The Desert House in Phoenix, AZ was completed in 1996. This home is extremely unique and beautiful. With the design style and materials used it looks like a modern-day, contemporary homeowner’s dream house.  As I have mentioned in my other posts, their use of natural materials and color is what gives their buildings an absolutely timeless look and style that has not, and does not seem to be fading anytime soon. Various types and colors of glass, concrete, granite, wood, and stone were used to complete this residence. The two main areas of the house are bar-shaped and separated “by the wash”. These areas are connected by two bridges, one is open to the outside and the other is enclosed. The large windows throughout the house allow natural light to fill the space and some are sliding which allow fresh air in as well. I personally think this house is amazing, but I would never live in it myself. I enjoy a more cozy and welcoming environment that I can relax in. Though this house is open and beautifully crafted, the design and set up might make it feel more cold and serious than a traditional home.

https://www.archdaily.com/61497/american-folk-art-museum-tod-williams-billie-tsien/moran1

I chose this building 1: because I very much enjoy art museums, 2: because after looking at pictures, the building itself is a work of art. People would come just to look at this building even if it wasn’t a museum. It is an 8 story tall building with 2 floors added on underneath that sits on 53rd street in New York City. It was voted best building in the world in 2001, for obvious reasons once you read about all the details put into this building. In my opinion, the concrete walls with the wooden floors give it a very modern vibe even though it was built also 20 years ago. This proves that natural-looking materials and colors are timeless and classy, interesting enough to be beautiful on its own, but not distracting as to take attention from the various art exhibits you can find here at any given time. The most unique and interesting part of this building to me are the panels that move according to the light outside and flooding into the space.

https://www.archdaily.com/40619/center-for-the-creative-and-performing-arts-university-of-chicago-tod-williams-billie-tsien-associates/view01_exterior_nw_final2

I chose this building for its eye-catching design in photographs. This building is unlike any others that I have seen. The dramatic creativity and uniqueness of this building is to expected because it is the building for creative and performing arts at the University of Chicago. Completed in 2012, this building stands 11 stories high and is filled with rehearsal spaces, studios, and classrooms. This building shows their style are partners very well by, again, using natural materials like glass, wood, and limestone to create a very timeless space for all to enjoy the beauty. Aside from the main 11 story building, there are smaller building which lines the exterior of one side of the main structure. These smaller buildings are built from the same natural materials but are topped with skylights to flood the spaces with natural light. The spaces for the different arts that take place in this building were very well thought out. Some spaces are filled with light hues and flooded with natural light, while others are darker with some natural light to fit the artistic medium of the space. I don’t see the beauty or intrigue of this building fading anytime soon.

This structure in La Jolla, CA was originally created as a neuroscience institute that was completed in 1995. After they moved to a smaller facility it began being used for molecular imaging by Scripps. After looking at photographs of this modern and contemporary styled facility the completion date is shocking to me. Like their other projects, they have created another ultimately ageless building that is impossible to put a time stamp on.  The pattern of natural colors and materials continues here with various types of stone, glass, wood, concrete, and steel.  The institute is 3 different buildings brought together by a plaza in the center which you see in the picture. The theme of large windows and natural light continues in this project. Each building was designed with optimal usage in mind, like the office windows that allow light and privacy or the auditorium with specifically engineered walls to make sound easier to hear even though it is no amplified.

This building drained the life out of me the first semester of my sophomore year. This is where the lab of the hardest class I have ever taken, physiology, was held. I had figured out how to study for the lecture exams and do well on them, but the lab quizzes were a different story. This building reminds me of every Tuesday morning that I would wake up at 5 am to get some extra studying in before the 8:30 lab and still get a 12/20 on the quiz. To me, this building represents failure and hatred.

The library at the University of Oklahoma is where I first met some of my best friends. It’s also where I have spent many sleepless nights learning the hard way about time management. Looking back on my time in this building I don’t think about the tears that were shed or tests that I crammed for, rather the millions of times my name was spelled wrong on my order at the bookmark, the concert tickets that were bought while procrastinating, or the puns I would write on a whiteboard before I left in hopes to brighten another person’s day.

Gamma Phi Beta is another building that has had a positive influence on me. To me, this building means that I can relax, and if I need anything I can always retreat here. When I joined my freshman I was very overwhelmed, because there were more members in this chapter than people who attended my high school. I quickly became comfortable and after 4 years I realize that this experience is one of my favorites in college.

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This is the house that I grew up in. It holds many special memories for me, like hearing about my sisters getting married or having babies, opening acceptance letters, Christmases, and countless birthdays. My family moved into this house when I was young. So, this is the only house I remember. This house means that I am about to walk in and be greeted by at least 2 bright smiles and asked if I’m hungry.