For my senior year of high school, I was allowed to choose a place that I wanted to visit, so I decided on Washington, D.C. I really enjoy history, I know kind of weird, but it always fascinates me how everything came to be, and so I wanted to be able to see how America came to be. My family and I went to many places, but the Library of Congress was one of my favorites. Every single part of the building seems to have been built with precision in mind. From the entrance, the two main staircases, to the main reading room, it was surreal. It felt like I was in another world. It was very intimidating to be in such a big room full of so much history.

Like many other people, the main reading room was my favorite to view. It is a two-story circular room full of literature, desks, and holds figures of men and women who represent: Religion, Commerce, History, Art, Philosophy, Poetry, Law and Science. Painted on the ceiling, on the highest part, is a woman in the middle of two cherubs. This is meant to lift the veil of ignorance, move toward intellectual progress and persist in our pursuit of perfection.

https://www.loc.gov/visit/online-tours/thomas-jefferson-building/main-reading-room/

Last summer I went to St. Louis and I was able to witness the Gateway arch in person. One thing I did not expect was all the history that went behind the arch. I learned about the time in which they planned on building it and I learned a lot about the Mississippi River. It is symbolic for the wayward west in the 19th century. Me and my family got tickets to ride to the top and that was an experience I would never forget. I am not a big fan of heights and this ride to the top was scary. Four of us were squeezed into a small ball that took us to the top of the arch. It was dark and it took about four minutes to get to the top and it was the four longest minutes of my life. At the top, there is a standing area and windows on both sides to look out. It was cool to overlook the city and on the other side of the river. This impacted me because I learned how we were able to build a unique structure in the 19th century. 

In my hometown of Dallas, Texas the reunion tower is a unique building downtown and it is made up of a long skinny base with a circular ball up top and this is the most memorable building I have because it was the weirdest building I have seen in person. The tower is supposed to represent a dandelion. It goes back to the prairie – bound past while also moving forward to the present skyscraper era. I have seen this building multiple times in life but I remember the first time I saw it I was amazed and I was filled with tons of questions. This building impacted me because I saw this when I was very young and it first interested me in architecture. After this building I started noticing more buildings and seeing how they were made. I want to use this building as my first one in the blog because this was the first building that opened my eyes to architecture. I remember walking through the halls and even taking an elevator ride to the top. It took awhile to get up there but the view was well worth it and something I had never seen before. 

My family has a cellular tower manufacturing plant in Tulsa, OK. My grandpa bought the plant in the early 1980s when it was abandoned and very run down. He had a vision for it that no one else could see at the time. He turned it into the business that it is today and was constantly trying to improve it while he was alive.  This building is important to me because it shows me how a building can be transformed into something amazing even when it is in rough shape. This building holds positive memories for me. I had my first job doing construction work there when I was 14.

The first building I want to discuss is my middle school and high school main building. I spent the better part of 7 years in this building and have many memories associated with this building. I personally liked my experience and was for the most part excited when I everyday I encountered this building, whether that be for classes, basketball games, rehearsals, or practices. This building was originally built in 1926 as a monastery and all-boys boarding school by the Augustinian Order. It is built on 40 acres of land in midtown Tulsa and is frequently compared to Hogwarts. Another notable pieces of this building is the outdoor walking spaces to get from class to class.

The BOK Center is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma and many big events are held here. From concerts, sport games, and graduations, there is usually an event for everybody. It is the closest arena to my hometown, and also known for its circular structure. The designer was actually asked to create an architectural icon for Tulsa. When you first see it, you can see that almost half of the building is windows. There are staircases inside that follow the windows all the way up to the highest seats in the building. Almost 20,000 seats and each one makes you feel as if you’re right on stage. But I have noticed that if there is a stage that isn’t also circular, they close off the back half of the arena. So, artists who have designed a stage that isn’t round, they lose out in almost fourth of the ticket sales. I have been here many times for concerts, basketball games, and other events, and each time feels like a new experience. They obviously decorate the inside to coincide with the event, but the building itself always adds drama to your experience.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BOK_Center

This is the Michael F. Price College of Business building at the University of Oklahoma. The College of Business was founded in 1917 and currently has over 3,200 students. Price offers 11 different majors to its students. Starting my freshman year, I always knew I wanted to study accounting. Towards the end of freshman year, I had my first class in the Price building as a business student. As I walked in, it made me feel accomplished and ready to become a business women. Price is defiantly my favorite building at OU because it represents my future. As a junior, I have almost all my classes in this building, so I am at Price almost every day. I also like to study in Price when I have a class there later that day. As regards to the physical appearance of the building, I love it. I fascinated with the red tone of the building. I also really like the water fountain at the entrance of Price. Overall, I would say Price is the building that I will look back at that represented my time here at OU.

This is the Pi Beta Phi Sorority house in Norman Oklahoma. Pi Beta Phi was built in 1958 and is the home to 91 members of the Pi Beta Phi sorority. My freshman year of college I decided I wanted to join a sorority. As I went through recruitment I choose to be a part of the Pi Beta Phi sorority. Going through recruitment, the Pi Beta Phi house was my favorite and was ultimately a deciding factor into which sorority I wanted to join. This house really stood out in my eyes because of the traditional style sorority house with the tall pillars in the front. I loved the lawn and the red brick color of the house as well. This building is so special to me because I got to live in it my sophomore year of college with 90 of my best friends. My friends and my favorite things to do in the house was sit on the couches downstairs and just talk for hours. We made so many memories in this house that I will never forget. This building will always have a special place in my heart.

This is the Notre Dame building in Paris. The Notre dame is considered a catholic cathedral, and was finished being built in 1260. The cathedral is one of the most widely recognized symbols of the city of Paris and the French nation. Last summer, my family and I vacationed to Paris, and the Notre Dame was my favorite building that we toured. At my fist glimpse of the building I was in awe. I noticed the structure of this building was so detailed and so different to anything I had seen before. My family and I decided to walk into the building to get a better look. The inside of the Notre Dame was unbelievable. Candles were lit everywhere and there were so many people inside, looking at all the rare symbols on the walls. My favorite part about the inside of this building was the lighting. There were so many different uses of natural lighting inside the building that really interested me. Overall, the Notre Dame cathedral was one of my favorite buildings that I have gotten a chance to see in person, and I recommend it to anyone who may find their selves in Paris.

Despite, the plethora of locations situated across the nation, this specific YMCA, played a significant part in my childhood. In this building, I have learned many valuable lessons, ranging from: how I should properly workout, how I should behave in a competitive environment, etc. This building has been a gathering center for various age groups, thus, I have encountered many different types of people, and made a variety of close relationships. When I think of this building, it takes me back to a positive/meaningful time in my life.

Despite the simple exterior, this building is very functional. On the left side, you can see that there is a slightly steep hill going up to the windows. This was specifically designed so that the area under it, can double as a possible tornado shelter. In addition, there are a ton of different amenities (pool, workout room, basketball courts), and was/is a great place to gather.