Published May 2003

Smoky ‘casino air’ will be gone
in new Tulalip Casino

By John Wolcott
SCBJ Editor

Casinos are meant to be memorable visual experiences, but one of the Tulalip Casino’s best attractions is something you won’t see.

Smoky air.

Gone will be the hazy, odorous atmosphere that normally permeates casinos, their guests and their employees.

A state-of-the-art, high-quality air-freshening system will provide a smoke-free environment that will make the entire facility not only more inviting and more comfortable but also more healthful, said Brad Weaver, managing principal with AE Associates of Greeley, Colo., designer of HVAC systems for casinos for more than 20 years.

“Most casinos have overhead air-conditioning systems, with the air coming in from the ceiling and mixing with the room air as it comes down.

“What you’re doing is mixing the fresh air with the smoky air and pushing it down on your patrons and staff,” Weaver said.

Instead, the system Weaver installed for the Tulalip Casino brings in outdoor air at the floor level. As it rises to the ceiling, to be pulled out of the casino through the air-conditioning system, the air carries the smoky air with it.

“Nonsmokers sitting next to a smoker in the casino won’t even notice the smoke,” said Chuck James, chief operations officer of the casino.

The secret to the system is something else the public won’t see.

The casino, restaurants and most other areas of the building have been built on raised floors, allowing space underneath not only for massive clusters of electrical wiring and electronics cabling but also for fresh-air vents.

“A typical guest at the casino will enjoy 20 to 30 air changes per hour, compared to a typical office environment where air is changed about six times an hour,” Weaver said.

“Clean air is so critical for the occupants, including the employees, that this has become a huge health issue for the Tulalips,” he said.

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