Despite its racy-sounding name, there is probably no less sexy building type than the strip mall.

If there is one single building that is emblematic of what might be called the renaissance of Oklahoma City, it is the gleaming new Devon Energy Center by New Haven'based architects Pickard Chilton.

In 2010, Oklahoma City commissioned a renovation of the greenhouse (by Gensler) and park (by the Office of James Burnett), leading to greater use of the gardens.

Chesapeake Energy is the largest natural gas producer in the United States, yet when the time came to name the new company café, Gas was obviously not an option.

Oklahoma City is experiencing a second wind. Having transformed its river from a trickling Army Corps of Engineers drainage ditch into a series of connected lakes that are scullers’ paradises, the Midwestern capital is enjoying an urban renaissance.

Rand Elliott, FAIA, drives his white Porsche 911 around Oklahoma City, showing you his major projects, shifting gears, and sweeping through the sprawling landscape so quickly, authoritatively, you begin to understand how important the new Chesapeake Boathouse is to the career of this consummate Oklahoma architect.