Cuningham Group Architecture, Celebrating over 50 years of committed growth, success and achievements in the field of design, Cuningham Group Architecture has earned a significant repute in the topic of architecture. Founded in the year 1968 by John Cuningham, the firm upholds its author’s vision to produce architecture that is born out of exclusive client-consultant-engineer and contractor collaboration.
An interesting philosophy the firm believes in, one that is very evident in their projects is the Every Building Tells a Story® approach. The client assumes the highest seat in the design process, with all due attention to the story and the vision they incite. This helps the firm in creating unique design environments with distinctive experiences each in its own telling a story.
A select few projects have been enumerated below that mark the essence of the firm and its venture into various typologies including Hospitality, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Urban Design, etc.
1. Harrah’s cherokee casino resort | Cuningham Group Architecture
Renovation and Expansion, Casino, Hotel, Event Center, Restaurants, Buffets, Retail Pool.
The novel Every Building Tells a Story® approach was employed in the design of this world-class mountain destination. The project arose out of a collaboration between The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and Caesars Entertainment to remodel and add an extension to the existing great Smoky Mountains Resort.
The project also won acclaim with 2012, 9th Annual Hospy Award for Best Buffet and Best Theatrical Experience. The remodelling and extension accounted for the expansion of the casino with the VIP Lounge, along with a 520 key hotel, a spa, restaurants, event centre, two parking spaces and a retail courtyard.
2. Nolo’s Kitchen And Bar
Restaurant and Bar.
Cuningham Group Architecture collaborated with Studio BV to conceive this Restaurant and Bar project that sits in a historic building in Minneapolis’ neighbourhood. The project is a two-level structure that intertwines dining and drinking experiences seamlessly.
The design inspiration is taken from the ‘Industrial feel’ of the existing building, with a material palette showcasing exposed brick walls, leather and gold. The project is a combination of an open kitchen, lounge areas and a feature bar.
The basement of the restaurant features a bar atmosphere where users can enjoy bar food, cocktails, DJs, games and live bands.
3. The Westin Las Vegas Hotel And Spa | Cuningham Group Architecture
Hotel Expansion and Renovation
The project was a renovation and expansion venture for the Clients Crescent Hotels and Resorts. One of the many revamping done in the hotel was to an existing casino, which was removed and swapped into a non-smoking provision. The casino which sat on the first floor was improved with meeting areas, a steakhouse and lobby cum lounge.
On the second floor, the guests enjoy a fully facelifted pool, fitness centre, spa with treatment rooms and a meeting space expansion. The project also scoped for the renovation of 826 hotel rooms which included the Executive and Presidential Suites.
4. Pathways Innovation Center (PIC) / Roosevelt High School
New Construction, High School.
Natrona Country School District from the Mountain USA region approached the firm for their 125,325 sq. feet area, construction of a new high school campus. This new campus is designed out of the collaboration between the firm and MOA Architecture that stood as the team’s local partner.
The campus is a sparse 38-acre large one that holds 720 full-time high school students. Roosevelt High School and the Pathways Innovation Centre sit on the campus both imparting learning environments.
5. Zion Lutheran Church | Cuningham Group Architecture
Renovation, New Altar, Meditation Ground.
Image Sources: Image 10 – Interior view of the Church © www.cuningham.com/
Image Sources: Image 11 – An exterior view of the Church during dusk. © www.cuningham.com/
Image Sources: Image 12 – View of the Renovated Altar space. © www.cuningham.com/
This 100,000 sq. ft Lutheran Church sits in Midwest USA. The project came about with a requirement of making a more warm and progressed environment for its churchgoers. Renovations were called for the restructuring of the altar region, to improve the daylighting, refinishing of worn-out colours and updating the technological audiovisual aid.
The renovations on the exterior were for increasing parking spaces, upgrading signage, improving the outdoor lighting and making use of the unused spaces for a meditation garden and a ceremonial entrance.
6. Soaring Heights PK-8
New Construction.
Soaring Heights PK-8 is a new preschool for the St. Vrain Valley School District that sits in the town of Erie. The building is designed to welcome spectacular views to both the Long Peak and the Flatirons on the west. The school supports a capacity for 1000 students and is planned in a manner of small adaptable learning zones.
The school is zoned into the PK-K, Elementary and Middle School areas. And these spaces are linked with a central commons that contains the large performance cum dining area of the building.
7. The Nerdery | Cuningham Group Architecture
The Nerdery is a 25,000 sq ft improvement project that sits in Kansas City, Missouri. The firm had its scope in designing the alternative working stations in the historic building, whilst providing creative office space.
The firm also devised an overall master plan for the project while assisting in a culture and brand study. This eventually led to the design of The Nerdery, an artistic and appealing space that supports the firm’s vision of being a top digital business consultancy.
8. Dignity Health Mercy Southwest Campus, Bed Tower Additions and Renovation.
New Tower.
Dignity Health approached the firm for a new four-storeyed, 106 bedded tower with renovations and expansion to the Surgery, Imagery and emergency departments. The firm also scopes to work on master planning, to house access, parking spaces and make-ready projects.
This ongoing project rose out of a collaboration with Devenney Group accommodating the ICU, Neonatal Care Intensive Care and Med-Surg Beds. Along with this, expansion of the Imagery and emergency departments will follow with the renovation of the existing surgery, pre/op and recovery areas when partially moved into the new tower. Lastly, renovations will commence for the emergency departments, parts of the surgery, and the remaining portions of the Imaging department.
9. Corkins Center At Garland Country Day School
K-12, Renovation/Addition.
Designed in collaboration with Bowie Gridley Architects, this 50,135 sq ft building is a contemporary addition to the existing traditional classroom buildings in the campus. The design was to house an Innovation Lab and a Learning Commons area whilst also creating a more welcoming and safe entry to the campus.
The Learning commons consists of the library, small group rooms, media lab, separate workstations and adaptable classrooms. The Innovation lab lodges the Gate Innovation program, comprises a cut room, 3D printer cutter room, along with a 2,300 sq ft flexible maker space.
10. H.O.B.O. | Cuningham Group Architecture
Retail Remodelling.
H.O.B.O is a 2,270 retail remodelling project for the local retail owner H.O.B.O. Minneapolis, Inc. The project requirement was of a showroom that would meet the standards of contemporary merchandise in the ritzy Galleria shopping centre.
Visitors are welcomed with a retrieved wooden façade that perfectly complements with the vibrant finished and the wood floor inside. The designers have tried to combine pieces of art, with wood display tables and metal lighting fixtures that set as an interesting backdrop against the merchandise.
11. Hilton Garden Inn ® | Cuningham Group Architecture
Renovation, Flag Hotel.
Inspired by Southwestern hospitality, the Hilton Garden Inn sits in the neighbourhood of Scottsdale’s old town in the heart of various entertainment and shopping hotbeds. The designers rightly combined ideas from Scottsdale and the Old town in the design of this 199 roomed hotel.
The main idea was to update the spaces in the hotel with Southwestern informed scheme. The firm was also employed for the design of the corridors, renovating meeting rooms, and in the redesign of the pool’s water piece.
12. Mctc Wheelock Whitney Hall Library
New Construction Library.
Minneapolis Community and Technical College Wheelock Whitney Hall Library is a 68,000 sq ft building that sits in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This new construction is a three-story edifice that ties together two former facilities whilst providing a vivid entrance to the campus.
Apart from the design of the library and providing for its functional requirements, the firm also designed to house instructional areas for Library Studies program and Customised Training Program that is used by local businesses.
13. Douglas And Nancy Barnhart Cancer Center
Cancer Center, Medical Office Building.
This Cancer Center located in Chula Vista, California takes user-oriented design to another level. From separate entrances for both visitors, staff and patients into the centre, to designated parking spaces for the patients. The centre takes utmost care to uphold patient dignity and privacy.
The building is a three-storeyed establishment where the first floor contains radiation oncology, second houses the medical oncology and the third story comprises the private physician offices.
14. Galleria Edina – East and Expansion
Indoor Mall Expansion.
Located in the South of Downtown Minneapolis in Edina, Minnesota, is America’s upper Midwest’s best shopping gallery that offers exclusive fashion, home beauty and dining experiences.
The project was an expansion to the existing mall, to create more feasible retail space and simplifying the complex and varied multiple tenant facades. The expansion also hosted the relocation of 12 stores and restaurants and creation of the new main entry.
15. Farmers And Stockmens BankTransformation | Cuningham Group Architecture
Remodel, Office Space.
To serve the purpose of becoming Cuningham Group’s Phoenix Office Space, this 6,000 sq ft antique mid-century modern bank building underwent transformation and remodelling. The result was a beautiful contemporary creative office project.
A distinctive feature in the building is the doughnut-shaped bank vault, one that has a stone wall exterior and borrows light only from its skylight.
