This is the Great Wall of China. It stretches the length of about thirteen thousand miles across Northern China. I visited the wall while touring through China in 2009. We did a tour with a guide and he told us about the history of how it was built and that every time someone would die during the build they would just throw them under the stones. It is by far the oldest and most spectacular piece of architecture I have ever seen in my life. There are parts of the wall that have now completely deteriorated. There are also stairs so steep no one can walk up them anymore without actual climbing equipment. I cannot wait to return and see more of this marvel!

This art museum in utah is build very nicely and stands in front of the mountains on the east side. About a year or so ago, some of my photographs were displayed here along with a group of other students from OU and Southern Utah University. We captured the open land of areas around Utah, Nevada, and California. The space is very open and has different areas for many different types of exhibits. The area surrounding it is also very calm and subtle.

The bulk of my classes are in this building. It is always filled with art and you can never run out of ways to create with the tools provided. What stands out to me the most is the friends I have made inside those walls as well as some of my past work that was displayed inside as well. The windows create a great amount of light during the day which fills every open space really well. Great memories will always be associated with this place.

This last piece of architecture is one of my favorites. Japanese culture and architecture are very intriguing and interesting to me. I have not been able to see this skyscraper in person, but it has influenced me by giving me the motivation to travel and experience different cultures. I hope to one day visit this ginormous work of architecture and be surrounded by other Japanese buildings. I really enjoy seeing skyscrapers and this one is definitely on the bucket list to go see. It demonstrates some of the human accomplishments by towering over everything else around it.

This is Gaylord Hall at the University of Oklahoma. This building will forever have a positive effect on my life. This is the building I’ve spent a lot of the last 3 years of my life. I have learned so much in this building. It is also such a beautiful building as well. The first time I visited the campus this was my favorite and it still is to this day. I will be forever grateful for this building.

The OKC Gold Dome is located off of 23rd and Classen in Oklahoma City and was built in 1958. This building is an iconic landmark in the OKC metro and is widely recognized by the locals. Every day on my commute to work and school, I drive by this building. There hasn’t been a single OKC resident I’ve met without a story or memory attached to the building. However, in my time living in the city, I have never seen the building thrive or bustling with people. I know others who have attended high school dances, bar parties, etc, but to me it has always been a ghost town. I have even made bets with friends on what company may purchase it or what it could become next. I think about this building as I drive by every day and hope I have an excuse to visit inside soon.

I want to say that they finished building Devon Tower when I was about 14, but it was started a couple of years earlier. At that time, I don’t think I’d left OKC, so it was by far the tallest building I had ever seen. Of course, I understood that there were taller buildings in other cities, but it is hard, standing there, looking up at the tower rising out of the city, dwarfing the buildings around it, and say that it isn’t impressive. Especially when standing right beneath it, looking up, it seems to go on forever.

One of my friends likes to call Devon Energy Center ‘The Citadel,’ which I find particularly apt, because it dominates the city in a way that I really haven’t seen recreated, whether through images or in person, anywhere else. Another friend says it looks like an finger, in which the sloped part at the top is the nail. It seems as though everyone that lives in and around OKC has some special name or story for the tower, and it seems to be quite polarizing, insofar as a building is able. Perhaps the fact that Devon Energy Center redefined the skyline of OKC nets it a special place, whether out of love or hate, in Oklahoman’s hearts.

This is the high school I went to just a couple of years ago. This school shaped my life in so many ways. I met some of my best friends there and some of them I’m still in contact with to this day. I went to a pretty big school so I met many different people that impacted my life. I learned so many different life lessons that I will remember my whole life . I had some of my best years there and every year taught me many lessons. This building will forever be a positive in my life.

I went on a road trip for a few weeks around Colorado with my best friend last August and we were able to stay at the famous Stanley Hotel that the movie The Shining is based off of. The hotel was actually built by the inventor of the Stanley Steamer car, Freelan Oscar Stanley. It is located in Estes Park, Colorado and is basically the centerpiece of the town up on a hill that allows you to see it immediately as you finally make it out of the mountains. The hotel has a Georgian and Colonial Revival style architecture and is very grand with its large build and white sides with a red roof. The vibrant colors of the hotel allow it to pop out easily and show its beauty to everyone around. The entire building is gorgeous and is located in such a beautiful area. The history of the building is amazing to hear about and there have been so many incredible historical figures that have made their way through the halls here.