The Incheon International Airport positively impacted me in 2012. This was the first time I travelled to Asia. I was flying to Vietnam, but we had a flight change in Incheon, South Korea. This flight ended up being delayed due to weather, so the airport compensated us with a free meal voucher and a free bus ride to Seoul, South Korea to eat our meal and shop around the town. It was stressful to have the flight delayed because this was the first international trip I went on that I was responsible for navigating. My father does not speak much English so as a fourteen year old, I was in charge of making sure we made it to Vietnam safely.

The most interesting part of the Incheon International Airport was the greenery within the airport. Compared to the Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, OK, there was more biophilic design and natural elements. That alone created a different atmosphere in the airport in which you did not feel as though you were in an airport.

As an international airport, it was much larger than the Will Rogers World Airport. They had many more gift shops and duty free stores. All of the Korean people I spoke with were extremely nice! They helped me find my way when I got lost and helped me with the process of exchanging the currency so I could purchase something for my father and I.

One aspect that was unique and interesting to me was the restroom system in South Korea. The restroom stalls were floor to ceiling. The toilet paper was also outside of the stalls, so it was something you needed to grab before doing your business. There was no toilet paper in the stalls. Another interesting thing was that to check if someone was in the stall, you had to knock and if there was someone in there, they would not say anything but instead knocked back to let you know they were in there. In America, you would normally say “someone is in here” to a person knocking on your stall.

I would love to go back and study the different interior design elements of the Incheon International Airport!

One building that had both positive and negative impacts is Gould Hall located in the South Oval of the University of Oklahoma. This became my second home when I declared my major in Interior Design.

Studio culture is like a family and consists of long nights of working. There have been times that I have slept under my desk because I worked so late that it became morning and it was not worth going home to sleep just to be back on campus in a few hours. I used to keep dry food up in studio to eat on days that required long work hours. This was a difficult time, but also the best memories were made with other friends and classmates. Not only was I able to interact and collaborate with other interior design but also people from other disciplines like architecture, landscape architecture, etc.

One downside to Gould Hall that still bothers me are the restroom faucets for the sinks. They barely stick out and makes it nearly impossible to wash your hands without touching the back wall of the sink.

A recent positive impact was the Laser Lab on the second floor. I have been able to explore the 3D printing machines for my furniture design course. It has been a blast learning the different equipment and resources available to us from the college. I will be sad to graduate and leave the studio culture.

The Oklahoma State Capitol Bank in Oklahoma City is a building I have never visited but have driven by many times. This building is bittersweet to me because of the changes that have been made to it since it was built. Designed by Robert Roloff and built in 1967, it was dubbed the “Bank of the Future,” and was an excellent example of the “Googie” style of architecture of the 60’s. Its most distinctive feature was the “floating” saucers surrounded by glass that made up the building. The inside featured a conversation pit which doubled as an elevator, dropping to the safe deposit room in the basement. Unfortunately, due to economic and safety concerns, the building was eventually remodeled, filling in the glass with concrete, and ruining the flying saucer look. The building is still a fascinating architectural staple in Oklahoma City, but doesn’t reach the heights it used to. I wish I could visit the old bank and take that conversation pit elevator, but I am thankful that the building still stands.

Spring of 2019, I went with my family to Scottsdale, Arizona, and I got the opportunity to tour Taliesin West. The building, or perhaps more fittingly, the compound, operated as Frank Lloyd Wright’s School of Architecture beginning in 1932. It was an architecture school until closing in Spring of 2020. The setting in the Arizona mountains adds a serene atmosphere to the campus, surrounded by boulders and cacti. The building draws from many sources of inspiration, with many Japanese motifs located around the campus. Getting to see it in person was so interesting, with its close quarters, sloped ceilings, fully aluminum bathrooms, and oddly shaped doors. Taliesin West feels like a concept house that was never supposed to be built, but was, and is absolutely worth visiting.

When I moved to Norman, this house immediately caught my attention. The Ledbetter house was designed by architect Bruce Goff and built in 1948. I had always been interested by architecture, but this was the first building that made me look further into it, prompting me to read extensively about Goff and Organic architecture, the style for which he is most well known. The Ledbetter house fascinated me so strongly because I had never seen a building like it before. The exterior of the house has large circular overhangs for the carport, and several water features. Unfortunately, the outdoor pond by the sidewalk is no longer filled, but the interior has a small brook featuring a bridge that crosses it. I’ve spoken with several friends about the building and it’s the type of house you either love or hate. Personally, this house is my favorite building in Norman; everything about it captivates me.

The Lou and Nick Martin Campus Center was a building at my old high school, Fort Worth Country Day. It was built in 2010, when I was a fourth grader, and had a very positive influence on me in my early years. The building was a commons area that served multiple purposes including classes, assemblies, guest speakers, and art shows. Windows all around the sides of the buildings allowed sunlight to easily illuminate the building. This abundance of natural light meant that a very small amount of artificial light was necessary during the daytime. The inside walls of the building were made of stone which created a warm feeling while also appearing silky with its marble floors.

Every time I walked or sat in the building it made me very happy because I felt like I was still outside. I had countless positive experiences in the building, but the best experience occurred when I presented my senior year Capstone project in front of a crowd. I presented right in front of the windows on the side closest in the pictures. It was sunny and the light gave me a sense of confidence, even though I am not a very good public speaker. It was the best presentation I had ever given in my 13 years at the school. This experience would be one of my last in the building before I graduated. There was a since of poeticism because I had always respected and appreciated the building and it was almost like a goodbye that the building was giving me.

For many students at the University of Oklahoma, the Bizzell Memorial Library is either a safe haven of productivity, or a place filled with nightmarish memories of school. For me, I’d have to say it is the former.

I first encountered the library when I was taking a tour of OU as a senior in high school. Part of the tour took us through the various facilities that the library has to offer. It was a splendor walking through the corridors and hallways, looking at all the rest spots and study rooms; I had never seen a library this big and encompassing before in my life. It made my high school library look like a joke!

As I grew older and became a student at OU, my amazement with the library naturally drew me towards it when I needed it most. I spent many days and nights in various rooms in that library studying for school, whether it be by myself or with friends. I’ve spent every semester studying for finals there with friends and classmates, and I believe the calming nature of the library prepared me well each time.

I first encountered this marvel of architecture in the summer of 2019 in Florence, Tuscany. I was in Italy to study abroad through the OU program, and a visit to Florence was part of our Itinerary. From first viewing on the ground outside, the dome looked ginormous; It literally towered over the rest of the city. It is impossible to realize the magnitude of the building unless you’re there in person.

What first resonated with me was the gothic architecture style used throughout the building. The large, tall pillars and pointed arches made the cathedral feel imposing compared to the rest of the city. Walking through the main hall towards the dome was an experience in of itself, my anticipation rising as the dome on the far end crept into view.

The dome was absolutely massive and beautiful. While walking on a ledge around the perimeter of the inside of the dome, the intricate painting and stained glass windows stood out to me. It sparked within me a new appreciation for architecture within that moment, as I thought about the amount of labor that went in to designing and building this huge cathedral in the 14th and 15th centuries, back when tasks like this were almost impossible.

The last and final building that I decided to do was the Dallas Cowboys stadium in Arlington, Texas. This is also a building that brings a lot of positive memories for me. The first reason is that I grew up a Dallas Cowboys fan. This love for the Cowboys stemmed from my father. The second reason why this building brings a lot of positive memories is that I won 2 state championships in this building in high school and have played over 6 games in this stadium. The building itself is massive. Pictures do not do the size justice. The roof is able to retract which allows it to be open during the more pleasant months and close when it starts to get cold. The video screen in the middle was the largest of its kind when it was first built. This building brings tons of memories back and will always be special to me.

The next building that I want to write about is the church that I grew up going to, HPPC. This church was a big part of my childhood because my family and I would go to church every Sunday here and I also met a good amount of my childhood friends at this church as well. I also went to Pre-K here and met some of my friends that I still hang out with today. These friends were the first people that I met when I moved here from North Carolina. I also spent the Summer of 2019 working at this church as a youth leader. This building brings a lot of positive emotions due to the connection I have spiritually to this building. I feel like I did a lot of growing up in this building. The building itself has been through a good amount of changes since I first started attending it, but the people and the atmosphere have remained the same. I always thought that the building itself was a really pretty building and had a bunch of natural light. They did renovations last year and I thought that the way they incorporated the new area of the building was very well done.