairwell, I may have found my new favorite place to study.

The EPF - Benjamin Colbert

I had a class last semester where I had to recreate the Engineering Practice Facility on computer using software called SketchUp. The amount of detail into this fairly simple looking building is a lot to take on. It took a long time to just redesign the facade. All the intrusions and extrusions on just one side of the building gave me a lot of issues. It took a lot of work to make a mock of it, but to actually design this building from scratch takes a lot of attention to detail.

Tadao Ando's amazing building--Shuyu Meng

I took these photos on Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. I visited the museum on spring break. I planed to appreciate the works of modern art. But when I walked in the building I was deeply impressed by the architecture. This is an amazing building! Almost all the outer wall was made of glass. It looks like a huge glass box. There is a lake on the back of the building. When I stood near the wall I can see the clear lake and the other part of the building. It seems a transparent world. Especially the design of combining the glass and the water is very prefect. It building is concise, energy and modern.

The building’s architect is Tadao Ando. At the end of my visit on museum store I knew it. So it isn’t strange the building is amazing.     

Elm parking facility-Jacob Adams

This has to be the most modern looking of the parking garages on campus at O.U. I generally park here a few times a week and it is the only of the three that seems to stand alone. Though it seems cramped at times on the inside, the outside has a very modern look that matches the tone of the other new buildings on campus quite nicely.

St. Lious City Hall - Simon Ott

Another building of note in St. Louis is the City Hall.  Built in 1890, it originally featured a central tower and spires near the ends.  Apparently the Mayors office is still located in the building.   The exterior is composed of Missouri pink granite and pink-orange Roman brick.  It has 150 rooms on four floors.  It is wonderful to see such a building still in use by the city and not abandoned for some newer less interesting structure.

Train Station - Simon Ott

This is Union Station in St. Louis, Mo.  During my visit there I had a day to spend walking the downtown.  I estimate I walked about 60 blocks that day up and down the city streets admiring the architecture.  Of the many wonderful buildings I was certianly impressed by the Union Station.  A bit of searching and I found out it was built in 1894 and originally featured a gold-leafed Grand Hall.  At one point it serviced the most railroads in the world handling 100,000 passengers a day.

Golden Hall of Beijing Hotel--Shuyu Meng

This is the Golden Hall that the interior of Beijing Hotel. Beijing Hotel is located on the Wangfujing Street which is the bustling street in the central of Beijing. Beijing Hotel was built in 1900. This magnificent building combine the style of the West and the East. The carved patterns of doors and windows are in Chinese style. The hall is well decorated. The whole hall looks like a royal palace. It also has the modern element as well. The ceiling is really tall so that people can fell imposing of the building.

Winspear Opera House

This is the Winspear Opera House in Dallas, Texas.  It first opened to the public in 2009 and my mom and I went to one of the shows.  I just remember loving all of the music played, I remember how fantastic the acoustics were and how beautiful it was on the inside.  The giant chandelier was breathtaking as well.  But my favorite thing was how they made the glass on the outside look red-as you can see in the photo above.  Red is my favorite color.

--Anson Wilson

NY- Lauren Massey

Really awesome pictures of buildings in New York City!!

Fred Jones Art Center--Shuyu Meng

 This is the interior of Fred Jones Art Center. I take most of my classes here. I love the huge glass doors and windows. When I sit on the sofa and read a book, the sunshine will go through the glass. I feel so comfortable and warm. Because of the glass, I can also have a good view of the outdoor landscapes. It is wonderful. And these glass doors and windows make the Art Center more artistic.

LCS - Kara Miller

This is Lakewood Christian School.  I went here Pre-K all the way until I graduated high school.  Even though it doesn't look like much, it withholds so many memories (good and bad).  The best memory is graduating and leaving it behind in the past.  It will always have a special place in my heart.

SEC-Taylor Johnson

This is Sarkey's Energy Center on campus. For the last two years I have spent most of my time in this building because this is where my major classes are located. It is pretty confusing to get around in and you can get lost easily, but once you figure it out it is a cool building to explore. The plaza outside is also a nice place to study and looks awesome in the springtime.

-Taylor Johnson

Chesapeake Arena- Braden Wallace

The Chesapeake Arena is where the OKC Thunder play (surely everyone knows that). Basketball is my favorite sport and when the NBA came to Oklahoma I was very happy about it. What I like most about the building is what goes on within it, because it is my favorite sport I really enjoy watching it and being there in person. The Chesapeake Arena also united much of the state on the same team, which used to be greatly divided between OU and osu.

Fort Worth Stock Yards - Grant Baggs

This is one of my favorite places on earth. Growing up I was able to visit the Stock Yards often, and always enjoyed it. If you have never been I would suggest making a visit sometime. 

Union - Grant Baggs

Everyone who has been to inside the union can probably agree it has some amazing architecture inside and out. I work at career services on the third floor which means I get to spend a lot of time inside this building on a day to day basis. 

Reunion tower- Gabrielle lockwood

 

This building is my favorite part of Dallas' skyline. It adds a unique touch to the city and makes it distinct from any other. I had my 12th birthday party at the restaurant inside this building.

Bizzell- Gabrielle Lockwood

The library is my favorite building on campus and part of the reason why I came to the University of Oklahoma. I love the Harry Potter feel of the great reading room. It is a great place to get my work done in peace.

My job!- Gabrielle Lockwood

The picture from the post about my job at the J.D. McCarty Center didn't show up so here it is! I hope.

Michelangelo's Coffee and Wine Bar Cafe - Lauren Massey

I just found out about Michelangelo's. Basically, there is unlimited coffee for about 3 dollars so i will probably spend the majority of the rest of the semester here. It is decorated awesome inside, super warm, super relaxing..... Should definitely check it out if you need a good environment to get some work done or just a place to read! 

The Daily Grind - Wes Jones

This is the Sara Lee bakery and warehouse in downtown Oklahoma City. This is just one of the many customers I go to do federal inspections on semi-trailers. One of the disadvantages I deal with while I am here is having to smell fresh baking bread while I am working which is a pleasant smell but it makes you very hungry. My job is not a glamorous one but is pays the bills and takes me all around the city. I'm rarely at the same place for more than a few hours at a time.

My Childhood Home- Karissa Schlickbernd

This is the house I grew up in when I lived in Nebraska. You can't really tell by the front view, but this house has a basement. If you were to keep going towards the back side of the house, you will actually start going down a hill that leads into our backyard. There you can view our entryway to the basement. The basement is of course where a lot of my childhood memories come from. When my family moved to Oklahoma, we learned that houses aren't built with basements due to the red clay. That was interesting because most of the houses I had seen while growing up there all had basements. So even the kind of land influences what is built.

MBFWL- Ashley Carter

In all honesty I have no idea what this is. When I ran across this building I knew it would be perfect for this blog. Randomly driving around, as I love to do, I noticed some graffiti on the back of a building. I stopped to take pictures of it and come to find out this was on the front of it. A man standing outside of the building said that he thinks it's an art museum but I'm thinking it may be more than that. I love the actual art and thought put into this building. I just love how unique it is! It makes you wonder what's inside of there. It had the initials MBFWL on it. Come to find out it meant Made By Freaks With Love. Lol. A little freakish looking but still very eye catching. Forgot to mention, this is Downtown OKC Bricktown.

Sky Dance Bridge- Ashley Carter

I couldn't figure out how to rotate the picture but this is the Sky Dance Bridge located in Oklahoma City. I know this isn't a building but it always captures my eye and I hope it does the same for you. It's a beautiful yet simple structure. You can see it right off the freeway. It also has a side street that takes you directly to the structure and allows you literally stand directly underneath it. Pretty cool if you ask me.