Philosophy

Las Vegas has always been a city of two worlds. One, admired and sought after for complete immersion into of the spectacle of life. A place 40+ million tourists could visit for a few days, forgetting where they came from, seeking the mythical experiences of another time or place, a momentary replacement of reality, the grandeur of living a life larger than their own. The other world, quietly lying just below the surface or occupying the perimeter of the first, is hard edged and hostile – yet, despite its brutality, there is a beauty. Beauty is found in the vibrant, craggy geologic formations formed by the forces of nature rather than replicated by the hand of man. It is the ancient story of wind and rock, of cloud shadows passing across barren mountains, shimmering heat rising from the earth, and the endless sky streaked in hues of purple and orange as the unapologetic sun sinks into twilight. For those of us that are of this place, the desert is entwined in our deepest sense of self, for without the vastness of this land and sky, one fears they may cease to exist. This place, splendid and severe, is home.

It is this side of the city, this world existing in tandem with the glitter and noise of the strip, which is seldom seen by the tourist, the onlooker, the casual passerby. Hell, it is seldom appreciated even by those who increasingly call it home. Our collective focus towards progress, towards building on the desert rather than with the desert, veils its soul - the ancient silence of light and sand and sky - with the mindless, numbing homogeny and deafening pace of our modern lives. But it is the other side of this city that we have chosen to explore. One driven by authenticity of experience, of immersion within an untouched landscape, and of childhood forts crafted amongst the Mesquite trees. One in which relevance, permanence, community, and belonging are desired. It is in this silence of the otherwise where our work is grounded.

It sounds contradictory to say there is a silent side to Las Vegas, the city with an international reputation for debauchery. Every day, it is occupied with tourists from every continent on the planet; a city of 2.9 million people, swelling to host 40 million yearly visitors. The lights of the Las Vegas Strip shine so brightly, they are identifiable from space. The ethos and spirt of the town are broadcast worldwide by those who never step foot outside Las Vegas Boulevard’s seven-mile stretch. It is because of this singular focus on the Strip, however, that one can search – in virtual isolation from outside influence – for an architecture that, at its core, strives to discover a form, material palette, and craft that connects to the specific context of this place.