In rural areas of Bangladesh, daily routines are done a little differently than how we would normally do ours in the USA. Eating, sleeping, bathing, and lounging all have to be done in separate buildings, connected by a courtyard in the center. Anna Heringer designed a building that can accommodate these people’s needs, while also expanding on their “normal” by adding more functionality and allowing these people to do everything needed without ever having to leave. Any by “everything”, she meant everything. Each DESI center consists of two classrooms, two offices, and two residences, with a separate bathroom consisting of two showers and two toilets for the teachers on the top floor and more bathrooms on the bottom floor for students. I think this whole idea is very cool, and almost reminds me of movies like one of the last Hunger Games movies, where the entire population of their group lived in one compound and everything was done on the inside. Eating, sleeping, education, everything. This type of architecture also challenges its occupants to live a more cultural lifestyle, versus the traditional style of using separate structures for separate activities. This point is the only thing I might disagree with, as it might be too big of a change for some of these people. Obviously no one can be forced to live in a DESI center, but even so it still infringes their traditional values and some could find it offensive that Anna is trying to break their tradition. Overall though, I quite like the design and I think this type of living could be very functional. Wake up, walk two feet to the bathroom, get ready. Walk another few feet to the kitchen to eat. Walk another few feet to go to school and learn…. and so on.

This is one of Anna Heringer’s most simplistic architectural designs but also some of the most fun to experience in person. I used to be a huge fan of this type of architecture growing up. I still love the type of designs where the furniture blends in seamlessly with the ground and the walls, and it is just one flowing structure. The goal of this type of architecture is to create a high quality area that embraces craftsmanship and development. Some might say that this style of interior design and architecture is ugly or unnecessary, but I just think it is so cool to look at, and would love to incorporate this style into an area of one of the homes I am planning to build for myself when I am older.

This specific type of architecture by Anna Heringer is very interesting to look at. My favorite type of architecture is the kind that makes me stop and stare, and this one would definitely do that if I were to ever encounter it in person. The abstract shape mixed with the perfectly placed bamboo shoots, plus the irregular sizes of each of the three buildings gives this structure almost a modern feel. These Hostels, located in Baoxi (a small village in china) utilize the same techniques as all of Heringer’s other architectural works, however this one specifically utilizes the bamboo shoots for a more aesthetic purpose. The building itself only consists of the thin cylindrical shape that you can faintly make out in the center of the structure. The bamboo though shoots are strategically placed around the outside to hide the mud walls and give the buildings as a whole a more pleasing look. The inspiration behind the shape and style of these buildings is the weaves of a basket and the curves of a ceramic vase, as well as a Chinese lampshade. The up close picture of the outer bamboo layer shows just how intricate this design is and how much work actually went into making it as perfect as it is. I think it would also be really cool to see this design be implemented in our own areas in the United States, but instead of bamboo, use metal. This design would definitely turn heads and gain a lot of attention.

Anna Heringer is a famous female architect based in Laufen Germany. Opened in 2005, the METI School is one of her most popular works of architecture, as it was built entirely out of materials coming from the ground. Located in Bangladesh, Heringer implemented low cost building techniques that included using mud and bamboo shoots to form the walls and roof, and assistance from the locals to help build it. The METI School is known as the “Handmade” school because it was literally built by the hands of the people who send their children there to learn. Allowing the locals to help build this school taught them valuable skills on how to build and plan, which 100% enhanced their daily lives. I really like the fact that this building looks very simple on the outside, but it really is much more complex when you take a longer look and think about the process it took to get it too where it is now. The seemingly perfect straight and sturdy walls….that must have taken a while to make out of mud. The almost perfectly flat roof… That must have taken days to cut down, perfectly measure, and set up in a way that will be able to withstand wind and rain. I definitely of of the better examples of “Green Architecture” I have seen, as it does not look like it was completely built by hand. This building is not only a symbol of education as a school, it is a symbol of hard work and dedication to the local people of Bangladesh, as they are the ones who made this happen, with the guidance of Anna Heringer.

Last summer, my family and I had the opportunity to visit the country Jordan, where both of my parents were born. One building that I still can picture in my head a year later is a huge shopping mall called “City Mall”. This mall is the largest mall in the area, coming in at almost 1.7 million square feet!! They have basically every brand you could think of, from Nike to Louis Vuitton, and there is even a full two story grocery store named Carrefour attached! A grocery store attached to a shopping mall?? Yes, you can go to the mall, buy your tennis shoes and Gucci purse, and then go straight to the supermarket and buy your weekly groceries and supplies too, all in one run!. It is just one of the coolest places to see in the area, and the size is insane! For those who live there, the building isn’t THAT cool, but for me, an American who has only experienced malls such as Quail Springs, Penn Square, and Sooner Mall, City Mall blows these three out of the water! Last year was the first time I have actually been to the mall and was interested in it. The last time my family went before this was in 2015, when I was still younger and not able to appreciate the building. The mall consists of a two floor food court, many floors of retail shops, random dessert stands, multiple kids play areas and of course, the huge two story grocery store. I can’t wait to go back to Jordan and visit this mall again!

This house is located on the other side of the world, in Amman, Jordan. It was built by my father and his thirteen siblings back in the late 70’s/early 80’s. Yes, they built it with their own hands; thats the way it was done back in the day in Jordan. The house is two stories tall plus a basement. It is 9,220 square feet and made basically entirely out of cement, stone, and marble. Yes, the walls are made of entirely out of thick cement, so there is no escaping the summer heat in this home. When you arrive at the house, the first thing you will see is a very steep driveway. The home was built into the side large hill (which my family owns), so you have to drive basically at a 45 degree angle to get to the driveway. When you walk into the home through the large metal double doored entrance, you will be surprised by how the foyer was designed. You are given the option to either walk up 10 steps to the main area of the home, or walk down 10 steps into the basement of the house. I technically shouldn’t even call it a “foyer”, as when you walk in you literally only see the stairs leading up or down, nothing else. It is a little hard to describe better than that though. As you walk up the stairs, you will notice that the floor of the entire home is completely made of huge slabs of white granite with black accents. To the right is a huge circular living room, and to the left is the rest of the home. There is a very elegant flight of stairs leading up to the second floor, as well as a huge balcony overlooking the whole area. I am not able to visit this home very often, as it is on the literal other side of the world, but it has left a very long lasting impression on me. My family usually visits the country every other year, and we did happen to go last summer, and stayed for about two months. I have so many memories and fun experiences, I could write a whole essay alone on this one house. Basically, this house is beautiful and large and will be partly be in my possession once my father passes. It means a lot to me as it was once where my father lived for many years! It is very cool to go back there and imagine him as a kid living with his siblings there. The house is also so large, I would just sit on the balcony watching the sunset and just think about all the work it must have taken for them to build it from the ground up.

This is technically not a “building”, but it is a great example of how architecture can be used as art as well. This “hybrid architecture” structure was placed near downtown as a monument to the states bird, the scissor-tailed flycatcher. I have been to this bridge many times with family and friends, and every time it is a new experience. First of all, standing on that bridge and just watching the cars go by is cool alone. I could probably just sit up there on one of the benches for hours, listening to the cars and watching the sun set. The closer you get to the structure, the more detail you can see. The first time I experienced this piece of architectural art, I was surprised by the fact that is is made up of a bunch of smaller rectangles of metal connected by bolts and longer thin pieces of metal. Before visiting it for the first time, driving past it on the highway I had never been able to get a good look at it, as I am usually going 65+ miles per hour, so I would only get 5 second glimpse of it before it is too far behind to see in my rear view mirror. I am grateful that this structure was made accessible to the public by a bridge, as it lets us get up close so we are able to appreciate the work that went into designing it. The changing colors of the structure is also very pleasing. I have been in many photos on this bridge, and the different colors sets a different mood for each picture. I think it is really cool that we have something like this to represent the state. Someone from Texas might not understand, as they probably will not make the connection between our state bird and this structure, but as an Oklahoman, I am appreciative of the designers for giving us something interesting to look at on our drive home. I have seen this structure so many times driving to and from Norman from Edmond, but every time I pass it I can’t help but take a moment to just look directly at it and admire it, and remember all the fun memories I have made on that bridge.

My family has been attending this church since before I was even born, so I have had my entire life to really get all up in all the details and notice all the little things that the building has to offer. When you first drive up to the church, before even stepping out of your car, the first thing you will notice is the huge dome on the roof of the building. It is hard to see from the pictures I provided, but take my word for it, this dome is very large. It has always amazed me that this large dome is just able to sit there without us fearing it will collapse on top of us. Walking into the church, the first thing you will notice is that basically every window is completely made of stained glass. I was not able to get a picture of them, as the church has been closed since May due to COVID precautions, but during the day, when the light shines through them at just the right angles, it can be very pleasing to look at. And like the French cathedral in one of the videos we watched for our video reviews, each window tells a different story. As you walk further into the church, your eyes will be glued to the ceiling, which is completely covered in paintings of key stories from the Bible. There is not one inch of the ceiling not covered in some form of religious iconography, except for the beams which house the lighting. For those who have never experienced an Orthodox Church, it will definitely be a surprise seeing all the walls and ceiling covered in paintings. However, the more you look at it, the more beautiful it all seems. There is an overabundance of things to look at, and you could never get bored standing in that building. I grew up going to this church every Sunday. I have experienced many different life events in this building. I was baptized here, had my first communion, witnessed many weddings and funerals, served at the alter with the priest, made many friends, and so much more. This church is also only 5 minutes away from where my family lives, so we would never fail to drive by it at least once a day.