It's all in the details......

While walking around the new "City Center" on the strip in Las Vegas, Julie and I saw many new interesting ways to use materials, and also custom design details both for interiors and exteriors. This light fixture that looks like an ordinary interior table lamp has been recreated into a playful 6' + exterior lamp.

In the lobby/check-in of the Aria Hotel and Casino, there are these partition walls made of recycled/ reclaimed wood with organic steel screens. Adding benches to the screens creates the perfect spot for their guest to rest and just sit and watch the action. But as ones feels air blowing around their legs you notice that there are big HVAC diffusers that access the air from below the floor.

This a a great alternative to placing the HVAC above since the ceilings are two to three stories high (and who wants to see big ducts up there or hear air movement above) this gives the ceilings a clean look with organic steel clouds and they are also free of noise and ugly vents. What a great idea and for seating and HVAC distribution......

Behind check-in low wall with real plants at top and HVAC grills, in front of multi-story glass wall, and reclaimed wood structure.

Seat/ Divider/ HVAC distribution

The use of new contemporary materials throughout all of these new structures helps add to the different designers interpretations of use, but also help the flow from one structure to the next. The Crystals retail area has a varied rich use of materials from one end of the mall to the other, as it houses high end shops.

The use of these bright semi-precious translucent stone that are back lit and used on the risers to a major stair at the south end of the mall. They work perfect with the rich natural dark stained hard wood steps and the face of the exterior walls with recessed lighting....

Stairs with wood and stone materials.Seating/ restaurant area above.

And some cool custom lights too.

Custom Light in Lobby of "The Hotel"

And a huge use of natural lighting, which is a huge departure from the standard structures in Las Vegas, in which they have all electric lighting and no light from the sun.

Natural Day lighting....

Amazing blown glass art work

Julie and I were finished with"The Las Vegas Market" last week and had a half day to check out the new architecture being built in Las Vegas. WOW WOW WOW!!!!!......... We didn't have to go far from our hotel to find the new "City Center" (http://www.citycenter.com)



While we started to experience the exteriors of these new structures we found a small art gallery in the heart of the "City Center" that housed only one artist - Dale Chihuly from the state of Washington. I have watched his shows on PBS and this is the first time seeing his work in person. What an amazing talent. You guessed it! we are planning to go see his company up in Washington soon - I can't believe we haven't done this already.

Small bowl......

Something for your garden,,,,,,,

Famous installation in the Lobby of the Bellagio Hotel/Casino.

This is one of his chandeliers.

This is a piece that is over 20 feet tall and costs over $750k not including installation...... So cool

What is "BIM"?

BIM is short for “Building Information Modeling” is the process of generating and managing building data during its life cycle[1]. Typically it uses three-dimensional, real-time, dynamic building modeling software to increase productivity in building design and construction.[2] The process produces the Building Information Model (also abbreviated BIM), which encompasses building geometry, spatial relationships, geographic information, and quantities and properties of building components. (courtesy of Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_Information_Modeling)

Computer Aided Drafting started out as a drafting tool, that was like drawing by hand on paper but made changes and duplication much faster. It also was not a messy, smudgy, or hard to keep clean process. The old way of drafting with pencil and paper is now an art form and those who still design this way, produce amazing drawings.

Old style Blueprint with Hand Drafting.




As we have progressed over the years, everything in our lives has changed, too. What would we do without or cell phones, laptops etc?? I know when I lose my cell phone I feel lost and it’s the end of the world, until I find the stupid thing.

So to the computer aided drafting programs has progressed, from complicated 2d systems that at times seemed slower then hand drafting because of slow computer systems. Now we are at a stage that the computers are way more capably of handling the new 3d software systems that use the new “BIM” technology. Software companies like Autodesk ‘Revit’, Graphsoft’s ‘Archicad’, Nemetschek ‘Vectorworks’ etc. have been developing these programs to be able to design from scratch to final construction drawings - using one model.

The model is drawn and developed in 3d and is uses parts and blocks that are real world building components. So with this new way of drawing, we as designers have now the access to see our designs before they even dig the ground for the first time. Since working with a real life size model, it is like viewing the real building in every aspect of the building can be studied from how we interact in the spaces, to HVAC duct systems, how the building is constructed, to energy studies to how the building sits on the site etc..

"Revit" generated overall view of Hotel

Interior courtyard "Revit" generated model view

Ariel photo of completed Hotel

Front Perspective view of Custom Home "Revit"

Perspective view of custom home concept "Revit"

"Revit" Interior view of concept kitchen

These programs make our job of conveying our designs to our clients easier to understand and see how it will look when built. We as designers have imagined our designs and can see what they may be when built, from our experience - but most of our clients cannot visualize the final project when looking at flat 2d drawings on paper. With this instant feedback we receive from our BIM models, the decisions can be made quicker and more accurately so the process saves money and time.

This technology is also used in building huge airliners like at Boeing and so far is very successful.
From these programs we can add finishes, trees, cabinets, people, cars, pets, carpets, art, etc; that will be used so that everything from how we interact with the spaces, to what the walls will look like. We can get an almost photo like images as if we have the project built.

As a designer, I feel much more freedom to explore options and to provide my clients with more then they can imagine, before we ever get started designing. This gets my imagination and creativity flowing and it is so much more exciting to see my clients visualize what we have designed for them. This gives you a glimpse of what we find so exciting about the future of designing for our clients and how we are able to effect our built environment in a positive way.