THE FIRST TIME architect Brian Davis, AIA, LEED AP, principal of JCJ Architecture, Hartford, Conn., set foot on the future site of Downstream Casino Resort in Quapaw, Okla., a Quapaw Tribal member handed him a golf club. When Davis asked what it was for, the tribal member replied it was to beat the ground in front of where he was walking to ward off rattlesnakes. Davis did not stumble upon any rattlesnakes that day but did experience an unforgettable start to a memorable project. At 350,223 square feet (32536 m2), the Downstream Casino Resort includes a casino and gaming area, 12-story hotel, spa, and recreation and conference area. Portions of the development are in Kansas, the entry drive originates in Missouri and the building sits in Oklahoma. Because the casino is on tribal-owned land straddling three states, code compliance and regulatory reviews were complex, as were water, power, sewer, traffi c and infrastructure overlaps. Coordination of all these elements required communication and cooperation. Despite complications based on location, metal used in the Downstream Casino Resort, including structural steel, a fl exible metal track and distinctive ornamental metal, eased design and construction of unique casino elements that recall the long and colorful heritage of the Quapaw Tribe.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Location and visibility were of paramount importance because of the casino’s proximity to a major interstate. Woodland and topography separate the interstate from the site and infl uenced the design. “We normally would have made a lower, rectangular block of hotel rooms, but we decided to make a more vertical tower instead,” he says. “A single loaded corridor revolves around the building core to get additional elevation to make the building highly visible from the interstate. You have to creatively fi nd effi ciencies to make up for the less traditional hotel tower’s height and slenderness. We created effi ciencies by working with structural engineers to simplify the core of the building and the bracing to maintain a repetitive layout on all four sides.”

STRUCTURAL CONSIDERATIONS

The construction team completed the project on a tight schedule. “[We undertook] $150 million worth of construction in circle no. FEBRUARY 2009 • metalmag 45 10 months and 26 days,” Davis recalls. “Like so oft en happens in this business, it took us a little longer to get started and get the shovel in the ground. Th e commencement date lapsed, but the opening didn’t. We had people in the fi eld full-time.” Davis credits much of the project’s success to the relationship with subcontractors, the decisiveness of the Quapaw Tribe and an overall team eff ort. Structural steel’s competitive cost, delivery and speed of erection made it the right choice for the Downstream Casino Resort. “Inside the gaming facility, we desired long clear spans, and steel worked out best for us there,” Davis explains. “It is important to eliminate as many columns as possible.”

INCORPORATING CULTURE

In addition to the structural steel, ornamental metal was an important aspect of the project. Davis spent time in a Fayetteville, Ark., gallery where the Quapaw Tribe houses many of its antiquities, including pottery. Modeled aft er that pottery, the signature sculpture inside the hotel lobby is craft ed from metal, and all light fi xtures are custom die-cut metal light fi xtures. Copper accents inlaid in stone also run throughout the building. Curvy Commentary The Downstream Casino Resort, Quapaw, Okla., uses more than 10,000 feet (3041 m) of Flex-C Angle and nearly 9,000 feet (2737 m) of Flex-C Trac from Flex-Ability Concepts, Oklahoma City. The systems provide a way for builders to frame curves by using a simple, fl exible metal track of plate for use with wood or metal studs. Flex-C Trac is made of galvanized steel and is available in 16- and 20-gauges in myriad widths. Magnum Materials, Broken Arrow, Okla., distributed the product for the Downstream Casino Resort. More information about the system is available at www.flexabilityconcepts.com.

The distinctive characteristic across many pieces Davis saw in the gallery was identifi ed by a spiral design. “It is used in a lot of diff erent ways, but it’s relatively consistent in being an iconic symbol for the tribe,” he says. From that inspiration, JCJ Architecture developed a sculpture in the center of the casino gaming area in a spiral design craft ed out of stretched, taut stainless-steel wire and LED lighting that creates special eff ects and casts colors over the wire. Mark D. Molnar, P.E., and Robert Stoller, P.E., of Wendel Duchscherer Architects & Engineers, Buff alo, N.Y., engineered the spiral. Th emetech, Phoenix, did the installation. Molnar and Stoller engineered the frame to support the tensioned wires. Th ey started with a 27-foot- (8-m-) tall steel center column with a slip connector at the top. The column was tied to the roof for stability but was independent enough that the roof did not put load on the column. It supports a 20-foot- (6-m-) diameter steel ring at the top and a 7-foot- (2-m-) diameter steel ring at the bottom. About 238 stainless steel cables are strung between the rings in a double- helix pattern. Each cable is tensioned to about 25 pounds (11 kg). Calculating the wire tension presented challenges. “We had to make sure the wires didn’t look like they were sagging but not pull so hard that they would bend the rings,” Stoller recalls. “Sometimes tensioning one cable would make another one sag a little bit, so Th emetech had to go around the spiral several times to get it right.” Radiuses and curves within the facility representing the Quapaw Tribe’s movement down the Ohio River to the Mississippi River and eventually west to Oklahoma also are integral to the design. A fl exible metal track made formation of the curves easy for installers Green Country Interiors, Tulsa, Okla. Manhattan Construction Co., Tulsa, was the general contractor. Applications could be pre-formed and set aside until they were needed. Th e metal behind the track ensured the radii would hold their shape.

A JOB WELL DONE

July 4, 2008, marked opening day of the Downstream Casino Resort. Visitors received the casino with excitement and awe. “Th e building was designed to be a very exciting entertainment experience with a slight overlay of the Quapaw Indian culture,” Davis says. “Th at careful blend made for a distinctive and unique experience; you could see and hear that in the expressions of the patrons when they fi rst came in. “I think the interesting thing, and the reason this project turned out as well as it did, was this tribe had an exceptional vision for what they wanted to accomplish. The Quapaw Tribe unwaveringly pursued this vision out of nothing other than their desire to make a positive contribution to the tribe, the community and the entertainment industry,” Davis says. “Th ey really thought they could pull it off when few others gave them much hope. Th eir drive, determination and vision create a spectacular story.”

Curvy Commentary

The Downstream Casino Resort, Quapaw, Okla., uses more than 10,000 feet (3041 m) of Flex-C Angle and nearly 9,000 feet (2737 m) of Flex-C Trac from Flex-Ability Concepts, Oklahoma City. The systems provide a way for builders to frame curves by using a simple, flexible metal track of plate for use with wood or metal studs. Flex-C Trac is made of galvanized steel and is available in 16- and 20-gauges in myriad widths. Magnum Materials, Broken Arrow, Okla., distributed the product for the Downstream Casino Resort. More information about the system is available at
www.flexabilityconcepts.com.