One building that has recently made an impact on me is The Collective in Oklahoma City. It is extremely modern and just opened this year, but I found it so unique that I had to write about it. The Collective is essentially a fancy food court. There are 11 restaurants, a bar, 95 person patio, and outdoor seating area here. I drove by The Collective about a month ago and actually went back to eat here last week just because it really caught my eye. For a lack of better words,  I’ve never quite seen such a nice food court. It is very open and modern. At night the lights in and surrounding the building are very unique. The rooftop patio really caught my attention, and it is not uncommon to see a live band performing here on busy nights either. The significance of The Collective for me was that it was one of the few public places I have ever simply driven by and been taken back by. It’s not a large place, but it appears to really draw in people creating a great community atmosphere. Additionally, The Collective is somewhat of a representation of the great new places being built in OKC. It truly is a growing city, and it seems like another great public place gets built every time I visit Oklahoma City.

The Washington Monument is one of my favorite pieces of Architecture that I have visited so far. This astonishing 555 feet tall obelisk amazes me. I got to see this Monument in the 5th grade with a bunch of my class mates. I was actually lucky enough to travel to the top before it had been shutdown because of a earthquake that had caused structural damages.  My favorite part about this piece of architecture is that when coming down our guide showed us that every state as there own stone. So each fifty states has own personalized piece of stone that is built into the monument.

The Couch Center dorms were one of the worst living experiences that I have ever had to endure.  The rooms were dirty and too small for the amount of things that needed to fit in the room for 2 people.  People would continue to get sick from living in the dirt and mold that was already in the rooms.  Couch Center was not an ideal living situation for my first year of college, but it helped me meet some of my friends and start my college experience.

One building that has been a huge influence in shaping me as not only a student, but also a person was my high school. Cascia Hall is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is a Catholic Augustinian School that was built in the 1920s. After being built it was an all male boarding school until the 1980s when the school became a co-ed non-boarding school. That being said, I essentially grew up in this building. I attended school, studied, participated in school activities and sports, and formed many friendships that I still have today and likely always will. Other than the actual house I grew up in, this building was the most significant part of my life during my teen years. Upon first glance I remember thinking that the school looked very much like Hogwarts, and it somewhat does. The main high school building is very old, and it shows. But, this doesn’t mean it isn’t nice. In fact, the building has a ton of character. Such as the heavy and old, but sturdy wooden doors. Additionally, the outside is composed of uniquely layered bricks that appear crooked and protruding. However, this is by design. In fact, I have yet to ever see another building with brickwork like Cascia Hall. The floors are made of an old, consistent marble type material. Essentially everything in the building is old except for some newer additions, but it was built right and is still sturdily and beautifully standing today.

This is the American Airline Center where the Dallas Stars, and Dallas Mavericks play. This building has had an electrifying atmosphere and experience when it comes to Dallas Stars hockey games.  I have been to multiple Dallas games and it is a blast. A great place to enjoy a Hockey game and have some beers with your buddies. Watching Tyler Seguin and Miro Heiskanen on the ice is a exciting moment because of how much talent they have.

The CityPlex Towers, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, can be seen from miles away. They are some of the tallest, most beautiful buildings in outside appearance located in Tulsa which to some might not say much. The towers were originally built to be a Christian hospital called City of Faith Medical and Research Center. However, these plans fell through, and the towers are mostly empty or occupied by offices now. Nevertheless, these towers are extremely important to me due to a smaller, mostly outpatient, surgical center called Oklahoma Surgical Hospital being located inside.  Not only did I undergo four surgeries inside these towers in the span of about two years, I also had my first job here. So, the towers are a representation of both good and bad times during my life. The first two things I ever noticed about the towers were their height and the gold color. Upon walking into the main lobby I was taken back by the waterfall and incredibly high ceilings. The Oklahoma Surgical Hospital part of the CityPlex Towers is similar to many hospitals, but has a very elegant waiting room. The surgical rooms are however very similar to most hospitals. That being said, this structure has had great significance in my life.

Another iconic building in Atlanta (at least for people from there) is the Westin. The Westin is one of the tallest building in Atlanta and is famous for having a rotating restaurant  on the top floor called The Sun Dial.  One of the things I remember best about the Westin was when an EF2 tornado hit downtown Atlanta and blew out a large number of glass panels.

I remember it taking forever for those glass panels to be replaced and they eventually had to replace all of them due to the specialized nature of the glass. Gotta go eat at The Sun Dial sometime.

This was one of the first skyscrapers I had ever seen or been to when I was younger. I was 10 years old when my mom and I had visited New York City. The shear size and towering heights when walking up to it was very intimidating.  I was offered to travel up to the 86th floor to the observation deck, but did not because I had a fear of heights when I was younger. This is a must see building!!

Mercedes Benz Stadium is one of my favorite places in Atlanta, which is kinda surprising to me given the misery inflicted on me by my teams that play there (90% falcons).  It is an absolute marvel in my opinion and just everything about it makes you look in awe. The building is massive even compared to its predecessor the Georgia Dome. I also like the fact that it looks like a nest and the nice angular design to it. The retractable roof and HALO board are also something else. Its neat driving through I-75/85 in Atlanta and seeing a mother ship permanently parked in your city. Best part is definitely the cheap food and beer (compared to other similar venues).