SPACES AND PLACES IS A FIFTH-YEAR, GRADUATE-LEVEL STUDIO THAT
FORMED IN FALL 2017 UNDER THE INSTRUCTION OF LUDWING VACA AND
JEFFREY ROBERTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA - LAS VEGAS. VOLUME
1 OF OUR BOOK, PUBLISHED IN DECEMBER 2017, SHOWCASES TRANSIT-ORIENTED
DESIGN ALONG MARYLAND PARKWAY. THIS SEMESTER, SPACES
AND PLACES IS A STUDIO OF 12 MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS
UNDER THE INSTRUCTION OF LUDWING VACA, JEFFERY ROBERTS, AND
ANDREA CARROLL. THE WORK PRESENTED IN THIS BOOK WAS PRODUCED
OVER THE COURSE OF THE SPRING 2018 SEMESTER. THIS SEMESTER, THE
STUDIO’S FOCUS WAS ON HOSPITALITY DESIGN IN DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS.
THE PROJECTS WERE FUELED BY THE REGIONAL TRANSIT COMMISSION’S
RECENT PROPOSAL FOR THE CITY’S FIRST RTC MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM
THAT WILL CONNECT MCCARRAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WITH THE
BONNEVILLE TRANSIT CENTER VIA MARYLAND PARKWAY. THE STUDIO
SAW THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AN EXCITING RESEARCH-BASED
DESIGN AND BEGAN THE SEMESTER BY CONDUCTING AN URBAN STUDY
CONSISTING OF DIAGRAMS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND VIDEOS. THE RESEARCH
WAS USED TO BEGIN TO DESIGN WITH THE URBAN CONTEXT IN MIND.
TWO CRITICAL SITES FOR THESE DEVELOPMENTS WERE SELECTED THIS
SEMESTER: 4TH STREET AND CARSON AND 7TH STREET AND CARSON. THE
CHAPTERS THAT FOLLOW SHOW OUR PROCESS OF DESIGNING A HOTEL
AND CASINO IN DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA.