By: Jozlyn Kizer

This is the Serengeti Lodge in Tanzania Africa. The Serengeti Lodge is a series of lodges tucked deep into the Serengeti landscape. One aspect that I like about this project from Wright is how the building blends in with the natural environment. The lodge’s building materials were all obtained from the surrounding savannah and mountains to give it a seamless transition from building to landscape. These lodges are truly sustainable, as they utilize solar power instead of relying on the wider resources of the Earth to make the lodges habitable. Simple design aspects were used for these lodges just in case they became abandoned in the future, they would be able to erode back down into the Earth with no harm done. My favorite aspect of these lodges is how open they are and how they offer a full 360 view of the beautiful Serengeti. 

Source: https://wkkarchitects.com/aserengeti-lodge

By: Jozlyn Kizer

This is a residential neighborhood in Paphos Cyprus called Minthis Hills. I decided to choose this project because I felt it was different than the other projects that Wright has done. This housing development copies many organic structures that optimize views for all residents, as well as privacy. The neighborhood’s layout mirrors plants and the way each section is a branch off of the main stalk. Not only does the layout mirror that of a plant, but the neighborhood lays within the beautiful Tsada Mountains. Wright took advantage of these mountains in order to identify Minthis Hills with the natural physiology of the world around it. There are 500 villas within the complex, as well as a golf course all tucked into the Tsada Mountains. 

Source: https://wkkarchitects.com/minthis-hills-1

By: Jozlyn Kizer

This is the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai. It was originally designed in 1993 and construction was finished in 1999. This hotel was meant to be an iconic staple of Dubai, just like the Sydney Opera House in Australia. The hotel is made to look identical to a sail, as the hotel jets out into the Arabian Gulf sitting on a man-made island all by itself. In order to support the building and brace it from outside forces, the hotel was constructed with an exoskeleton structure that acts as a backbone. Not only does It have a vertical backbone, but extra diagonal trusses were also placed on the outside of the structure for more support against the coastal storms. I think this hotel is really pretty. I love how Wright designed it to look so natural in the environment it is in. 

Source: https://wkkarchitects.com/aburj-al-arab-dubai-2

By: Jozlyn Kizer

This building is Called the Ad Astra Tower, and it is located in Batumi George. It has not yet been built, so the picture you are looking at above is a concept animation of the tower. This building is being constructed to house boutiques, multi-purpose event halls, and a five-star hotel. Ad Astra has many unique features including its exterior diagonal grid structure and its pointing platform at the top. The diagonal grid skin has two ergonomic purposes. One, it helps brace the tower against forces such as the wind. Two, the overhangs and integrating louvers allow for more controlled solar units lowering energy costs. The building’s second unique feature harbors a secret. The top platform houses a restaurant and champagne lounge. From this 250-meter-tall tower, views from the top are going to be spectacular. I love the name of this tower because Ad Astra is Latin for “to the stars”. This name is fitting, as the tower points up to the stars and the vertical grid design forces your eyes to look up. 

Source: https://wkkarchitects.com/aad-astra-tower-batumi

If you are thinking the picture above looks like a livestock arena, you’d be correct! The picture above is of my church back home, 1000 Hills Ranch Church. The church is housed in a livestock auction arena, where horses and cattle can be brought in to aid in the preacher’s message. Typically, our preacher will be on his horse as he preaches the message on Sunday morning. When my church first originated, there was no building for it to be housed so, the preacher decided to have it in a livestock arena to exemplify the idea that 1000 hills is a come as you are church. Meaning you don’t have to have on your Sunday best to attend a service. Even though the church was founded around 10 years ago, we still hold Sunday services in the livestock arena while our actual church building is under construction. This building is very important to me. This was the building where my faith with God grew closer than ever. Before attending this church, we had not found a place of worship to call home, but 1000 hills church is so down to Earth and comfortable that my family and I fit right in and loved it. Needless to say, I found God in a livestock auction arena. 

Above is a picture of the Josie Adams Cultural Center in Woodward Oklahoma. This theater is located 10 miles from my hometown and is a popular place to go to experience the community theater perform, watch movies, and view multiple dance recitals. I have multiple memories of going to theatrical performances with my mom when I was younger. This was also the location where I would perform in dance recitals. This theater has a very rich history, as it is nearing its 100^th birthday within the decade. The Josie Adams theater was originally built in the 1920s and was more recently restored in the 1980s. My favorite part of this theater is the two balconies on either side of the stage. I have always wanted to go up into one of these balconies and recite a scene from the Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet. Another memory that I have in this building is going to watch movies during a break from marching in the summer. It was always so cool and calm inside especially after being out in the heat all day practicing a marching routine.