52 Indian Gaming June 2006

The construction of properties in Indian Country is a multifaceted undertaking, whether buildingan entirely new facility or expanding an existing property. Consideration must be given to tribalculture in the design of the facility as well as to the convenience and comfort of the property'sguests. This month Indian Gaming magazine talks with five architectural firms about their recentprojects in Indian Country.

Guests enjoy the redesigned pool at Avi Resort & Casino

Architectural Design inIndian Country

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The premier goal of the Avi Resort & Casino project was to provide convenience and memorable experiences for visitors. The project involved creating a tri-level parkinggarage to increase the amount of parking stalls while offer-ing height accommodations for oversized vehicles, such asRVs and trucks. The project also included enhancing theBeach Club and pool area.

YWS Architects, Ltd. met the tribe's goals throughassisting in the execution of a master plan project. First,the company assisted in the engineering of a 670-stallparking garage and pedestrian connector project, whichopened in December 2005. The parking garage featuresaccessibility for large vehicles and a bridge connection tothe casino.

The second tier of the master plan project entailed theexpansion of the Beach Club and a redesign of the pool.Originally, the pool was on the north side of the propertyaway from the river and the Beach Club. YWS Architectsproposed that the Beach Club be combined with the poolamenity. By combining the two functions and convenientlylocating the two in closer proximity to beach access, itwould provide a central location for staffing, in addition toriver accessibility convenience for clientele.

Finally, the Beach Club and pool enhancement includeda move of the Beach Club Retail and Jet Ski rental facilitycloser to the beachfront, an expansion of the restrooms andshowers and a common kitchen to serve guests in both thepool and beach area. The Beach Club and lagoon-stylepool opened to the public on May 1, 2006.

Located in Laughlin, Nevada, Avi Resort and Casinorevamped its amenities to offer drive-in accessibility andbeachfront convenience. YWS Architects assisted in thedesign and engineering of the tailored parking garage

and the relocation and enrichment of the23,800 sq. ft. Beach Club and pool compo-nent. The project encompassed the BeachClub building, which included a retail shop,an eatery with outdoor seating and pool deckservices, a pool and a spa deck featuring arock-composed waterfall.

YWS Architects located the pool betweenthe casino and the beach to offer the riverexperience with resort-style exclusivity. Also,by creating a central location for the BeachClub and pool, YWS Architects producedgreater efficiencies for reduced staffingrequirements. Finally, YWS Architectsrespected the tribe's plans for future expan-sions by locating the updated amenities inunder-utilized locations.

AVI RESORT & CASINOYWS ArchitectsLaughlin, Nevada

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BEAR RIVER CASINOGroup West CompaniesLoleta, California

Located in the rolling hills overlooking the Eel River Valley and the Pacific Ocean, the Bear River Casino inLoleta, California has enjoyed tremendous success. Sinceit's opening in August of 2005 it has won many local awardsincluding best casino, family dining and sports bar. The BearRiver Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria teamed with thearchitectural and interior design firm Group West Companies to create a project that not only fits well into the rural community it serves, but continues to exceed theTribe's financial goals and expectations.

The 30,000 sq. ft. facility includes space for 350 gamingmachines, an assortment of table games, a poker room,sports bar and a full service restaurant. On any given nightstanding room only crowds of sports fanatics can be found atthe Thirsty Bear Sports Bar & Grill. Its design also includesa 160 sq. ft. double sided projection screen that links the gaming floor to the sports action.

To complete the design team, the tribe retained J.E.Dunn Construction as the at-risk construction manager witha stated directive from the tribe to deliver the project ontime and on budget without compromising the tribe's vision.That vision included the creation of a high energy gamingfacility that integrated historically significant tribal images

into the design of the building and reinforced the “BearRiver” theme.

Group West worked closely with Tribal leadership andthe construction team to create a project that respected andcared for the environment by protecting and enhancing theon-site wetlands. To save water, reclaimed water from thewastewater treatment facility is used for fire suppression systems, toilet flushing, irrigation systems and is also madeavailable to the local fire department for fighting fires in thecommunity.

Creating a building form that integrated well into therural environment and the surrounding homes, specificattention was given to reducing the bulk and scale of thebuilding through the use of low roof lines, deep overhangsand building forms typical to the area. Particular attention wasalso paid to the placement of exterior lighting to accent thebuilding and provide security lighting for the parking areaswithout negatively impacting the surrounding neighbors.

Incorporated into the interiors are symbols of plantsand animals that are historically important to the Tribeand are found in the natural environment. Group Westworked closely with Tribal Council and Tribal memberJohn McGinnis to design unique carpet for the gamingareas that included references to salmon, bears, and thesurrounding forests. Carved edge-lit plexiglass panels alsoin the form of bears, running rivers and salmon, bringthese traditional motifs into the gaming environment in a visually stimulating way.

The construction budget continued to be challengedthroughout due to rapidly increasing construction materialscosts and poor soils conditions. Ultimately the continuingcommitment on the part of the project’s team to work creatively and collectively throughout the project's durationchallenging the budgets, identifying priorities, taking advan-tage of sub-contractor input and to ongoing value analysisresulted in the successful completion of this exciting project.

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MORONGO CASINO RESORT & SPAThalden•Boyd ArchitectsCabazon, California

The Morongo Casino Resort & Spawas designed to be a destination resort. As the tallest structure in inland Califor-nia, it springs from the desert like aflower in bloom. It is an oasis with color,light, and water as it's main themes. Asthe Architects of record, Thalden-BoydArchitects is extremely honored to havebeen a part of this amazing creation.

The property structures total 680,000 sq. ft., including a 28 story tower, 310-room hotel, a pool with a lazy river, state-of-the-art spa, 150,000 sq. ft. of gamingspace, three night clubs, banquet facilitiesand nine restaurants. Once you arrive,you won't want to leave.

Two important objectives were to create a memorable experience for visitors and to pay attention to details.From the lighting to the music selectionto the carpet, every detail was thoroughlyconsidered. This property was designedwith the comforts of the guests in mind.

The Morongo Casino Resort stands asa tribute to the vision and persistence ofthe Morongo Band of Mission Indiansand for future generations, it provides theopportunity to make dreams come true.

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Bergman, Walls & Associates, Ltd, of Las Vegas are thearchitects for the new clubhouse and pro shop at MysticLake Casino Hotel. The tribe decided to locate the club-house adjacent to its gaming facility. The primary design

features included a dining venue, retail store, golf cartparking, and support infrastructure. On the lower level,housekeeping offices for the hotel were also included inthe design.

Initially, Joel Bergman, President of Bergman andWalls, met with the tribe's representatives and developed adesign for the 'look' of the clubhouse, which ultimatelyevolved into an octagon nestled between the two existinghotel towers. After the building footprint was completed,each area was carefully reviewed to ensure that all designrequirements were met. During the review a spa wasadded, which was subsequently included in the design. An exterior dining patio was also added, overlooking the signature island green #18.

As the design process progressed, a number of other

features were also added, including the trellis over the dining bar and a storefront divider wall with an elegantarched entry separating the pro shop from the promenadeleading to the hotel. On the exterior, dormers were addedto enhance the roof, and copper was added to the fasciaand trim that will age naturally, giving the building a unique elegance.

On May 15, 2006 the Shakopee Mdewakanton SiouxCommunity opened The Meadows at Mystic Lake GolfCourse and their new clubhouse, which includes a proshop, a practice range, putting greens, a restaurant, a spa,and a golf simulator. The pro shop contains a large retailspace with everything a golfer might need including cloth-ing, golf clubs, outerwear, golf balls, and other accessories.Also new to the casino resort is a spa offering therapeuticmassage, a sauna, whirlpool, and exercise equipment, alllocated next to the swimming pool inside adjacent MysticLake Casino Hotel. The clubhouse also contains TheMeadows Grille, a 120-seat restaurant with outdoor seating available.

MYSTIC LAKE CASINO HOTELBergman, Walls & AssociatesPrior Lake, Minnesota

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Design and construction of the Seneca Niagara Casino& Hotel represents the beginning of a “vision for thefuture” intended to restore the former glory of one ofAmerica's top tourist destinations. The casino itself repre-sents the first phase in a ten-year, six-block developmentplan. The total project also represents the ever-increasingsophistication of the casino as an important public build-ing type and catalyst for economic renaissance. Due to thelimited amenities of the existing facility, as well as a lack

of hotel options in the immediate area for overnightguests, phase II of the Seneca Nation's master planincluded the construction of a luxury hotel.

Several representatives were involved withJCJ Architecture during the design of SenecaNiagara Casino & Hotel to ensure that thehotel reflected some tribal cultural history aswell as met the needs of its management team.The patterns and graphic elements that reflectthe culture of the Seneca Nation are quite var-ied, creating a very interesting design mixturefor the building. Decorative friezes alonglobby walls reflect traditional Seneca borderpatterns; a large panel centered above therevolving door at the main entry features acustom, sculptural depiction of The Tree ofPeace (either designed by, or in conjunctionwith Seneca artisans); and the textural treat-ment of the walls to either side of the main

entry wall is astylistic represen-tation of wovenbasketry, whichlends a natural,yet sophisticatedfinish to thisimportant publiccirculation space.

Phase II con-tinues the imple-mentation of theSeneca Nation'sMaster Develop-ment Plan andintroduces a con-ference/conven-tion hotel andgaming complexwith additionalstructured parking. The new world-class hotel hosts 604rooms, 17,000 sq. ft. of food and beverage and retailamenities, a 35,000 sq. ft. gaming area, and a 19,000 sq. ft. spa and pool, as well as a new 2,300 car parkinggarage with 11 bus bays. The new luxury hotel offers 26 levels of pure excitement, is the largest hotel in theregion, and was designed to assert Seneca Niagara Casinoand Hotel's position as the premier resort destination inall of New York. Guests enjoy every amenity imaginable -deluxe rooms, flat screen TVs, and a state-of-the-art fitness center.

SENECA NIAGARA CASINO & HOTELNiagara Falls, New York JCJ Architecture