Graceland is Elvis Presley’s Mansion in Memphis, Tennessee. This 1940’s home is a colonial style building with many windows, a covered porch with a high ceiling, and giant pillars. The inside of the house has stayed the same sense Elvis passed away in 1977. The thing I remember most about visiting this house was how neat it was to see a house that was basically untouched-it was like I got to time travel back to the late seventies. His “Jungle Room” had green shag carpet on the floors and the ceilings, and there was a stacked stone waterfall. This room is what influenced me to decorate my house as mid-century.

One of my most memorable vacations I took as a child with my parents was a trip to Savannah, Georgia. Already in my teens I had a strong interest in history, especially early American history. Savannah is rich with historical remnants as parts of the city date back to the late 1700s. Within the historical district of Savannah community center squares that are surrounded by historic houses.

I think my favorite square was the Chippewa Square. Not only was it the most beautiful as it sits in front of the gothic-styled First Baptist Church but it was actually the iconic bus stop scene for the  Forrest Gump movie. [1]

Many squares contained large statues of Revolutionary War heroes and beautiful water fountains that were located in the middle of the square like a magnificent centerpiece. Many of the houses were federal style and had to meet a strict code of appearance as in all being painted the same and well maintained. Additionally, the entire block is covered in huge willow trees that create such an amazing atmosphere that you just can’t find anywhere else.

[1] Forrest Gump, Savannah: Bench & Filming Locations (gosouthsavannah.com)

I visited Versailles in March of 2019 and it is a place I hope to go back to one day. The tour I got to go on was amazing and learning about the history of the Palace and about the royalty that lived there was something that will always be fascinating to me. Seeing the view of the back of the Palace from the grounds/gardens behind it was breathtaking. Seeing how each bedroom and room was created for a specific purpose was really fascinating to see. To learn about why each room was how it was and why some elements were included was very interested. The building is so beautiful on the inside and the design and artwork on the inside are breathtaking. My favorite room in the Palace is the Hall of Mirrors. Everything from the molding, the chandeliers, and the arches that are included in the Hall of Mirrors makes it so breathtaking to see. I loved how the room had gold accents and how perfectly the artwork on the ceilings flowed together with each other.

The image above is of the back of the Palace taken from the massive and luxurious gardens that are at the back of the Palace. Something also that is important to note about the architectural design of the palace is the utilization of space. When the palace was used as a residence the rulers would have visitors always meaning they needed many rooms. They constructed the palace with multiple courtyards in order to allow for more rooms and still offer the rooms with grand windows to allow light in, this allowed for more rooms and less wasted space. Everything from the grounds to the rooms in the Palace was beautifully constructed and designed. The architects managed to create a timeless symbol of beauty in all aspects of the palace. If you ever have the chance to go visit it is one of the most beautiful things I have seen, learning about the history of the Palace and learning about the people who help residence at the Palace is something that was so interesting to hear about and to see exactly where they stayed.

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi is located in Santa Fe, New Mexico and was built in the early 18th century in the Romanesque Revival style. The church is not huge or extravagant in any sense, and yet there is a definite beauty in its simplicity, I feel. I enjoy the brickwork of the building, as well as the understated columns that make up the lower facade. The inside of the building is equally impressive, with great attention to detail throughout. The intricate stained glass windows really add to the beauty of the church, in my opinion. These qualities, among others, create a spiritual atmosphere and helped to fill me with a sense of calm, which is something I always enjoy. To me, this building is a place to come and shut out the outside world and have the opportunity to focus on the beauty of the moment. I must not be alone in this sentiment, as this church is a definite tourist attraction within Santa Fe, and usually has a steady supply of visitors from what I could tell. Religious or not, this church is certainly worth a visit, as it definitely impacted me in a positive way.

The First Baptist Church in Purcell, Oklahoma is a place that means a lot to me. It is a place that I spent a lot time when I was growing up. This is a church that not only did I grow up in, but my dad grew up in and his dad grew up in. The new church building was added onto in 2012. It is a very nice and new building that I love to go back and visit. When I go home for holidays, I go back to that church every Sunday. It is a building that I not only love for the memories that it holds, but for the beauty of the building itself. Baptist churches are known for being very traditional, but because this church is new it took the design in a different direction. The building has a traditional feel, but with modern attributes. The front room when you first walk into the building has all glass walls, that gives the building a very modern feel. The main sanctuary however, has stained glass along the back wall. The stained glass gives the building a very traditional feeling. This is one of the most important buildings that I have been to, because it holds memories and feeling of the thing that means the most to me, in my faith.

This is a building that I hope to one day take my family to every week. I love my church in my hometown and hope that it is something I will get to share with my children. The building is a beautiful design that combines traditional churches with modern buildings.

I visited the Sydney Opera House in July of 2015 on a trip to Australia and New Zealand. I remember being able to see it from my hotel room and from the Sydney bridge and it probably was the first building that I actually thought in detail about and was in awe of. I was fortunate enough to be able to take a tour of the Opera House and got to see the inside of it as well. Walking up the steps that surround the Opera House was breathtaking in itself. The shape of the building is something that I’ve never seen since. The construction of it is vastly unique and offers elegance and excitement to the city. It is amazing how crazy yet elegant the building looks and how captivating it is to look at. Usually, it’s things like sunsets and views of the ocean that captivate your eye but in this case, this is genuinely a building that is easy and exciting to look at. I remember going to a restaurant on the boardwalk that surrounds the opera house and looking at the Sydney Opera House the entire dinner and talking with my family about how cool it was to get to see. The inside of the building you can tell how it was specifically constructed and designed for acoustics, yet they still were able to create an amazing building with all those qualities. One design element also worth noting is how it is positioned in the harbor so there is water surrounding all but one side of the building that leads back to the harbor. Not one part of the building is dull and it was something truly breathtaking to see.

Notre Dame Cathedral is one of the most impactful buildings I’ve seen in my life thus far. I remember seeing pictures of it before I visited in March of 2019 and already was amazed. But nothing compared to standing at the bottom of the steps and looking up at it in person. The beauty and history of the cathedral speaks for itself and learning in depth about the cathedral made me appreciate it that much more. Learning about the renovations and improvements that have taken place in its lifetime shows just how far the building had to come to stand with the beauty it has today. I remember walking up the steps to the bell tower and being amazed that all of this was created all that time ago. The building is massive on the inside and the high ceilings in the center of the building help accentuate how big the first floor feels.

In the picture above you can see all the details they have incorporated that make the interior of this building so beautiful. I remember looking at all the details on the pillars and looking at all of the arches they have incorporated. The one thing that really stuck with me and that I remember vividly looking at the stained glass windows behind the alter.

The outside of the building is also something of beauty. I remember looking at it from two different vantage points on my trip to France. The first time I saw it was when I went into the cathedral. Seeing the front entrance of the building and seeing how the arches on the outside are carried on throughout the interior of the building as well. Even though it looks massive on the outside you don’t really notice how big it is until you see it from the side. I remember being on a boat on the river seine and passing by Notre Dame and seeing how massive it actually is. The day that I went and visited and the day I rode by it are days and images that I will never forget.

The Will Rogers World Airport was the first airport I have ever flown out of. This building has positively impacted my life because it was the start of my interest in aviation and flying. I have always loved flying since my first flight out of the country in middle school. I flew with Frontier Airlines out of Will Rogers World Airport to Costa Rica.

Most recently, the Will Rogers World Airport has been a huge influence in my life. I have recently been interested in aviation design and have selected to redesign components of the Will Rogers World Airport for my interior design senior capstone project. I had the opportunity to connect with the airport construction superintendent of the Will Rogers World Airport for an exclusive tour of the entire airport. I got to dive deep into the behind the scenes components of the airport that an average traveler would not have access to. During the tour, I was able to see the new expansion that just partially opened to the public this fall. That tour was especially eye opening because there were more things that I thought an airport had and understood more about components that I have always wondered about like the baggage claim system.

The original airport was built in 1965 and was extremely small compared to now. They had an expansion done in 2001 by Benham to create the ticketing counters that we are used to now. I did not know that was never apart of the original building and took it for granted as a convenience. The new expansion had created a larger TSA security area and incorporated beautiful artwork in the terrazzo flooring and the new mezzanine. It felt like a completely different space than the original concourse. It was stunning. I cannot wait for when the expansion is completed and fully open to the public.

The Taos Pueblo, located near the town of Taos, New Mexico, is the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in North America, founded between AD 1000-1400, home to the Red Willow People. The Pueblo is a large communal complex composed almost entirely of adobe and timbre, as it has since its founding. When I visited the Pueblo, I have to admit, I thought of their way of life as somewhat primitive, due to their lack of plumbing, air conditioning, heating, electricity, etc. Upon entering a room of the Pueblo, I realized that the adobe does insulate against the heat of New Mexico, but certainly to lesser extant than a modern home with a/c. I learned during my visit here that over a hundred people live here continuously; it then occurred to me that these people are preserving their heritage and the way of life of their ancestors, and that these aspects are important enough to their sense of being that they reject the comforts of of modern life. Therefore, this simple adobe Pueblo symbolizes something much greater than the sum of its mud and straw walls, and I think that’s pretty inspiring. I must also mention that the Pueblo people were all very kind and welcoming to visitors, even those not trying to sell you something. The handmade pottery, jewelry, and instruments they offered were a nice touch as well. Overall, I enjoyed visiting the Pueblo and am glad that I was given the opportunity to expand my perspective of the forms housing might take, and would recommend visiting if you are in the area.

The physical science center here at OU is a building on campus that immediately caught my attention freshman year (Fall 2019). The building that stands twelve stories and 182,963squar feet and is nicknamed “the blender” by students across the campus for its odd shape and characteristics. The building does not have windows on the first 5 floors and is deemed to be riot-proof. It was constructed in 1969 and has been something of a talking point in every sense. In my opinion, the building has affected me negatively. Most classrooms don’t have windows, and it isn’t appealing to the eye on the outside or on the inside. The layout of rooms is very confusing and hard to navigate. It just overall is not a well thought out building. The outside of the building is a brown color and very displeasing to the eye in every way. The overall shape of the building is very peculiar. It is also my opinion that it is the most unappealing building on campus. This building is located next to the beautiful bizell library, a building that was beautifully crafted and features a sophisticated interior as well. The contrast between these buildings is astronomical and makes the flaws in the physical science center stand out more because it is placed next to such a building as the bizell library. I think the physical science center disrupts the beauty of the OU campus, although I know it isn’t feasible for it to be knocked down I still do wish they could do something to make it more appealing to the eye.

https://www.sosbrutalism.org/cms/18801332