• Apache Casino Hotel , Lawton , Oklahoma •
When BWA first met with the Fort Sill Apache Tribe , management team and contractor for the construction project at the Apache Casino Hotel , the collective goal was to create a plan for expansion by adding amenities , improving the guests ’ experience and eventually replacing the aging tent structure , which was getting more difficult and expensive to maintain . This work was to be completed over several phases to make the projects more affordable .
The design team ’ s first step was to create a master plan and identify opportunities to improve the guest experience with the owner and management team . A roadmap was created that defined the phases of work , which included a new event center , additional office and back-of-house space , a new restaurant , a players club , additional gaming space and remodeling of several locations within the facility .
These initial efforts were completed in 2017 , and enclosing the gaming tent within a permanent structure was completed in January 2020 over two additional phases .
During the entire planning process , BWA worked with the owner and contractor to establish budgets for these components based on owner-defined priorities for the sequence of phasing .
The last two phases of work were unique and technically challenging because gaming could not be moved to a different location during construction , and it was imperative to ensure that gaming operations be maintained to the fullest extent possible at all times during construction .
The aging tent structure had reached a point where it could no longer serve as the exterior of the casino , and a more permanent solution was needed . The legal boundary ( trust land ) for gaming is the footprint of the tent structure , so gaming could not be moved to occur anywhere else in the facility . After the team reviewed all options , the best solution was to build over the top of the existing tent and enclose the existing structure while keeping the casino operational during construction .
The first phase of the building enclosure was to construct the front part of the building , which contained new office space , enclosed the utility courtyard , would house new mechanical systems on the roof , and would be a landing point to support the large trusses that would span the top of the tent structure and tie back into the existing building completed in earlier phases . This phase of the building enclosure also created the new front entry into the casino .
Once this was completed , phase two of the enclosure started with the removal of the old mechanical yard behind the tent structure so new foundations could be placed and structural steel erected .
The tent structure had a second level which needed to remain intact , which required the design team to design an appropriately tall building enclosure to surmount the tent and still tie in proportionately with the rest of the complex . To compensate for the extra height , the building was stepped up from the porte cochere in several steps , with a final step that creates a signage shelf near the top of the new building .
Programmable color-changing lighting from the old exterior of the tent was removed and reused . Its control systems were updated and ribbon LEDs were installed on the building steps to afford the building a dramatic effect at night which can be programmed to change lighting effects seasonally and for special events . This portion of the building creates a distinct new focal point and main entry into the casino , which ties the whole complex together with a sleek , modern and contemporary style that blends seamlessly into the location .
During construction , careful planning allowed most casino operations to continue without interruption while smaller sections of the casino were closed for less than an hour at a time as trusses and decking were installed over the gaming floor .
The final phase in the future will be to remove the tent structure from inside the building and remodel the gaming floor . For now , the Fort Sill Apache Tribe is enjoying the use of their gaming floor in a space that is comfortable , more energy-efficient , safer and secure from the elements and without concern about the further deterioration of the original facility .
OWNER : Fort Sill Apache Tribe of Oklahoma OPENED : January 2020 ARCHITECT : Bergman Walls & Associates CONTRACTOR : Knutson Construction INVESTMENT : $ 50 million
12 CASINO STYLE 2020