Another building of Make Architects located in London, England, 8 Artillery Row is a renovated building that was completed in 2014. The renovated design sure gives off a historic and contemporary feel to it. Located in the middle of the building is a grand 2.2m clock, handmade with two concentric turning bronze circles.

The newly renovated residential development includes ground-floor retail frontage, 22 apartments, and a setback, double-height penthouse. For 8 Artillery Row, cast and patinated bronze elements were used in balustrades, ventilation grilles and a decorative screen next to the residential entrance.

Located in China’s Shandong Peninsula on an island, is the beautiful Weihai Pavilion. The pavilion is an information hub and event venue all in one. The Pavilion has a unique crescent moon shape, allowing visitors to see the full beauty of the ocean. The building is divided into two by a curved bamboo wall, one side casting its sights inland while the other gazes out to sea.

The Pavilion was the first building designed by Make Architects in China and the 6000 sq ft building is the first on the island. The building has an interesting over-sailing roof, which allows natural light to flow in and also provides shade in the hot summer. Located inside the pavilion are a bar, meeting spaces, cinema and wraparound external terrace.

5 Broadgate, located in London, England, is one of the coolest office buildings I have ever seen and having to work an 8-5 here wouldn’t be too bad. The exterior of the building is so unique and the steel used gives the building a strong and sturdy feel.

Headquartered at 5 Broadway in London’s financial sector is UBS, a financial firm. The building is 13 stories tall and its design is inspired by “a perfectly machined metal object”. Make Architects wanted the building to look like one block of metal, and they succeeded in that. 5 Broadgate has the largest array of solar panels in London and also has 7,500 sq ft of green roof space, reducing carbon emissions by 65%.

Hewa Hope Children’s Hospital located in Erbil, Iraq, is the first children’s hospital in Iraq. The hospital, is helping the battle on child and infant mortality in Iraq, which is among the highest in the world. The hospital includes three operating rooms, an emergency ward, outpatient clinics, an intensive care unit, a women’s hospital and staff accommodation, plus a hotel and supermarket.

I really admire the layout of the Hewa Hope Children’s Hospital, and think of the hospital as a great step forward for Iraq healthcare. The building is designed after the Narsis flower, the Kurdistan national flower and features a colorful atrium in the middle of the building. The building really creates a friendly and kid-friendly environment.

The National Gallery in London really caught my eye when I was going on a morning run. I had to stop for a few minutes to take in its beauty and entirety. The Gallery is massive and is really hard to miss. The historic art museum, located in Trafalgar Square was a favorite stop of mine.

The building was designed by William Wilkins from 1832 – 1838 and represents a neoclassical architectural style. Wilkins received some harsh critiques for the building but renovations since have given the building a much more contemporary aesthetic.

St. Paul’s Cathedral was for sure one of the largest churches I have ever seen and it still amazes me. I can remember the goosebumps and excitement from being able to stand so close to such a historic building.

The current cathedral is the 4th on the site and was designed by Sir Christopher Wren, a highly acclaimed English architect known for rebuilding churches. The cathedral uses mainly Portland stone, but also bricks, iron, and wood. St. Paul’s has also had a numerous amount of funeral services for some well known people including Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher. The church is still operating and remains one of London’s main sights to see.

When I first came across the Tower Bridge, I felt like I had accomplished something on my bucket list. The Tower Bridge is a sight itself, but the bridge offers great views of the city. Located on the River Thames, the bridge often gets mistaken for the London Bridge, also located on the River Thames.

The Tower Bridge was built between 1886 and 1894 and a huge challenge the city of London faced was how to build a bridge downstream from London Bridge without disrupting river traffic activities. They successfully designed the largest and most sophisticated bascule bridge ever completed at the time. When it was built, the bascules were operated by hydraulics using steam as power. The bascules are still operated today by hydraulics but they have moved on from steam to oil.

The Royal Exchange in London England first opened up back in 1571. The Royal Exchange is known as London’s first purpose-built centre for trading stocks. The original design for the building was inspired by the Antwerp Bourse, the world’s first purpose-built bourse, or stock exchange. Since its opening, The Royal Exchange has twice been burned down and now operates mainly as a luxury shopping and dining destination.

I had the opportunity to visit The Royal Exchange last summer studying abroad and it was amazing to see, although I only saw it from the outside. I really like the pediment sculpture on the top of The Riyal Exchange, which includes a quote from the Bible “The Earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof”.