Inspired by the weaving patterns of the Kumeyaay baskets (see sidebar) comes this expansive outdoor entertaining area for concerts and events, striped with contrasting bands of colored concrete that mimic the strands of the juncus rushes used in the area's Native American basketry.

This playful pattern minimizes the lawn area and creates extended space for the Viejas Casino & Resort in Alpine, Calif. (pop. 14,236). Alpine sits at 1,834 ft. elevation in eastern San Diego County, nestled in the Cuyamaca Mountains, which rise to an elevation of 6,512 feet. Thhe hardscape pattern is particularly stunning when seen from the rooms and terraces of the Viejas Casino & Resort. The Viejas Band of the Kumeyaay Indians owns the casino and resort. The grand plaza, which now has been dubbed the Park at Viejas, is an unexpected dynamic array of colors and textures framed by colonnades of Arbutus "Marinas' and date palms. The Alpine Mountains are a dramatic backdrop for this park-like resort.

One of the biggest challenges was to find a balance between keeping the lawn as small as possible, but still giving it a park-like feel.

 

"By moving the grass away from the north face of the five-story building we provided generous seating and lush gardens outside the meeting rooms," explains Angelina Sotelo of Sotelo Landscape Architects. "The bar also extends into the plaza creating a pleasant outdoor experience." The park can accommodate over 1,500 people for a concert.

The garden features a wide variety of plants suited for the extremes of the Alpine, Calif. weather, with large DD Blanchard magnolias sheltered from the high winds against the building walls, liriopes and Meyer asparagus on the north facing gardens. Dietes, ligustrums and Nandinas, as well as Lomandras and Eleaocarpus cover the surrounding gardens. These layers of trees and shrubs were intended to lessen the impact of the u-shaped five-story hotel towers, and to give the park a more human scale. The new design brings the luxury from the interiors outdoors, providing destination zones for patrons to meander, instead of crossing a large expansive lawn.

 

A fun colorful element in the middle of the plaza is an interactive water feature. During the chillier days of December, however, the water feature is covered over and becomes the locus for a festive five-story Christmas tree, giving the guests endless photographic opportunities.

Accent Lighting
Accent lighting in a variety of beam spreads and intensities creates a layered choreography within the trees and shrub foliage. The date palms have a ring of up and down LED fixtures to accentuate fronds and the textures of the trunks. The palm down lighting also gives general illumination to the open areas of the Viejas event space.

 

The main pathway leads to a new elevated outdoor bar, which is the central connection between the park and the pool area, and offers VIP seating for concerts. The bar is surrounded with walls veneered with black slate ledger stone. From the lawn area, the approach to the bar is up steps softly illuminated by LED strips.

Pool and Bar Structures
The 27-foot long firewall that bounds the south side of the bar has black fire glass and tempered glass wind screens. A 15-foot long cantilevered steel pergola with custom metal screen panels provides shade to the seating area. Small surface-mounted LEDs create "focal glow' for the pergola over the pool bar. All of the illumination specified is LED in a warm, hospitable color temperature for creating an inviting outdoor environment.

 

The expansion also included a raised VIP pool area. There are new cabanas and an infinity edge lap pool with Italian glass tile that terminates to a lawn area abutted by purple plum trees and Canary pines. Date palms in Ironsmith tree grates border the pool. A row of "Swan Hill' olive trees along the fa?????ade of the hotel towers add some privacy screening for the lower floor hotel rooms.

As you approach the main resort entrance, a large retaining wall with black ledger stone veneer divides the garden from the road with olive trees and "Trumpeter' roses. Viewed from the park, palm trees and Canary pines create a backdrop for the stage area.

 

South Slope Plantings
To give a lush garden view from the meeting rooms the slopes to the south of the new hotel tower were planted with a mix of woody shrubs and soft grasses in curving patterns that resemble the hardscape patterns of the plaza. Canary and Eldarica pines provide screening from the rooms to the retail center across the street. The medians were also enhanced with a row of date palms and crape myrtles, flanked by Southern live oaks and new landscape, all irrigated with recycled water.

 

10-Month Schedule Met
With a tight schedule of only 10 months from the first meeting to opening day, the contemporary and versatile design concept was embraced by the team from day one.

What really made this a success was the collaboration between Sotelo Landscape Architects, JCJ Architecture's lead designer Stephanie Lee, the design build team of Swinerton Builders and the owner, the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians.

Design Team
Angelina Sotelo, Sotelo Landscape Architects
Stephanie Lee, JCJ Architecture
Swinerton Builders
Valley Crest Landscape Companies
Cynthia Burke, Burke Lighting Design
Mason Engineering
The Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians

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Kumeyaay

According to the San Diego Museum of Man, San Diego County has more Native American reservations than any other county in the U.S., over 20,000 Native Americans in 13 different bands that live on reservations collectively known as the Kumeyaay. The 13 bands share similar Yuman-based languages, but vary in their regional dialects. Archaeologists say the Kumeyaay have inhabited what is today San Diego County for at least 10,000 years. Kumeyaay settlements also extended into Baja California. The design concept for the Park at Viejas was inspired by Kumeyaay basket patterns. One of the 13 Kumeyaay bands, the Viejas Band, was a consulting design team member of the Park at Viejas project. The Kumeyaay were and remain sophisticated basket weavers. The Kumeyaay produce tightly woven baskets from juncus, willow or pine, decorated with traditional designs and clan signs. The rattlesnake design is one iconic decorative example.

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