The Bizzell Library

The Bizzell Library holds a special place in my heart and is one of the reasons of why I love OU so much. The first I came to visit the University of Oklahoma was Easter Weekend. It was at that moment when I had walked onto the south oval for the time and seen the Biz sitting there with its beautiful gothic architecture that I knew I wanted to come to OU.

Home Gym

Due to COVID-19 my gym shut down. Being in the military, physical fitness is extremely important. I was fortunate enough to have a space at home to be able to workout in, however, my dad thought it wasn’t big enough. My dad is very handy with building and things like that so over the past couple weeks he has been teaching me how to add on to a building. It isn’t finished yet but it will be finished this weekend and I am so excited. This building used to be a storage building so it was a pain to go through and clean out to prepare for the add on. But this build has taught me things to look for when building a house in the future. Also I know how to tell if things are being done right or I could just do it myself. It has been a fun memory with my dad and I will never forget it.

Flatiron Building

Throughout the years, I’ve been watching movies with the flatiron building constantly being shown in many scenes. I was always fascinated with this Iconic building and its triangular shape and when I got the chance to visit New York I stopped by to eat dinner near it. From seeing it in movies to visiting the actual place in person was a satisfying experience. Although when I did visit the Flatiron building it was unfortunate that the base of it was undergoing reconstruction I was not able to take a picture perfect vision of it.

Bizzell Memorial library

Bizzell Memorial Library | galileo

The Bizzell Memorial Library has had a huge impact on my college life. I really like the Cherokee Gothic architecture around campus, especially with this library. It has made my walk to class more enjoyable due to the beauty of the buildings. The architecture itself on this campus was a major factor in my decision of choosing OU as my undergraduate college. Layton Hicks & Forsyth were the architects who built this and I really admire their work. There have been countless times I’ve gone in here and have been productive studying for exams. This building really brightens up the atmosphere around campus and I believe it is the central and most important building in Norman besides maybe the football stadium. The Great Reading Room is one of my favorite rooms in this building and I continue to go here and admire this structure as long as I am on campus.

Dr. Pepper Ballpark

While this ballpark doesn’t hold any particularly special memories for me, I find myself thinking about it often. I’ve only been to Dr. Pepper Ballpark a hand full of times, but each time I am mesmerized by the structure’s style and simple elegance.

I like how in the middle of North Texas, there is such coastal looking building. I remember walking through the stadium, looking at all of the wood elements, and wanting to take pictures of everything. Though this structure is a sporting venue, I think it has charm and beauty that other sports complexes don’t have.

Crescent Hotel

The Crescent Hotel is a beautiful building located in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas in the town of Eureka Springs. I first went there with my parents back in 2016 for a little trip and it was amazing how beautiful the town and the Crescent Hotel are. The hotel has a French Renaissance and Richardsonian Romanesque style that creates a beautiful building with such a great design. I could not believe the great size and architecture while driving through the Ozarks and seeing the hotel grow closer as we were first getting there. There are so many windows throughout the buildings and the height of the walls draws your eyes upward. Our rooms were directly off the balcony and we would sit outside in the evenings and watch the moon come up over the mountains. The view was breathtaking and the hotel really just made the trip fantastic.

The Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs is known as the Most Haunted Hotel in  America. Arkansas Histor… | Eureka springs, Crescent hotel eureka springs, Crescent  hotel

Philbrook Museum of Art

The Philbrook museum has been an amazing and inspiring building to me since I was young. My mother would take me there to see their large collection of art pieces with diverse narratives within them, but I always thought that the building itself had such an interesting story. It is so interesting that this was the former home of an oil pioneer (Waite Phillips) who commissioned architect Edward Buehler Delk to design it.

I have always admired the twisted columns and intricate ceilings that were inspired by Italian Renaissance, it felt like it was from a different time. The exterior as well as the gardens were even more stunning. I think I loved going there so much because I had such a heart for European styles and culture. Being there was an escape in a way. It does not feel like Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

Fort Sam Houston

I went to Fort Sam Houston for advanced individual training (AIT). I trained to be a 68W or combat medic. In this building, we suffered through long nights of studying, lack of sleep, and sleepovers. My best friend is someone I met during this training and we spent every second we could together. The days were long filled with classroom and combat training. Here we fit 16 weeks of basic EMT training in the span of 4 weeks. We then moved on to more medical care during combat or the “whiskey” phase. I learned that I could anything I put my mind to. My drill sergeants were great mentors and an inspiration to where I am today. This building will never be forgotten.

Not just an office building

This may just look like a normal office building to you, but this piece of architecture is so much more to me. This is the office building where my dad’s architectural firm was located for 36 years. I grew up from a very young age coming to this building. In the summers this is where my older sister and I would spend most of our time. We got to know all of the people in this building very well. I remember even helping out some of the designers pick out wall colors and carpet samples for a few of their projects. 

My favorite part of the design of the space was the wooden spiral staircase leading up to an upstairs platform that looks over the entire office space. This building has influenced me in so many different ways over the years. However, something that is the most special to me is that this is also the place where I had my first official job. Once I started working there, I found out that Mike Price was the architect of this building. 

The Flatiron

When I was younger, I was obsessed with my American Girl Doll Samantha. In the movie and books, I distinctly remember her talking about the flatiron building which was being built during the time period her character lived in. So, when my mom finally took me to New York, I begged to go and see the flatiron building. This building still remains one of my favorite buildings in New York City just because of how it’s placed. Being among so many skyscrapers that look almost identical and then seeing a triangle shaped building was super cool to me. Also the fact that when I was younger, I felt like I was having the “Samantha experience” which is something that makes this building stand out to me.