1. October Memorial “The Unity Ribbon”
Creating a memorial for the largest mass shooting in American history—the deadliest attack carried out by a lone gunman—was a profound challenge. The tragedy drew national attention. Sixty lives were lost, and approximately 867 people were injured, with victims coming from across the United States.
The 10-month design process involved intensive workshops and extensive community engagement with survivors, families of victims, and the broader Las Vegas community. We conducted interviews and gathered feedback from first responders, trauma doctors, medical staff, the sheriff,the FBI, SWAT, and a designated working group overseeing the process.
Project Size
90,000sf
Location
Las Vegas, NV
A Memorial Shaped by Community Voices
From the outset, community outreach was paramount. Recognizing the diversity of experiences and needs, we ensured the memorial was shaped by those it seeks to serve. Building on the foundational work of the committee, we adopted a comprehensive approach that included design-specific surveys, public workshops, and personal dialogues. The synthesis of these insights formed a poignant narrative that guided the design.
Through this engagement, and with collaboration across disciplines—landscape architects, visual and sound artists, curators, exhibition designers, lighting designers, and engineers—we developed a proposal we named The Unity Ribbon.
Landscape
From the outset, community outreach was paramount. Recognizing the diversity of experiences and needs, we ensured the memorial was shaped by those it seeks to serve. Building on the foundational work of the committee, we adopted a comprehensive approach that included design-specific surveys, public workshops, and personal dialogues. The synthesis of these insights formed a poignant narrative that guided the design.
Through this engagement, and with collaboration across disciplines—landscape architects, visual and sound artists, curators, exhibition designers, lighting designers, and engineers—we developed a proposal we named The Unity Ribbon.
Preserving Memory
In dialogue with the client, it was agreed that the project should foster reciprocity between past and present, and offer a deeper emotional understanding of the war’s complexity. Immersive strategies would therefore guide both the exhibitions and the architecture. In Vietnam, the terrain was marked and scarred by combat; in Lubbock, Texas, by contrast, the topography is flat and windswept, with the city’s highest natural elevation only nine feet. To address this, the design begins by reimagining the site’s landscape. Inspired by the geography of war, the ground is sculpted to create elevations of 15 to 20 feet, from which the buildings and circulation paths are carved, as though unearthed from memory.
The Unity Ribbon: A Living Tribute
The Unity Ribbon Memorial embodies community spirit, honoring loss while offering a sanctuary for healing, resilience, and unity.
The design draws strength from the collective resonance of grief and remembrance, the resilience of bereaved families, the courage of survivors, and the spirit of unity that continues to define the Las Vegas community. Our guiding intention was twofold: to honor the lives lost and to create a sanctuary that embraces the many paths of healing for those left behind.
The memorial takes inspiration from the community’s devotion to country music, the dramatic landscapes of Las Vegas, and the enduring spirit of the desert. Natural references—the carving force of the Colorado River through the Mojave Desert, the lyrical curve of a guitar, the steadfast silhouette of a cactus, and the ancient fossil beds of Tule Springs—inform the design.
The Unity Ribbon rises from the ground in harmony with its setting, its form balancing strength and transparency. It creates a sacred space of remembrance, shielding visitors from the city’s pulse while maintaining openness and connection to the surrounding environment.
Within this sanctuary, spaces are designed to reflect the full spectrum of human experience—grief and remembrance, reflection and hope. Healing is deeply personal, and the memorial invites every visitor to find their own path forward.
As the project evolves, the community will continue to have opportunities to contribute and participate in shaping the memorial. More than a physical structure, the Unity Ribbon is the embodiment of community spirit and resilience—a living tribute to unity in the face of profound loss.
Shortlisted and chosen as one of five finalists, this proposal stands as a testament to the enduring human spirit and the collective power of remembrance and healing.
