Panels at the University of Dallas Station convey the four elements as a metaphor for man's drive to understand the universe. A purposeful connection exists between the station's design and the University of Dallas, much of which was designed by O'Neil Ford, a leading architect of the American Southwest. "The general forms of the station arise from the architectural components, design, form and materials found on the university campus," said Lyle Novinski, station artist and UD professor emeritus of art. "The column design, for instance, echoes the university's most prominent feature – the Braniff Memorial Tower – by recreating the bricks and the construction detailing." The station's windscreens serve the joint purpose of paying homage to Ford's fondness for expressive accents – such as decorative windscreens and geometric panels – and recognizing the timeless atmosphere of intellectual inquiry that the university represents. "Each panel represents one of the four elements: earth, air, water and fire," Novinski said. "To me, that captures our human instinct to understand the world around us, as well as the elemental ruggedness of the university's setting."