Installed casino in front of Frontier Fiesta. 

University of Houston’s Minor In-House Construction (MIC), Student Centers, and Student Housing and Residential Life came together to create a new Cougar Casino front in preparation for the Frontier Fiesta. MIC team members Phil Beadles, Pete Wysocki, Zach Faulkner, and Martin Valles upgraded the booth by incorporating new lighting, stronger structural system, and a modular design for easy assembly or disassembly to replace the previous 10-year-old display.

Assistant Director of Student Centers Facilities and Operations Matthew Sebby stated the idea first started in March 2016. After 8 months of communication with Minor In-House Construction, the work order request was submitted to begin the project. After 600 hours of collaborative work, the project was ready to be assembled for the event.

Standing at 40 feet tall and 16 feet wide, the new structure is made of modular components; although massive when assembled, no piece is larger than 4 feet by 8 feet. Storage and transportation from one year to the next is now easier because the smaller size pieces can be stacked onto pallets. Project Manager for Minor In-House Construction Longinos “Kino” Gutierrez lists the use of T1-111 siding, treated plywood, treated pine spindles, wooden studs, carriage bolts, and outdoor stain was implemented into this new design. In addition, Sebby wanted to “address the new safety regulations submitted by the Fire Marshall and Life Safety offices” with the new adjustments.

The Casino was open for attendees from March 24 through 26.The booth was utilized to provide an area to place a roulette table, deal blackjack, and provide Texas hold’em poker dealers. Sebby continues, “our volunteers will be acting as dealers and croupiers and will help teach the rules of the games so that they can be enjoyed by newcomers and virtuosos alike”.Within this newly upgraded casino, hourly door prizes were awarded and each night during Frontier Fiesta a and grand prize was received by one lucky winner.

Content with the end result, Kino states “the stronger structure and optimized assembly system will allow for a long term, safe utilization of the casino front”. The UH Facilities MIC team is proud to have been a part of this successful project.