Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

Readership Map

The readership map above shows the impact of this collection worldwide! To browse the collection, keep scrolling.

About the Collection

At the UNLV School of Architecture, Master of Architecture students who elect the Hospitality Design (HD) Concentration are immersed in the unique challenges and opportunities of designing for the global experience economy.

Every year, each emerging professional in the HD studio produces a design thesis book chronicling their research, design processes, and architectural outcomes. The works are developed under the guidance of Associate Professor Glenn NP Nowak, AIA, and are informed by the constructive criticisms of numerous faculty and countless industry professionals to whom the School of Architecture is sincerely grateful. Las Vegas has attracted architectural researchers for over half a century, and the continued strength of academic inquiry within the field is credited, in large part, to the graduates of the Hospitality Design Concentration. The beginnings of this collection showcase the benefits of studying hospitality design while embedded in the entertainment capital of the world. The opportunities provided by learning from Las Vegas are compounded when the city becomes an extension of the classroom and design research questions truly become an extension of the city.

Printing is not supported at the primary Gallery Thumbnail page. Please first navigate to a specific Image before printing.

Switch View to Grid View Slideshow

AER-075

Yasmin Soliman
5-15-2019
Anticipating the potential future changes of airport design and expansion along with city planning for the purpose of bringing the two entities in closer alignment with one another is the main purpose of this book.

By conducting a timeline analysis of five different US cities and their airports, conclusions were drawn from tracking the relationship between the growth patterns of both. This allowed for a discovery of methods to increase connectivity with one another. These conclusions were followed by an overview of the jet industry and its possible future impacts on the way airports are designed, considering future adaptations of airports to new design and technology concepts in aerospace.

The concept of ”integration through fragmentation” is explored in the final two chapters. Architectural fragmentations of airport programs and their integration into urban design/planning were applied to three cities - from the five previously selected- in order to; give readers a closer vision and understanding of how the concept might work. Possible variations of “fragmentation” design decisions were simulated in response to each city’s driving forces.

The application time of the proposed concept considered by this book is the year 2075, the ideas consider a long-range of planning and work with a mixture of hard data and hypothetical scenarios.

This project predicts that by 2075, new building, security and aircraft technologies will enable a fragmenting of airport programs and a reintegration of them with city future master plans to simultaneously address the needs of both cities and airports.
The Appendix

Nasko Balaktchiev
5-15-2018
This is the story of a building. The goal of this paper is to inspire citizens to take greater action in their built environment to help determine its form being demolished. The conclusion about Las Vegas identity is up to the reader to decide if it's valid or not.
The Strip Reimagined: Accommodating Esports In Everything From Ballrooms To Guestrooms

Edrick Ferreras
5-15-2018
From lobby to guestroom, esports has the potential to provide visitors with an authentic gaming experience through flexible design, connectivity, and community. It has the capability to go beyond just the ballroom of the resort and impact all aspects of design.
Integrated Stadium Design

Nolberto Fu
5-15-2018
Several stadiums today surround themselves with hundreds of acres of parking. The Los Angeles Dodger Stadium for example, takes up over 17 million sq ft (400 acres) of parking space. That is roughly the size of Grand Central Station. This inefficient use of space creates a disconnect between the stadium and the city. In an attempt to avoid this disconnect from the city, the stadium must: Activate the stadiums street front and surrounding context, provide multiple programmatic functions for daily interactions and blur the lines between stadium and community.
From Envelope T Skin Exploration of The Facade As A Synthetic Organic Material

Eduardo Gonzalez
5-15-2018
Building facades comprise a large area of unexplored potential. Facades present large surface footprints in the archetype of the high-rise and tower buildings; which, if properly designed, can benefit from the direct contact to the sun, light, wind, and water to solve multiple energy and environmental issues at different levels.
Food, Culture, Architecture, Lighting

Jeannie Kim
5-15-2018
In this study, I benefit from food as an interpretation of culture. Food is the most inspirational element of culture due to the emotional connections, a sense of belonging and ethic pride found in food. Food is important for our nutrition, but also has important cultural and symbolic meanings that make it more than what is on our plates. My childhood memories of traveling are mostly associated with the dining experience. Food is the most familiar way to interpret culture because it is highly associated with memories and experiences.
Retail Revolution: E-Commerce Effects On Retail & Hospitality Architecture

Kylie Kircher
5-15-2018
As many economic markets change with the innovation of technology, Physical spaces are transforming to adjust to people's wants and needs. The purpose of this research is to provide insight and solutions to e-commerce effects on retail and hospitality architecture. This book contains an exploratory study on the evolution of retail spaces by considering historical information, analyzing and assessing case studies, and identifying the gaps and opportunities in the shifting world of retail design.
Integrated Aesthetic Aquaponic Systems into Las Vegas Resorts

Bryce Shintaku
5-15-2018
Las Vegas' resort properties are constantly looking for innovative ways to generate revenue and increase guest experience for their property. With a steady increase in annual visitors, there will be a subsequent growth in food consumption. Las Vegas casino properties currently obtain a majority of their food from other states and countries. The purpose of this research is to illustrate how Las Vegas casinos can utilize a sustainable on-site agricultural practice for more than just food production.
Man Vs Car: The Ultimate Clash Designing A Safer Walking Experience For Las Vegas Pedestrians

Jenn Wong
5-15-2018
The car has become a common weapon of choice for terrorists and others hoping to do harm to unsuspecting pedestrians. There is a pressing need for the development of effective, preventive design strategies to stop vehicular attacks before they cause pedestrian fatalities. Vehicular violence has broader consequences beyond the pedestrians directly involved in specific incidents. The fear created by vehicular attacks undermines public trust and unity, resulting in harm that is less obvious than the immediate casualties, but is just as damaging. Is it possible to design the fear away? Do street safety devices enhance pedestrians feelings of safety?