The Ames Gate Lodge is unique compared to other Richardson designs. Though still using rock for the exterior, the surface is much more textured and the rocks are larger and not uniform. This style of rock makes the house look much more organic and blend in with the environment. All of the windows are small and the dormers are hardly visible but the underpass and the turrets stand out from the rest of the design. I like the contrast of the orange roof tiles and the starburst affect around the semicircle of the underpass. The house somewhat reminds me of the hobbit house like in photo 3.

The Glesner House is in Chicago, Illinois and was built to look strong but welcoming. This house, in contrast to Richardson’s other works is much more conservative. The design uses mostly squares instead of curves or circles. There is only one arch and it is flush with the rest of the structure and there are no turrets. The design is hardly ornate and the face of the house is practically two dimensional. It is said Richardson chose this design to symbolize a fortress to “protection to its inhabitants against the growing unrest” of the Gilded Age (Architecture.org).

http://www.architecture.org/learn/resources/buildings-of-chicago/building/glessner-house/

The Allegheny County Courthouse is it Pittsburgh Pennsylvania also includes the jail, and together are two of the oldest buildings in Pittsburgh (GoogleUser). These buildings are also characteristically Richardsonia Romanesque. The are made almost completely of stone and use circular arches. However, they are less medieval looking and are decently proportioned. This building is massive and has a large tower extending high above the height of the rest of the building, which originally made the courthouse the tallest structure in Pittsburgh (GoogleUser). This building is not as dark as some of the other Hobson Richardson designs.

The bridge in the bottom photo connects the bridge and the courthouse and was modeled after of a similar Venetian structure (GoogleUser).

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/yERfY0x_KE88q-hQNh0rZx0_MnLlFsvsFkg4qSQkDJnnFhqoKsFM9H6WwGqAfTxKwv6k2GHcDwa5WEwI_Xq2Ga–t8HoE0RYukXAvcgcgT8T8QjsiH_43_wdkD3xn18

The Trinity Chruch in Boston is one of Hobson’s most famous pieces of work. The rock exterior makes it look heavy and dense, somewhat medieval. Which are both key characteristics of the Richardsonian Romanesque style. The stone represents the sense of permanence and connection to earth (WentWorth). The small top section and much bigger bottom section of the church are used to give the illusion of the building being “anchored them to earth” (WentWorth). The building is very ornate and uses circular arches and columns. There are also many peaks and turrets.

Through college Bizzell Library has become a home away from home to me. I have spent more time in this building than I have in any other on campus. I think the Biz is so beautiful from both the interior and exterior. In this building I have crammed for tests, pulled all-nighters during finals week, got coffee at The Bookmark, spent passing periods here, and talked and laughed way too much in study rooms. I have met people who have never been to the library and that always comes as a shock! It is my favorite place on campus. When ever I go to do homework or study I always choose the third floor, all the way to the right at one of the long tables near an outlet. Even though the Biz is generally used for studying, I have spent so many of those study hours with friends and helping each other and making memories.

I lived in Headington Hall as a freshman and some of my best memories of college were made there. Coming into OU I hardly knew anyone else that went to school here, nonetheless other incoming freshmen. My roomates were randomly selected and I ended up loving them. Two were from New Zealand and they all were on the rowing team. In addition to my roomates, I met some of my best friends by living there. They all lived one floor below me and a couple of doors down. I have so many good memories of sleepovers, eating at the cafeteria, long nights in the study rooms, and meeting up downstairs in the lobby. I know some people are not fans of the idea of Headington Hall, but living there shaped the rest of my college experience and I met some of the greatest people and have the greatest memories.

While not necessarily a “building,” Pompeii has been one of the most awe-inspiring pieces of history and architecture I have ever experienced. When we were first driving up to the ruins we couldn’t see much, there started to be a few fragments of the city that we could see here and there, but once we got out of the car and began to walk into the city, it was unbelievable. The shear size of Pompeii was more than I had ever expected. There were bath houses, shopping areas, apartment-like homes, temples and amphitheaters. Paintings were still visible and the roads were incredible. This was real ancient history as up-close as you could imagine and the story of the tragedy of Vesuvius makes seeing Pompeii surreal. These are personal photos.

When I think about a piece of architecture in my hometown or from early childhood, I immediately think of the Belvidere Mansion. As a kid I always loved to drive past the Belvidere Mansion; it was so grand and so unique. As a kid, I always thought that the Belvidere looked like a castle. This is probably because the round turrets in the four corners. The main part of the build is extremely square so is a sharp contrast to the circular corners.

This was one of the first field trips I went on in elementary school. I remember outside on the left of the house (left in photo) there was the elevator that was supposed to be installed but never was. I also remember inside them telling us about ghost stories and the history of the house, and something about why there is no railing on the second story balcony; that still catches my eye looking at the facade of the house. I’ve been to the Belvidere multiple times over the years. A couple of times for field trips, once for a Christmas brunch with Santa, once for a murder mystery event, and a few others.

http://www.belvideremansion.com/about-us