In 2015, I took a trip to Oregon, and visited the Timberline Lodge, located on the south side of Mt. Hood. Before visiting, I had read a little bit about the history of the Lodge, and of course had seen The Shining by Stanley Kubrick, based on a Stephen King novel. I didn’t have much time, and didn’t know what to expect when visiting. When I visited the Lodge, it was spring, and there was still plenty of snow on the mountain (I thought). After talking to some of the locals there, I found that the snow for that year was rather sparse compared to normal.

Inside, the building was rather spacious and comfortable. The interiors had huge stone fireplaces and whole wood logs were construction elements. Thankfully, a lot of the Lodge was open to visitors and had displays and explanations of many of the objects. Construction of the Lodge occurred during the Great Depression, and it opened in 1938. I felt warm and comfortable while drinking a coffee and looking out the windows. I think that if one was staying there for some nights, it would be a rather welcoming place to end a long active day of slopes and hiking.

This is a building in the Portland Japanese Garden, located in Portland, Oregon. I don’t remember the exact name of the building. This visit was during a time in life where things were not smooth as I’d prefer. What struck me the most was the orderliness of the whole garden, and this building. Everything seemed so thoughtfully placed. I felt relaxed while meandering through the building and rest of the gardens.

If the phrase “what the f%#k” was a place, you’d find yourself in the beautiful college town of Norman Oklahoma at the Bavinger house. Bruce Goff was a weirdo, and this award winning home was an expression of himself and his architectural philosophy. A term we used in class was Biomimicry and it’s prevalent in this design. I can only describe the home as a sea shell from space. An alien structure randomly placed in the midwest. A bizarre tribute to sea life hundreds of miles away from the nearest ocean. It’s spectacular and impossibly Bruce Goff.  A staple of Norman I would have never been exposed to without this class.

Edit: after further research I read the home was demolished. A crime to humanity and culture in my eyes. I am leaving my blog up to retain the passion and excitement I had for the structure before reading the news.

Bruce Goff is a person in my mind who truly is a mix of a brilliant architect and Dr. Suss. The lavender Gryder house is a perfect example of this. One look at this home and you are teleported into a fantasy world. The home is built atop a reflecting koi pond and features bizarre cartoon like structures and shapes. My favorite part of the home is the spinning top like balconies. The balcony sits atop the pond and appears to be floating, removing all sense of understanding of structural support to the untrained eye. The residence is uniquely Goff; weird, abstract, and beautiful. 

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque, is a grand mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. It is a functioning mosque with five prayers scheduled per day. Visitors are allowed to visit during non-prayer hours. This is when I visited the mosque during my trip to Turkey.

What is immediately noticeable about the mosque is the vast amount of open space. That vastness makes it hard not to feel the significance of the place. I imagine its purpose is to allow as many people as possible to be able to participate in prayer. When prayer occurs, it is in direction of the beautiful stained glass windows (pictured below). But what I find most pleasing about the building are the intricate designs on the interior main dome. Attached to the dome, is a massive low-hanging chandelier. This made the mosque on of the highlights of my visit to Turkey.

Opened in 2015, the JW Marriott Hotel in Austin, Texas was designed by Nunzio Marc Desantis while at HKS, Inc (HKS). During my first visit to Austin in 2015 with three of my friends, we stayed at this hotel for a convention. Since we happened to go the same year the hotel opened, I was shocked by how clean and extravagant it felt.

Despite it being my first time in Austin, I could tell they managed to capture the city’s feeling. It even incorporates Texas limestone, copper, and zinc to make it look like a building that belongs to the city. As a testament to its design, the building received the 2016 Texas Society of Architects Design Award (HKS).

Speaking personally, I love the angle of the building at its corner. With the large piece of glass on top and the way it protrudes out sharply, it reminds me of a ship coming towards me. The roof of the building also features a beautiful outdoor pool with a partial view of the Colorado River.

The Houari Boumedinne was built by Bofill at the request of the Algerian government to house agricultural workers and to promote agriculture in the area it was built, Abadia. The structures were built around a central square, something that is common in most Arab towns. This was also done to promote public space and to bring the community together, an important factor when developing a community.

This 18 apartment building complex was part of the La Manzanera development which also include another one of Bofill’s projects, La Muralla Roja. To me this is like modern take on a castle. The structure of this building pivots around a central axis, in which numerous cubes were added to form the apartment units. Bofill designed each cube to have function-sleeping, living, or services. I really liked this building because of where it was built. From the picture is looks like is was built on the cliff side overlooking the sea. I think that would be a sight to see especially during sunsets

When looking at pictures of this complex, I had though that maybe it was part of a palace or castle. This complex is divided into three parts-“The Theater”, “The Arc”, and “The Palace. Each part is composed of apartments and the overall design of this building is based on historical reference and classical forms. My favorite part of this complex would be “The Arc.” This is small building and is made up of 20 apartments. I really liked this one because even though its small, I really like the exterior design of it. This building has also been used in films such as the “The Hunger Games.”

Designed by Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill, this former cement factory is now the home for the Ricardo’s family and is the head office for Bofill’s architecture firm, Taller de Arquitectura. When i first saw pictures of this building, I no idea it was at one point a cement factory.  I find it amazing how Bofill was able to transform and change the environment of this form factory into a home and office that gives off this home feeling.