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- an online bibliography of Oklahoma's built environment
Oklahoma Built: an online bibliography of Oklahoma's built environment
Introduction
Welcome to Oklahoma Built: a compendium of published research, archival materials and links to organizations that highlight the richness and diversity of Oklahoma’s built environment. At its core is a bibliography of more than 800 entries – books, articles, internet links and more – on the people, places and buildings of architectural interest in our state. From sod houses and ‘shotguns’ to a unique skyscraper and the prairie palaces of oil tycoons; from Victorian to Art Deco to Mid-Century Modern, Oklahoma Built aims to cover it all.
The scope of Oklahoma Built is broad - covering both the historic and the recent in equal measure. This balance is deliberate. The group Preservation Oklahoma ranks “Our Recent Past” as #2 on its annual list of Oklahoma’s most endangered public places. Oklahoma Built is also broadly defined - covering not only what is traditionally thought of as “Architecture with a capital A,” but the entire spectrum of the built environment as well. To that end, I’ve included entries on such diverse topics as the 101 Ranch, airports, Native American dwellings and the Oklahoma City National Memorial, just to name a few.
Please feel free to contact me with questions, additions or corrections so that this work continues to grow for the benefit of future users.
Bibliography
Within the bibliography, the following conventions are used:
- Generally, any wording in brackets [ ] is information I have added to clarify the subject or topic of that source.
- All place names are in Oklahoma unless otherwise noted, i.e. Miami and Orlando are small towns in Oklahoma rather than the more well known metropolitan areas in other states.
- In the case of nationally or internationally recognized architects, i.e. Frank Lloyd Wright, the entries are limited to specific examples of the architect’s work in Oklahoma. Monographs on the architect are listed if they include a chapter or significant coverage of an Oklahoma project.
- Any building or site that has five or more entries gets its own section, and is linked to its corresponding geographic location and architect via the use of “See also” notes. For example, the section on the Price Tower is linked to the sections on Bartlesville and Frank Lloyd Wright.
Books available through OSU
- Celebrate 100 : an architectural guide to Central Oklahoma byCall Number: Library Office 720.9766 C392 - ARCH LibraryISBN: 1604023325Publication Date: 2007
- Oklahoma landmarks; a selection of noteworthy structures byCall Number: Library Office 976.6 O415o - ARCH LibraryPublication Date: 1967
Bruce Goff by Call Number: Stacks 720.92 G612 H496b - ARCH LibraryISBN: 9780806156101Publication Date: 2017-04-27Renowned today as one of the most important architects of the twentieth century, Bruce Goff (1904-1982) was only twelve years old when a Tulsa architectural firm took him on as an apprentice. Throughout his career he defied expectations, not only as a designer of innovative buildings but also as a gifted educator and painter. This beautifully illustrated volume, featuring more than 150 photographs, architectural drawings, and color plates, explores the vast multitude of ideas and themes that influenced Goff's work. Tracing what he calls Goff's "path of originality," Arn Henderson begins by describing two of Goff's earliest and most significant influences: the architect Frank Lloyd Wright and the French composer Claude Debussy. As Henderson explains, Goff embraced from a young age Wright's ideal of organic expression, where all elements of a building's design are integrated into a unified whole. Although Goff's stylistic dependence on Wright eventually waned, the music of Debussy, with its qualities of mystery and "discipline in freedom," was a perpetual source of inspiration. Henderson also emphasizes Goff's identification with the American West, particularly Oklahoma, where he developed most of his ideas and created many of his masterful buildings. Goff served as a professor at the University of Oklahoma between 1947 and 1955, becoming the first chair of its School of Architecture. The new studio course he introduced was a pivotal development, ensuring that his ideas were imparted to the next generation of architects. Part biography of a well-known architect, part analysis of Goff's work, this book is also a finely woven tapestry of information and interpretation that encompasses the ideas and experiences that shaped Goff's artistic vision over his lifetime. Based on scores of interviews with Goff's associates and former students, as well as the author's firsthand study of Goff's extant buildings, this volume deepens our appreciation of the great architect's lasting legacy.
Ross Barney Architects by Call Number: Stacks 720.922 R827Zt5 - ARCH LibraryISBN: 9781864702293Publication Date: 2007-10-04This publication includes a discussion of the firm's unique architectural 'process' that results in extraordinary buildings. Projects examined include community, education, government, transit, with an emphasis on the 'green' aspects of building design.- Of the earth : Oklahoma architectural history byCall Number: Stacks 720.9766 O31 - ARCH LibraryPublication Date: 1980
Oklahoma City's Mid-Century Modern Architecture by Call Number: Stacks 720.976638 R839o - ARCH LibraryISBN: 1467127418Publication Date: 2017-10-23From its very first land run days in 1889, Oklahoma City has been a mecca for daring men and women intent on transforming the flat, grassy prairie into a thoroughly modern metropolis. This risk-taking ethic came to beautiful fruition after World War II when several enterprising young architects, many of whom were students of the mighty Bruce Goff at the University of Oklahoma, rejected traditional styles and approaches and enthusiastically embraced more modern forms in their sleek, ambitious building designs. The result is a vast collection of bold mid-century modern structures that span every function and budget, from the giant egg-shaped First Christian Church to the modest but equally dramatic Neptune Subs building to homes like the spiral-shaped Zuhdi House. This book celebrates Oklahoma City's unique built landscape and the minds behind our best architectural treasures.
Tulsa art deco by Call Number: Stacks 720.976686 T924 2001 - ARCH LibraryISBN: 9780971207806Publication Date: 2001Tulsa, Oklahoma, Oil Capital of the world, came into its mineral inheritance in its youth, just as Art Deco came onto the scene, and the style and the city evolved together for nearly half a century. This book traces the current of Art Deco that flows through the city's built history. Empowered by its exuberant new oil wealth, Tulsa erected lyrical skyscrapers in the Zigzag style and the Jazz-age twenties roared. Gillette-Tyrell and Philcade rose with profits from black gold while Christ the king and Boston Avenue Methodist Church invited souls to expand with the material world raising their bricks and mortar toward heaven. During the Depression, the city built closer to earth in the more austere WPA style, concentrating on the needs of the people with Will Rogers and Daniel Webster high schools and the Fairgrounds Pavilion. As "jazz smoothed into swing" in the speed-intoxicated 30s and 40s, the city built sleek, flowing Streamline Deco places of business-gasoline service stations, the Big Ten Ballroom, Brook Theater, corner diners-and a number of superlative private residences. In the 50s, Deco went Moderne.
Tomorrow's Historic Tulsa Homes by Call Number: Stacks 728.0976686 W239t - ARCH LibraryISBN: 9780975979976Publication Date: 2010-11-01John Brooks Walton's Tomorrow's Historic Tulsa Homes is the fourth book he has written on one of his favorite subjects, Tulsa's historic residences. This book begins with the year 1945 and tells of the homes built in that period to the present. It also highlights the architects who designed these homes and those who live in them. Walton's writing portfolio includes three books based on the lives and bodies of work of three architects: Charles Stevens Dilbeck, John Duncan Forsyth, and John Brooks Walton.
Prairie Skyscraper by Call Number: Stacks QUARTO 720.973 P946Zp8 - ARCH LibraryISBN: 9780847827541Publication Date: 2005-10-18Out of hundreds of buildings designed by Wright, the AIA recognises the Price Tower as one of his 17 most important works. The book's illustrations will include new photographs of the restored building, drawings, blue prints, and photos of models and works of decorative art.
Elliott + Associates by Call Number: Stacks QUARTO 720.976638 E46Zd5 - ARCH LibraryISBN: 9788878381001Publication Date: 2001-01-01Elliott & Associates is a versatile Oklahoma City firm with a national reputation for innovative design. Established in 1976 by Rand Elliott, the firm projects around the country, including houses, museums, office buildings, and interiors. No two are alike, but most are simple and self-effacing, with modest budgets and bold ideas. The firm's work has been widely published in the United States and Europe, and has won many prestigious design awards, including four National Honor Awards from the American Institute of Architects.
Capturing the Spirit in Bronze by Call Number: Stacks QUARTO 720.976686 D576Zw2 - ARCH LibraryISBN: 0975979922Publication Date: 2014-04-01- Oklahoma homes : past and present byCall Number: Stacks QUARTO 728.09766 G615o - ARCH LibraryPublication Date: 1980This lavishly illustrated book takes the reader on a tour of homes that have been built in Oklahoma from its earliest days to the present, with lore about each one in the concise accompanying text.
