All posts by Lisa Ratliff

Blog 8- Lisa Ratliff- The Cave House (Tulsa, OK)

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Every time I drive by Riverside, I go by The Cave House. As a little girl, I have always wondered why. It was so ugly, tiny and unattractive. The white peaking of the cement with the paralleled stones in the front mirroring one another is so odd. I have gotten close to the house and it honestly creeps me out.  I wish there were more square structures on the home because I actually like the left side which is more modern. But the stone-like accents really throw off the appeal.

Tulsa history has it that the house was created as a hip restaurant and then speakeasy during prohibition. The architect was Daniel Eichenfeld, and it was built by Joseph Koberling Sr. – father of art deco architect Joe Koberling Jr. who was also a geologist. It was made in the 1920s to resemble a cave at the bottom of a rocky hill.

Although the place is ugly, it has a weird charm that I think attracts many tourists. The owner of the house will give tours for $10 a pop! I personally have never toured because I do not think it is worth it but I think if someone was intrigued by odd buildings, this would definitely be it!

Blog 7- Lisa Ratliff-National Museum for African American History and Culture (Washington D.C.)

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I was lucky enough to see this building in person last year when I went to visit Washington D.C. It is very unique and the outdoor metal work is intricate with such a rich history. It was created by lead designer David Adjaye and lead architect Philip Freelon, with their architectural team Freelon Adjaye Bond/SmithGroup.

The  form of the museum is inspired by the three-tiered crowns used in Yoruban art from West Africa. The wrapping of the entire building in an ornamental bronze-colored metal lattice, the architect pays homage to the intricate ironwork crafted by enslaved African Americans in Louisiana, South Carolina, and elsewhere. As seen in the above picture, the inside is beautiful too, with natural light penetrating the inside of the building, peeking though the ornamental lattice. 

At night, the building glows with an iridescence that is mystifying. Right next to the Washington monument it does not overshadow but beams with light just as the bright monument. Although the building is seemingly opaque during the day, the designers and architects did an incredible job letting the ornamental lattice shine day and night on the building.

Blog 6- Lisa Ratliff-Science Museum Oklahoma (Oklahoma City, OK)

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The Science Museum Oklahoma is a children’s museum located in Northern Oklahoma City. Although it has been around for more than 30 years, the museum got a 12 million dollar upgrade for a new outdoor and indoor experience. Rand Elliot Architects redesigned the front by adding vertical columns and a colorful blue glass outdoor hall. Another reason for redesigning this side of the building was that the Omniplex was no longer in use so they needed to change the entrance.

This museum is closer to my heart than most peoples’ because I work here currently. I mitigate schoolchildren around the museum and ensure their safety. It is a great place to work with a beautiful interior space. Aside from the entrance, the right-wing of the museum is also stunning. It has a sharp glass panel that sits vertically against the building. This is similar to the Perot Museum in Dallas. I think that the sharp glass element next to a boxy structure does add a curious and sciency look to the building. Also compared to the Perot Museum, the Science Museum also used a metallic looking material that gives off a futuristic and robotic feel to the building that definitely goes appreciated. 

Blog 5- Lisa Ratliff-Perot Museum of Nature and Science (Dallas, TX)

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This museum is one of the first ones I went to when I first became interested in working with museums. I think it is a beautiful building. But its also incredibly sustainable. Designed by architect and  Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate Thom Mayne, the museum is truly an icon of Dallas, TX. The building’s irrigation and plumbing demands are all met by recapturing air conditioning condensation, it’s building materials include recycled and locally sourced materials, all the furniture is made from sustainable forests, and much much more!


It is very obvious that the architects wanted something that looked playful yet still blended in with the city’s surroundings. The glass box is so cool because it looks as if it is suspended in the air next to the building. The material is also very cool because it is a rocky cement that is toned in color but still stands out against other buildings. Although they are temporarily closed due to COVID-19, locals can still pass by to view the unique and intelligent architecture that makes us feel sciency and cool. As seen in the picture above, the glass block lets in a bunch of natural light that otherwise would not have been there. I think this is especially important because the natural elements of the building require natural light. Without it, the building would feel sterile and disconnected from the outside world. With all these reasons, this is definitely one of the cooler science museums to go to.

Blog 1-Lisa Ratliff-Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (Bentonville, AR)

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Last year I went to visit the famous Walmart city Bentonville which is the home of Crystal Bridges, the Museum of American Art. Mostly paid for by the Walmart Foundation, this 200 million dollar museum is beautifully crafted by an architect who wanted the museum to match the Ozark forest. This was incredibly apparent when I arrived there because the museum almost looks hidden away in the expansive forest. But once you get closer you begin to notice the white and glass curves of the museum.

To further complement the forest, the museum is not made any taller than the trees surrounding it and it also has a pond in the middle of it to reflect the surrounding sky and trees. These characteristics gave me a feeling of peace and calmness. I loved the bulges of wood and glass that can be found as pod looking elements across the water. Specifically, these bulges will light up at night and create beautiful organic stripes towards the sky. This is all a spectacle throughout the museum due to the great use of glass throughout the halls of the museum.

My favorite part about my visit here was the outdoor spaces that connected to the interior of the museum. These spaces included trails for bikes and places to connect with nature. The areas outside were also viewable through the glass halls which housed not only the galleries but also a restaurant and cafe.

The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas

Blog 2-Lisa Ratliff-Griffith Observatory (Los Angeles, CA)

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The Griffith Observatory was built in the 1930s for the city of Los Angeles, California. It is a three-domes observatory building sitting atop of Mount Hollywood. The huge telescopes inside are available for the public to use with special guidance and the domes will actually open up and slide for the telescopes to view specific stars or planets. One of the characteristics of the building that makes its presence extraordinary is the climb up the mountain to arrive to the observatory. It is a twenty to thirty-minute hike up to the top with a couple of breathtaking views and stops along the way.

In 2018 when I visited with my friends, once we got to the top we could not believe how expansive the view below us was. It made me feel so small and amazed. I loved the way the dark domes contrasted against the white cement. The Observatory was placed right on the edge of the mountain facing the city of LA and also some of the multi-million dollar Hollywood homes. It was kind of a funny feeling that we came here for the observatory to look up at the stars when we actually just got a great view of the city.

On the side of the building are walls that go to your waist to lean on and take pictures of the city. These walls surround the backside of the Observatory and also lead to the inside of the museum and planetarium. This building was extremely memorable because of the ideas it housed and the concepts which it stood for. It is a free place for kids and adults to view what is in the skies above us, I even got to see Saturn and that is something I will always remember.

Blog 3-Lisa Ratliff-Sam Noble Museum of Natural History (Norman, OK)

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The Sam Noble Museum of Natural History or SNOMH is home to thousands of artifacts, educational resources, and academic research. I have been conducting undergraduate research for the past two years at this site and have always loved coming into work here! I work upstairs in the black “treasure chest” part of the museum and this is where all the research takes place. This goes from skinning small/large animals to DNA extractions for creating phylogenetic trees. My favorite part about this building are the large concrete blocks around the big windows. This makes me feel at ease with the work I am doing for the University. This could be a stressful environment due to the work but I actually feel relieved every time I step into the museum.

The main entrance to the museum for the guest is incredibly inviting with a dome-like surrounding. This has tables and chairs set around for schools to have lunch and guests to sit and enjoy a book outside. Once inside the lobby it is obvious how much the architects relied on the open plains in front of the museum to use natural light. The entire central lobby is an enormous multipanelled window. To create more effect, in front of the window is a massive sculpture of a pre-historic elephant.

One of the last things that stand out to me about the way the research chest was built are the labs. It is incredibly common for labs to be dark and windowless but SNOMH makes it a point for all fo the labs to have huge windows for scientists to actually have access to natural sunlight instead of just the fluorescent light of the ceilings.

Blog 4-Lisa Ratliff-The Rookery by Double Shot Coffee Company (Tulsa, OK)

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Double Shot Coffee Company has been a staple of where local people and businesses of Tulsa, OK have sourced their coffee for the past 16 years. This specific building called The Rookery is only recently built within the past two years.  It was built with reclaimed wood from a 170-year-old farm in Indiana! It is sustainable with both solar panels and electric charging stations in the parking lot. There is also a program on an iPad that is open to the public within the farmhouse which allows customers to see how much electricity is being used/generated.

Although Double Shot has been alive in my memories for years, it wasn’t until recently that I was able to visit the new building with my beloved grandfather and boyfriend. Once we entered we were immediately awed with the beauty and complexity of the reclaimed wood against the big windows. There were five or six small to large lobbies throughout the farmhouse which occupies up to about 70 people. On top of the wood, there were also various greenery and rusted red steel bars which gave an earthy aesthetic. Throughout our breakfast, we chatted, laughed and felt extremely comfortable and at ease surrounded by the beauty of the building.

This will be a perfect place to visit in the summer when I come to visit my hometown and work at one of my new favorite coffee spots!