While the name may not sound familiar, the Ledbetter House designed by Bruce Goff is one that we all know well. Located right down W Brooks St. behind the McFarlin Methodist Church sits the Ledbetter House: one of the most impressive and successful pieces of architecture in Norman, OK history. Initially designed and built for oil-guru H.E. Ledbetter, the house is now owned by the University of Oklahoma. The house features Goff’s take on what modern architecture is supposed to be: unconventional, shocking, and speechless. When the house reached its completion in 1948, it drew in a crowd of 14,000 visitors to tour the home before anyone was allowed to move in. Features of the home such as a large ramp instead of a staircase, corrugated aluminum panels, and water drips in stone walls (among many other details) bewildered the Norman community of what modern architecture meant.

While the house was designed for Ledbetter, he never actually resided in the home because of the cost to build it. So, for the sake of keeping the home alive, the American Legion group and Alpha Gamma Delta sorority raised money to preserve its beauty. The home was eventually bought by the university and added to the National Register in 1999.

Resource: https://okcmod.com/2012/12/consternation-and-bewilderment-in-oklahoma-the-ledbetter-house/

This home was an already an existing structure when Bruce Goff got his hands on it. He was hired by engineer Myron Bachman to remodel an old home in Chicago to become one with Goff’s unique perspective of architecture and design. To meet this request, Goff completely restructured the exterior roof of the home and window openings. Once complete, the exterior of the house resembled that of an old, goth-like cathedral church. The roof came to a point at the top with extreme slants and features some odd placements of gorgeously curated windows. Goff changed the old exterior from wood to cladded brick and aluminum, giving off a vibe of industrial roots.

The house still stands strong today, and was actually officially declared as a Chicago landmark on December9, 1992. In 2014, the house went on the market, but had a hard time selling due to a lack of upkeep of the interior throughout the years. It eventually was sold, but the house is more used as a tour destination rather than a dwelling space.

Resource: https://webapps1.chicago.gov/landmarksweb/web/landmarkdetails.htm?lanId=1248

Located just west of Aurora, Illinois sits a more than interesting structure of a home. Made up of three dome-like huts, Sam and Ruth Van Sickle call this place home. Featuring a windy driveway and a “rib cage” patio hut, this piece of Bruce Goff’s work begs the question, “why?” With so much uniqueness and specificity, this home was definitely designed for someone that could appreciate the creative mind behind its completion. Ruth Van Sickle Ford was the Director of the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, who hired Goff to draw up a home that challenged reality. In return, Goff produced the Ford House.

At first glance, this house looks windowless and open, with the structure of hut rib cages. However, two out of the three domes are encapsulated with glass walls, while the third is considered a patio. It’s hard to understand how this structure has remained so beautiful and stable over the many years of its existence, but that just shows how much of a mastermind Goff is. He planned this design with the goal of making it sustainable and enjoyable for countless years to come. The Ford House still sits there today, confusing onlookers and satisfying those that step foot inside.

Resource: https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/IL-01-089-0079

This house was built in 1955, at the peak of Bruce Goff’s incredible architectural mind. To many, this work is considered his best, with its eclectic style and mind-bending structure. The house features an unconventional interior, giving it the feel of being tucked away in a cave when in reality its foundation was on Norman, OK soil. The walls are made of quarried ironstone with placements of clear and blue glass scattered throughout. Overall, the house is very whimsical and magical, making it hard to believe that it rests within the county lines that also houses the University of Oklahoma. This shows how impressive and powerful Goff was with his work. He had the ability to make something so eccentric and movie-like yet extremely accessible. To me, this is what makes architecture so personal. It doesn’t matter what your style is or where home is for you; you can make beauty anywhere you are to match what you desire. And that’s exactly what Bruce Goff did.

The structure was demolished in 2016 due to a roof collapse and insufficient funds to keep it at the level of beauty it requires. Seeing the fall of this piece of artwork should be an encouragement to all of us to recognize and appreciate the work around us while we can. In a world that is constantly looking for the “next big thing,” we often lose sight of what we already have. While it’s a shame the Bavinger House is no longer around, it serves as a reminder that some of the most impactful architecture is right in front of our eyes.

Resource: https://www.archdaily.com/171574/ad-classics-bavinger-house-bruce-goff

During my junior year of high school, Jerry Jones (owner of the Cowboys) just finished building the new Dallas Cowboys practice facility in my hometown of Frisco. This was a huge accomplishment for Frisco and brought in a lot of business, but what was most exciting for me was the fact that my school district’s football games and soccer games would take place in that facility. As I was on the soccer team my junior year, I had the thrill of being down on the same field that Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot would practice everyday. Having this experience was so fun for me and I’ll always reflect back on that huge stadium with so much joy. The field was massive, the stands stacked up extremely high, and the building itself just carried an atmosphere of intensity and competition. Being an athlete at that time, just being in that place energized me and I was always so amped up for our games at that stadium.

Emma Kemp

This house brings back such strong memories from my childhood. When I was in fifth grade, my (at the time) small town of Frisco had a rumor milling around. There was a new mansion being built on a huge lot of land right by the local sports fields and an elementary school, and everyone at my school whole-heartedly believed that the mansion was going to belong to Tony Romo. Obviously, it was just a rumor, but me and my friends watched this mansion build from the ground up, with its castle-esque exterior and huge iron fence keeping it protected from the outside. There was a fountain put in front of the house and it truly looked like a mansion from a Halloween movie. Once it was done being built, we waited patiently for Tony Romo to arrive. That clearly never happened, but no one else seemed to be moving in either. Because this mansion was such a stick in the mud compared to the rest of Frisco, it had gained some public traction throughout the years of it being built. A few weeks after its completion, a news article was released stating that the original buyer of the land and house was found guilty of fraud, so they never actually finished the interior of the house. So this once believed future mansion of Tony Romo was actually just an exterior for an empty interior. No details, no rooms, and no one to live there. Over the next several years the grass in the lawn grew tall and chains were put on the fence, until one day two years ago someone anonymously bought the house and finally finished the project. Now it is off the market and someone resides inside, but to me it will always be Tony Romo’s forgotten mansion.

Emma Kemp

The Perot Museum is one of the most beautiful pieces of architecture I’ve encountered. As it’s a science museum, the inside is of course breathtaking and unique. However, my favorite part of this building is it’s intriguing exterior. As a kid growing up in the Dallas area, anytime we went downtown I looked forward to driving past this museum. It caught my attention every single time and created a curiosity for me as to what was inside. On one side of the building, there is a glass encasing of a staircase, giving anyone on the outside a quick glimpse of the mystery inside. This is what was so fascinating to me as a kid. I didn’t know what was inside, but that look into the staircase made me want to be part of the people there so badly. Some nights they would host grand dinner events or weddings, and the staircase gave the perfect view of the beauty inside. This is something that is so fascinating to me about architecture. The building or space is a blank, beautiful canvas for people to then come and fill that space with their own personal beauty, enhancing the environment around them.

Emma Kemp

When I first encountered this building, I was an uncertain high school senior trying to figure out what my next step in life should be. I was scared, nervous, and looking for any form of comfort I could find in an attempt to get some answers for myself. When I visited OU and stepped into the Bizzell Memorial Library, I immediately felt at peace. As I looked at the beautiful exterior and walked into a vast, resourceful interior. The layout of the building was exciting to me, as it seemed like I would never be able to reach every part of the library; there was always something new to explore and find. The most breathtaking part of the library is clearly the Great Reading Room, and this space has become a safe haven for me. The large, grand windows and incredibly high ceilings help me feel free and unrestricted, and the detailing of the floors and walls adds a level of beauty that puts me at ease. This building is my absolute favorite on campus and I will never forget how I felt walking through those doors for the first time.

Emma Kemp