Rand Elliott Architects

08/18/2026

A new chapter for the Flatiron District.

Today, the Berry Rock Building is featured on the front page of The Oklahoman. Designed by Rand Elliott Architects and Lingo Construction Services, the project is taking shape as a new gateway between Downtown, Deep Deuce and the Innovation District.

Its triangular form is rooted in the history of this part of Oklahoma City, while its presence looks toward what this neighborhood can become. We’re proud to see the story of this project, and the vision behind it, shared with the city.

Read the full story in The Oklahoman.

The new Berry Rock Building in Oklahoma City blends Flatiron District history and sustainability into a gateway to the downtown area.

08/12/2026

Downtown Oklahoma City’s 1911 Heierding Building has lived many lives. It began as a
neighborhood meat market run by German immigrants, with a family living upstairs. During the Depression, August Heierding was known for feeding those in need. After closing in 1968, the building sat empty for years, and a fire in 1981 left only its brick shell behind.

In 1992, Rand and Jeanette Elliott saw something worth saving. Long before downtown’s revival, they chose to restore it, drawn to its triangular “flatiron” shape and the character still etched into its walls. That decision helped set the tone for what preservation could look like in Oklahoma City.

Today, the building stands as the home of Rand Elliott Architects. Its marvelously ornamented exterior remains intact, while inside, light, material, and design tell a new story layered onto the old one. It is a reminder that architecture is not just about creating something new. Sometimes, it is about recognizing what is already there and giving it a future.

07/30/2026

At The Uncommon Ground Sculpture Park in Edmond, “The Eagle’s Nest” will soon crown the Cross Timbers – which is the ecoregion American author Washington Irving encountered on an expedition west into mid-19th century Indian Territory. Indelibly, he likened it to “a forest of cast iron.”

The “Eagle’s Nest” is the park’s first of four sculptural structures designed by Rand Elliott Architects, each inspired by Oklahoma’s native landscape. It echoes both the “Iron Forest” and an eagles’ roost at nearby Lake Arcadia.

The spiraling climb to an observation platform hovers at 37 feet up to a with breathtaking treetop views. After dark you’ll see magical night lighting.

Beyond the timbers, another spark was oilfield pipes the park’s benefactor had available, a reminder of Oklahoma’s mainstay industry and native ingenuity. Just wait until il you see the structure’s “branches” lined with LED lights that it glow in the night sky.

07/11/2026

RAND ELLIOTT + ROUTE 66: AN ARCHITECTURAL TOUR

Route 66 has always been about the journey. As America’s Mother Road celebrates its Centennial, it continues to invite travelers to slow down, explore, and discover the stories that make each stop unique.

For Oklahoma architect Rand Elliott, that connection is personal. Born on Route 66 in Clinton, his work can be found all along the highway, from iconic landmarks to community spaces that celebrate the character of the places they call home.

If you're planning a Route 66 adventure, consider adding a few of these architectural stops to your itinerary. Each tells a different story, but together they reflect a shared appreciation for Oklahoma's history, creativity, and sense of place.

Featured Rand Elliott Route 66 projects:
POPS Route 66, Arcadia, OK
The Eagle’s Nest at The Uncommon Ground Sculpture Park, Edmond
University of Central Oklahoma STEM Center, Edmond
Oklahoma Contemporary Art Center, OKC
Heartland HQ
Berry-Rock Building at the Flatiron
The Boathouse District at RIVERSPORT, Oklahoma River
The Plaza District’s Lyric Theatre
Route 66 Museum, Clinton

06/24/2026

Every building has a story. The Berry Rock Building now has a place to tell it.

As this new gateway to downtown Oklahoma City continues to rise, its new website offers a closer look at the vision behind the project, the history of the Flatiron District, and the architecture shaping one of the city's most exciting emerging neighborhoods.

We invite you to explore the story, follow the progress, and see what's ahead.
Please visit: berryrockbuilding.com

06/11/2026

“The Most Exciting Architecture in America
Isn’t Happening in New York Anymore”

Architect magazine’s grabber of a headline continues “about the excellence unfolding
far from the coasts.”

It’s about “OUT THERE: New Architecture Across America,” a new 500-page book by industry leaders and editors that put Oklahoma in a very good light.

And Rand Elliott Architects is right IN THERE, along with 49 other firms. Other authoritative media echo the praise: Architectural Record, Interior Design, Fast Company, Dallas Morning News and Merrell Publishers (London) other authoritative voices all echo the news, led by Robert Ivy (longtime editor of Architecture Magazine (and president of the national AIA for a decade saw a void so glaring and projects so compelling that he decided to prove what he has seen. He chose the writers and went about selecting 50 architectural firms far from the national limelight.

Three memorable projects from Rand Elliott Architects – Glass Ranch in Logan County, Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center and Kirkpatrick Oil in Hennessey – are featured.

We hope you’ll pick up your copy at Oklahoma Contemporary’s Shop (with a special bookmark!) and booksellers worldwide.

From Merrell Publishers in London.

05/13/2026

PLICO at the Flatiron…

This distinctive blond brick Flatiron (triangular) building wedged between what is now Automobile Alley and the Innovation District began life in 1924 as the Como Hotel.

The neighborhood’s triangular plan was drawn in1903as streetcars made satellite neighborhoods viable. The diagonal Harrison Avenue led from Broadway east to the Stiles Circle “roundabout” to route the streetcar back downtown. (The circular park is now home to the Beacon of Hope.)

There were once nine Flatiron buildings here. Most were lost with construction of I-235. The first of two surviving Flatiron restorations was the red brick Heierding Meat Market (1914-1960). Although it had burned, the masonry and cast stone structure still stood. In 1995, it became Rand Elliott Architects’ studio, placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

For decades after the Como closed, it sat empty, boarded up, but held its place in the city’s story. For Rand Elliott Architects, it was never just an abandoned building. It was one of a pair of surviving Flatiron “jewels” on Harrison Avenue, standing “nose to nose” with the architects’ own offices.

Today, this restored building lives on as offices for the healthcare services firm, PLICO. Its historic brick and form remain, now carefully layered with a modern, third-floor addition including a deck with spectacular downtown views) and reimagined interior spaces. At night, it’s a glowing marker at the edge of downtown.

It’s a reminder that some buildings don’t need to be replaced. They just need to be rescued.

04/30/2026

Some buildings don’t need to be replaced. They need to be reimagined.

Engineering South at Oklahoma State University began in 1938. Today, it’s a light-filled, collaborative space for the next generation of engineers and designers. This transformation recently earned a First-Place National Award from Retrofit magazine, recognizing what’s possible when history is preserved and pushed forward at the same time.

View more about this project at: https://randelliottarchitects.com/at-ok-state-a-first-place-national-award-for-architecture-from-retrofit-magazine/

04/20/2026

The 60th Annual Festival of the Arts begins this Thursday through Sunday, in Downtown OKC.

Festival of the Arts has long been recognized nationally as a premier annual event, beloved by artists, visitors, and generations of Oklahoma City residents.

Needed was new life and grandeur for the festival’s original setting, the public park space bookended by two remarkable WPA-era landmarks: Civic Center Music Hall and City Hall.

Rand Elliott Architects, alongside Planning Design Group, designed Bicentennial Park to tie the two structures together and create a setting worthy of the city’s soaring spirit.

As part of Project 180, the space was transformed with sweeping lines that echo the Civic Center’s elegant Art Deco curves, guiding visitors along pathways to shaded places to pause amid the rhythm of downtown life.

Sculptural North and South Pavilions, a water feature that converts to a stage, an events marquee, extensive landscaping, and dramatic night lighting complete what is now a world-class civic venue.

Let the Festival begin!