Entertainment Architecture - "In Your Face Architecture"

We just finished exhibiting at the 2011 IAFE (International Association of Fairs and Exhibitions) Conference in Las Vegas. The conference was held in and around the Great Ballroom at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Convention and Trade Show held in Las Vegas each year, is the largest event serving fairs, shows,
exhibitions, and expositions.  We had the benefit of networking and learning from top industry folks and other fair professionals during the intensive four days of workshops, special seminars, round table discussions, and social events. The Trade Show allows us to showcase our firm while serving as a one-stop shop for all things fair.

As an architect of mass entertainment facilities there could not be a more perfect setting than to hold a show in Las Vegas. Las Vegas is everything entertainment design aspires to be – in your face, cutting edge, modern, and definitely Disneyesque.  This recent visit allowed us to tour the recently completed (opened about a year ago) CityCenter.  The below entry summarizes our thoughts.

The blog entry below uses several excerpts and references from the October 2010 article “What Happens in Vegas” by Paul Goldberger – originally published in the New Yorker

We all know that Las Vegas has been expanding since 2005, when Steve Wynn started the latest and largest building-boom Vegas has ever seen. High-rise, condo, hotel, mixed-use, adaptive-reuse and other projects in the Las Vegas area are in various stages of planning, development and construction.

Image of the CityCenter at night from the CityCenter.com website

For several years now, there has been talk about whether Las Vegas could handle what in any other city might be referred to as real architecture.  In 2004, when the hotel company MGM Mirage (now known as MGM Resorts International) was looking for a way of filling in a sixty-six-acre site between two of its properties on the west side of the Strip (the Bellagio and the Monte Carlo), it hit on the idea of turning the plot into a showcase for modern architecture.

The Las Vegas Strip is constantly debuting new projects, boasting the latest in new urban architecture, design and technology. LEED certified “Green” buildings are making an entrance and many world-famous architects (starchitects) stepped up to the plate to create the critically acclaimed CityCenter, the biggest construction project in the history of Las Vegas.  It has three hotels, two condominium towers, a shopping mall, a convention center, a couple of dozen restaurants, a private monorail, and a casino. There was to have been a fourth hotel, whose opening has been delayed indefinitely. But even without it the project contains nearly eighteen million square feet of space, the equivalent of roughly six Empire State Buildings.  In an effort to counterpoint Las Vegas kitschiness the rolodex of who’s who in architecture was called into action.  The result is a community of glittering starchitect ambition. There are major buildings by Daniel Libeskind, Rafael Viñoly, Helmut Jahn, Pelli Clarke Pelli, Kohn Pedersen Fox, and Norman Foster; and interiors by Peter Marino, Lewis Tsurumaki Lewis, Bentel and Bentel, and AvroKO (no relation to our firm). There are also prominent sculptures by Maya Lin, Nancy Rubins, and Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen.

If Las Vegas wants to be rescued from kitsch, that remains to be seen.  CityCenter has struggled in the year since it opened.  But it’s been clear for a while that Las Vegas has been running out of themes. The trouble is that its effects rely entirely on dazzlement, an over-the-top gigantism that gets old fast.  As Las Vegas had grown—until the recession, its expansion had helped make Nevada the fastest-growing state in the nation—the city has started to feel a little uncomfortable about its reputation as a place where developers spend billions of dollars on funny buildings.

Whether or not the buildings themselves succeed in striking a blow against Vegas kitsch, CityCenter certainly fails to live up to the claim implicit in its name—the hope that it is going to give Las Vegas, the place of ultimate sprawl, a genuine urban focus. As urban planning, it doesn’t go much farther than Caesars Palace.  CityCenter is laid out not for pedestrians but as a machine for moving vast numbers of cars efficiently. There are wide ramps coming off the Las Vegas Strip, auto turnarounds, and porte cochères—all good for traffic flow but hardly what you would call urban open space. There has been an attempt to tuck the site’s enormous garages out of sight—employee cars alone number in the thousands—but they are no less visible than at any number of the Strip’s other big hotels.  Like its competitors, CityCenter has no real streets. You can glide over the project on a monorail, but there is no pleasant place to walk, except inside the buildings.

Even though there is more perceived density to CityCenter (there really is no more than anywhere else on the strip), and more sophistication to its architecture, it doesn’t feel urban.  Its planners have tried to cram more square footage into a tighter space than anyone else has managed in Vegas, and that may make this place seem like an antidote to sprawl. But it still isn’t much of a center, or much of a city. Indeed, as you drive around the site, you suddenly wonder if CityCenter only appears to be different from the rest of the Strip. After all, cutting-edge contemporary architecture by the likes of Libeskind and Foster has been migrating steadily into the cultural mainstream for years. Now, perhaps, it has reached the point where it is familiar enough, and likable enough, to be just another style available for imitation, like the Pyramids or Renaissance Venice.  CityCenter is really the Las Vegas you already know and love, but in modernist drag.

Now is a Great Time to get Construction Value!

Is now a good time to build?

If you’re currently considering it, there is no better time!  Even though some 2011 economic indicators show the economy is slowly picking up, construction spending in the non residential sector is still going down.  This lag in construction spending turnaround should be the proverbial music to the savvy owner’s ears.  It is estimated that about two years of very high value and equally high competition remain as this gap closes and the economy continues to crawl back.  It’s not as dire as it was a few years ago but, it’s not a rosy picture for construction folks yet.  Construction competition is at an all time high and so are the choices of qualified firms.  Now is the time to build!

click here for Audiocast

Says Michael Dell’Isola: 

“Take your project to market and the market will respond.  If you want to build now, bid now – because everyone in the construction industry is running lean – you’ll get the “A Team”, everyone’s “A Team.  Not to mention at much less than the “A Team” price.  The good news is, if you choose wisely, you’ll get the “A team”, tight bids, and ultimately a quality product.  Act now and you’ll have nothing but good news coming your way.”

Michael D. Dell’Isola, PE, CVS, FRICS, Senior Vice President of Faithful+Gould, has a broad background specializing in cost management, value engineering, technical facilitation/partnering, life-cycle costing, and project management.  He has over 30 years of experience in the field. Dell’Isola declares, “You don’t want contractors working for you that are in the process of going broke.  Nobody is gaining under that.”  Listen as Dell’Isola explores the impact of pricing in today’s hyper-competitive marketplace.

To listen to the full interview with Michael Dell’Isola and host Ted Garrison click here (click here for Audiocast).  The interview is titled “Pricing Projects in the Hyper-Competitive 2011 Market” and provided on the New Construction Strategies 3.0 website - www.ncs30.com

As Construction Lags behind the Economy - Now is the Best Time to Take Bids!

Photo by Jim Tetro/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

WaterShed, the entry by the University of Maryland collegiate Architectural team has taken first place overall in the 2011 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.  This team spent almost two years creating a house that would be competitive in 10 different judged areas of the Solar Decathlon.  In summary, the goal was to design and build an energy-efficient house powered by the sun which:

• Is affordable, attractive, and easy to live in
• Maintains comfortable and healthy indoor environmental conditions
• Supplies energy to household appliances for cooking, cleaning, and entertainment
• Provides adequate hot water
• Produces as much or more energy than it consumes

Not only did this entry take top honors as a very elegant and tasteful solution it is well detailed, very practical, and extremely sustainable.  WaterShed is a dwelling that we consider fantastically livable utilizing a common sense approach to internal/external organization layered with readily available technology that just makes sense.  Maybe someone should figure out how to replicate variations of this prototype as a pre-fab for the masses.  Kudos to the team from Maryland for doing in two years what many in the design field only hope to achieve in a lifetime of practice.

Photo by Jim Tetro/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

From the U.S. Department of Energy and WaterShed websites:

WaterShed is inspired by the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem — it is an entry that proposes solutions to water and energy shortages. The house is a model of how the built environment can help preserve watersheds everywhere by managing storm water onsite, filtering pollutants from greywater, and minimizing water use. The photovoltaic and solar thermal arrays, effectiveness of the building envelope, and efficiency of the mechanical systems make WaterShed less thirsty for fossil fuels than standard homes.

Design Philosophy

The forms of the house highlight the path of a water drop. WaterShed’s split butterfly roofline highlights storm water runoff from each module, directing and collecting it into the water axis at the core of the house. Water used within the house intersects this axis through a consolidated mechanical core.

Spatially, the house is designed as two “shed” modules slid apart along the central water axis and connected by a third module: the hyphen. The two larger modules express the programmatic intent of a live/work environment by physically separating the public and private realms. The hyphen houses the bathroom and highlights the connection between interior water uses and the wetland axis outside.

Features

WaterShed’s holistic approach to water conservation, recycling, and storm water management includes:

• A modular constructed wetland that helps filter and recycle greywater from the shower, clothes washer, and dishwasher
• A green roof that slows rainwater runoff to the landscape while improving the house’s energy efficiency
• A garden, an edible wall system, and a composting station to illustrate the potential for improved health, energy, and cost savings with a complete carbon cycle program.

Technologies

WaterShed features integrated systems that keep the house comfortable under a range of climatic conditions. These include:

• The liquid desiccant waterfall, which serves as a design feature and provides humidity control
• An engineering system that harnesses excess energy generated by the solar thermal array
• A home automation system that monitors and adjusts temperature, humidity, lighting, and other parameters to provide maximum function with minimal impact on the environment.

Iowa State Fair - Facilities Layout Plan - buildings shown in red have recently been completed by K/O

When Iowan’s think of the hot/humid days of August they think of the Iowa State Fair - then they have memories of fried food on a stick, the butter cow, the big bull, people watching…and K/O (right? You all think of us!)!  Well, if you don’t think of K/O – read on and we’ll tell you why you should!

K/O has been involved with work at the Iowa State Fairgrounds since 1885.  Back when the founders of K/O’s predecessor firm master planned the 400 acre grounds and designed some of it’s initial structures.  The fairgrounds located on the east side of Des Moines, stretches between University and Dean Avenues from East 30th to East 36th streets, and were dedicated on September 7, 1886, with an addresses by then Governor Larrabee. 

Known statewide as “Iowa’s Fair” it is also known as “America’s Classic State Fair” because the event features all of the traditional activities associated with state fairs in a park-like setting (see map image). The grounds and the adjoining 160 acres of Campgrounds are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Most of the buildings pre-date World War I, and most of these buildings were designed by K/O or their predecessor firm; many are priceless examples of American exposition-style architecture.

Approximately 600 exhibitors and concessions operate daily during the fair.  Attendance for the 11-day run of the Iowa State Fair is typically just over one million.  The fairgrounds are in their 126^th year at their current location.  The major structures shown on the map, in red are recent K/O projects including: the renovation of the Grandstand Building (1), the renovation of the Administration Building (2), the new Fair Museum (3), the addition & renovation to the Varied Industries Building (4), the Livestock Pavilion (5) renovation, the new Jacobson Exhibition Center (6), the Horse Barn Renovation (7), the Cattle Barn (8) additions & renovation, the Swine Barn (9) renovation, the relocated & enhanced Covered Riding Arena (10), and the new Animal Stalling Barn (11).  The dashed area shown on the plan was reviewed as part of a four block expansion Master Plan also recently completed by K/O.

We would argue that the design of the grounds and facilities is not only more interesting and engaging than the history of any other element tied to the fair – but fundamentally more important to the economic viability of the fair itself and thus, the State of Iowa.  It is through our firm’s initial layout, planning, and design of the fairgrounds where the foundation for success was laid.  It is with our firm’s continued planning, layout, and design of the historic and new facilities where the ongoing success continues!

Now, when you think of the Iowa State Fair you will also think K/O!  Just don’t blame us for the hot/humid days of August.

One of the Great Places of Coon Rapids - Armour Building circa 1958

K/O travelog  – This town is now officially a Great Place after being designated so in 2005, no longer a hidden haven of paradise in the middle-west portion of Iowa.  Our recent visit to this town (population 1,300) left us in awe of its progressive attitude, friendly folks, abundant amenities, and commitment to miles of trails, arts, and preservation.

Here is a little history on Coon Rapids (taken from the – “Welcome to Coon Rapids” visitor’s guide):

In the 1930s, Coon Rapids began a new era as the cradle of the hybrid seed corn. In 1930, the colorful Roswell “Bob” Garst, working with Henry Wallace, grew his first commercial crop of seed corn.  That winter he and local partner Charles Thomas founded the Garst & Thomas Hybrid Seed Corn Company. Their seed corn processing plant soon became the largest in the world.  Garst’s innovations in hybrid seed, fertilizer and cattle feeding were a central part of the “green revolution” that enabled Iowa to move into its own as a major world producer of field corn and soybeans.

 In 1959, Coon Rapids hit the front pages of newspapers world-wide when Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev came to Coon Rapids to visit his friend Bob at the Garst Farm.  Located just southeast of town, this historic farm is now the headquarters of Whiterock Conservancy.

 As the seed corn plant thrived, Thomas and Garst families continued to invest in Coon Rapids. Charles and Bertha Thomas established the city-owned Thomas Rest Haven in 1968, and also paid for hundreds of trees to replace elms hit by Dutch Elm Disease.  In 1985 the Garst Seed company was purchased by the British ICI and is today owned by the Swiss-owned agribusiness giant Syngenta.

 We plan many more visits …so, we’ll be back and we’ll tell you more, so stay tuned!

Front porch of the Armour Building Today. What an opportunity for a beautiful renovation

What are the three main ingredients of every great fair in our nation? 

1. Celebration
2. Exhibition
3. Education

Celebrating human achievement (having fun, people watching, entertainment, etc.), Exhibiting the best (commercial goods, livestock, art, technology, crops, etc.), and Educating your neighbor on best practices, and the youth as to the way of the future.

During the design of the Jacobson Exhibition Center on the Iowa State Fairgrounds we decided early on that we not only needed to mix in the ingredients of a great fair but we needed to do it while involving the youth of the State somehow in the design of the building.  Early on in the design process the owner had brought up the desire to work a barn quilt into the new building design.  “What?” we asked, “Bring in a seamstress?”.  No, not quite!

 “Our research showed that traditionally barn quilts are an 8’ x 8’ pattern (an oversized quilt like pattern – just like the bed cover you’re thinking of) painted on a wood block and hung on the side of a barn.  The great thing about the quilts is that every quilt pattern is unique to the barn it is hung on.  People now spend weekends “chasing” (visiting, documenting, photographing) barn quilts across the Midwest and eastern United States.  Thousands now exist, a basic history of the barn quilt can be found by following this link or by doing a basic search on the internet.”

After research on the subject we came to the conclusion that the barn quilt’s traditional form as described above would not mesh well with our vision of the new contemporary structure.  That is when we made the decision to involve youth from across the state – In the Spring of 2009, the Iowa State Fair Board put out a request from each of the counties in Iowa to create a quilt block to represent their respective county.  One design was then chosen from each County.  Each design, 102 in all (one from each County in the State of Iowa + 3 extra) were recreated in 16”x16” clay tiles and installed in a repeating pattern around the over 1000 foot perimeter of the arena/exhibition building.  This feature not only showcased the talents of the youth of our State but, created an impressive architectural adornment and level of detail that was unique to traditional fairground design.

This is now a one of a kind destination for many reasons but, as this story goes – especially for those that “chase” barn quilts.  This is the only place in the world where you can walk around a single building and enjoy 102 unique barn quilt designs, all in one location, and all on one barn!

The photo below was taken from the blog Write Formation.

Traditional Barn Quilt Example

How Does Earth Day Fit Into Your Plan?

Join us by celebrating Earth Day this week!  For every new friend, like, follow, etc. we get over the next week on any of our social media sites, we will plant a tree in your honor.  That’s right; K/O Architects will purchase a tree through the Arbor Day Foundation Corporate Partnership Program.  The tree will be planted in a North American forest in our name but in your honor.  The Arbor Day Foundation is considered among one of the top 25 Charities Nationally.

We could not think of a better way to celebrate our planet and show our appreciation to You – our friend, than by simply planting a tree.  Our nation’s forests provide wood, habitat, clean air, and drinking water for millions of us and millions of more wildlife.  Your tree will help preserve these precious resources for this and many generations to come!

Here is the link to the TreeHugger website where we grabbed the graphic (How Does Earth Day Fit Into Your Plan?) we are using for this post – enjoy.

Payette County Fair - New Plymouth, Idaho

The Payette County Fair is located in New Plymouth, Idaho.  The Payette County Fair is a 4 day event held in mid August.  We had an opportunity to visit this nice fairgrounds on a recent trip to Idaho.  This 18 acre fair is located in a rich agriculture region of Idaho, not too far from Interstate 84 and just far enough to keep this beautiful land separated from the hustle and bustle of nearby development.  The region has one of the largest horse populations in the State, and thus is an excellent example of local/regional quality livestock.  Not only is the fairgrounds delightful in layout and impressive as to the number and quality of its animals - it still did not make as large an impression on us as something else that quite honestly had nothing to do with the grounds itself.

What impressed us the most was the layout of the city of New Plymouth.  In the late 19^th century the land for this town was bought and planned before it was even settled (here is the Wikipedia link).  We would argue that this experiment in city planning, although unique, is rather successful!  The city is designed in a horseshoe shape with its open end facing to the north, toward the railroad and the Payette River.  Design wise (here is a map of New Plymouth) homes are laid out in lots that circle the horseshoe – each home fronts a horseshoe street and backs-up to a green space behind it.  On the outside edge of the horseshoe the town is surrounded by two streets (like a boulevard) separated by a rather wide green space or park area.  The length of this park is exactly 1 mile (we got to travel it several times as we spent time navigating the community).  The horseshoe is not overly large (about 5 blocks wide x 5 blocks long) it is made up of about 5 or so continuous wrapping streets and nine radial streets that run perpendicular to the center of the horseshoe.  The town is then wrapped by industrial areas outside the horseshoe and has highway 30 running through its center (this serves as the town’s connection to the rest of the county and as its lifeblood of commercial activity).

All that said, the best part about traveling around the horseshoe is “hands down” the gem of a fairgrounds you’ll find when you make it to the end of your journey on the North East edge of town.  So, yes both the Payette County Fair and the City of New Plymouth, Idaho are Ringers!

View out window - Box Elder Co Fair Master Planning

…Our plane landed at 9:30am not too long after the snowfall had subsided (about 3 inches – and up to 24 inches or so in the mountains). It did not last long as the air temperature was above freezing and the snow plows made haste pushing it aside. Thank goodness because we needed to rush to our next meeting with Box Elder County regarding master planning their fairgrounds.

Our meeting was held at the appropriately and contextually designed “Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge”. Once we finished our presentation we were able to relax and look out across the valley at the snow covered mountains.

“Boy, we wish we would have brought our skis, or at least scheduled an extra couple of days in this beautiful country!”

There is no doubt, “We get to work in the Best Places!”

K/O Architects travel the Globe or at least North America

What do the following states have in common – Idaho, Utah, Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri. Let’s narrow it down. Besides all having beautiful countryside and gorgeous scenery. Two of the States have incredible mountain top skiing, one of the states has 10,000 lakes, another has two NFL and MLB teams, and the yet another has the Iowa State Fair. Are you any closer to guessing the correct answer? If you guessed they are all states that K/O is currently working in - you would be correct! That’s right, our entertainment projects and fairground planning takes us all over North America. The dashed lines are starting to look like a cross Atlantic map from a travel sequence of an “Indiana Jones” movie. Help us color in our map and keep the dashed lines going! If you have a fairground or entertainment venue that is in need of repair, rework, or just in need of fresh ideas – give us a call. We’ll happily “go the distance” and help you solve your problems and put a smile on your face!