Nadel Architects Hires Andrew Simmons as Director of Hospitality Studio

The addition of Simmons further strengthens the firm's core practice areas

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. September 30, 2015

LOS ANGELES, CA. September 30, 2015 - Nadel, an international architectural design firm headquartered in Los Angeles, has hired Andrew Simmons, AIA, as director of the firm's hospitality studio, working out of its Las Vegas office. With more than 20 years of experience working within hospitality design and development, and eight years in the Las Vegas market specifically, Simmons' hire will strengthen Nadel's design capabilities as a whole, while further expanding the firm's expertise in the hospitality and gaming sectors.

“As a part of our continued growth and expansion, we're looking to cultivate the next generation of leadership,” said Herb Nadel, president and founder of Nadel. “Andrew's hire not only adds another seasoned professional to our team and helps to bolster our scope of work, but complements the overarching vision we have for the firm's future.”

Simmons' notable projects consist of a variety of work within Las Vegas, including the renovation of the Sahara Hotel and Casino into the SLS, and the MGM Park and Arena Plaza. Simmons has also worked on multiple convention hotel projects including Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in Chicago, a design-build convention center hotel project which encompassed the renovation of 800 rooms and a 400-room build out while it was in operation; and the 1.6 million-square-foot Hilton San Diego Bayfront. Internationally, his work includes the Wyndham Grand in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; the 2.3 million-square-foot Park Hyatt Beijing Hotel, the tallest building in Beijing at the time of its completion; and the Westin Warsaw Hotel in Poland, which re-synergized the district and helped spark future development in the area.

“Designing for hospitality is fascinating in that there is a unique personal relationship between the guest and the building,” said Simmons. “The Las Vegas market not only has a high-density hospitality sector, it serves as the experimental design laboratory for the hospitality industry overall. I'm thrilled to be able to further my career and presence as a leader in this market with Nadel, while applying my experience in hospitality design to the firm's other core markets such as retail, mixed use and multifamily.”

As the development of destination retail remains strong, the next wave of experiential retail brings concepts of hospitality into its design. Multifamily developers are also bringing in a range of hospitality-inspired amenities to cater to a wide range of demographics. Simmons' high-design experience within hospitality will not only help to achieve synergy between Nadel's core practice areas, but will strengthen the firm's expertise overall.

“We're seeing a trend within urban mixed-use development projects that embrace retail, multifamily and hospitality components,” said Joan Frei, principal and director of business development at Nadel. “The addition of Andrew to our hospitality studio rounds out our already strong retail and multifamily design practices, and will help to promote synergy within the core markets we work within to allow us to better serve our clients.”

Previously, Simmons served as a senior design architect with Marnell Architecture, a senior design architect with Gensler, and as a senior designer at John Portman & Associates.

Simmons is currently involved with the American Institute of Architects in Las Vegas and is a registered architect in the state of Georgia. He earned his Bachelor of Science in architecture from Georgia Institute of Technology, and pursued graduate studies in sculpture at the University of Georgia, spending a semester studying abroad in Cortona, Italy.

“Andrew brings a high level of positive and focused energy to solving complex issues with both the design and construction processes, and understands the delicate balance between program requirements and the client's needs,” said Joyen Vakil, senior vice president of design and development for MGM.

About Nadel:

For the past 42 years, Nadel, Inc. has provided comprehensive services ranging from architectural design, master planning and feasibility studies to planning and programming. Nadel is ranked among the top architectural firms in the U.S. The company has completed numerous hotels and resorts, more than 60,000 residential units, 30 million square feet of retail space, 400 office buildings, multiple sports and entertainment centers and a variety of public and educational institutions, which have received more than 100 awards for design excellence. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the firm has designed a variety of projects in the U.S., Asia, South America, Africa and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.nadelarc.com.