UNLV Building to Produce Grads the Green Way

By Tony Illia

The Greenspun College of Urban Affairs will provide UNLV students and faculty with a brand new five-story classroom and office building that may reach LEED gold certification.

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A stylish, new eco-conscious landmark is taking shape at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

The $64.7 million Greenspun College of Urban Affairs building will be seeking LEED gold from the U.S. Green Building Council. The facility at Maryland Parkway and University Avenue will consist of a five-story classroom/office tower and three-story classroom wing. A two-story entry commons links the ground floor to an elevated courtyard at the northwest corner of the site.

Classrooms line the courtyard to the west and the L-shaped office wing defines the courtyard’s north and east edges. The 120,769-sq-ft complex, which broke ground in December, rests on 2.1 acres at the southeast edge of the UNLV campus. Bethesda, Md.-based Clark Construction Group LLC is the project’s general contractor.

“The biggest challenge is mitigating the impact of construction activities on a busy university campus while maintaining student and faculty access,” says Susannah Mills, Clark’s construction development manager. “As a result, we have scheduled work at night and on weekends in order to minimize disruption during school hours,” she adds.

Clark must carefully monitor and schedule material deliveries so trucks don’t restrict campus vehicle access.

Meanwhile, the project remains on schedule and within budget. The building is scheduled to open June 9. The job will see nearly 250 tradesmen onsite during the height of construction activity.

“It’s a large building on a tight site,” says John Treston, UNLV’s project manager. “So containing construction within site boundaries, while making certain everyone is safe, especially staff and students, is no easy task. But Clark has done a great job thus far.”

The 170-ft.-tall, steel-and-concrete-framed building features a combination of sandstone and brick, glass and Trespa panel cladding. Designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects of New York with Dallas-based HKS Inc. as architect-of-record, the structure has two expansive landscaped stairs at the southeast and northwest corners that serve as a “gateway to the university,” Mills says.

The stairs ascend to a 25,000-sq-ft courtyard atop the first floor, which is shaded by a solar canopy. Louvers are strategically angled to collect solar energy and preserve sky views, while also reducing heat gain on the building’s facade and roofs. The cantilevered panels are expected to generate 212,543-kW/h annually and help power the building.

“[The canopy] tames the harsh desert sun yet allows it to play across the trees, columns and open space below,” says architect Robert A.M. Stern in a press release. Stern serves as dean of the Yale School of Architecture. “The palette of tawny brick and red sandstone evokes the desert. Landscape elements designed to thrive in the arid climate provide respite along the shaded walks and outdoor spaces between the buildings.”

The building makes the most of its arid desert climate with several sustainable features, including a chilled beam, radiant heating and cooling system that dramatically reduces energy bills. The system’s pressure differential induces cool air circulation, reducing the need for outside air. It additionally means smaller duct sizes inside the building.

US Mechanical LLC of Las Vegas is the mechanical contractor, with R.G. Vanderweil Engineers LLP, Las Vegas, as design engineer.

The project additionally uses the desert’s abundant sunlight for illumination. The building is arranged for maximum daylight and uses light shelves that reflect off the ceilings and carry natural light inside, while also reducing solar gain.

The building will serve the 11-year-old College of Urban Affairs’ programs and courses in communication studies, criminal justice, environmental studies, journalism and media, marriage and family therapy, public administration and social work. It has a maximum occupancy of 1,458 people.

The facility will house six computer labs, 144 offices, five conference rooms, five classrooms, nine workrooms, two seminar rooms and a 190-seat auditorium. There will additionally be two television studios and a radio station - KUNV FM Jazz 91.5.

The college is named for the Greenspun family, who contributed $1.7 million toward its initial formation. Family patriarch Hank Greenspun started the Las Vegas Sun newspaper and founded the Las Vegas’ CBS affiliate station, KLAS-TV.

The college has nearly 2,300 students majoring in its programs, with a graduation rate per faculty member more than double the university average. Greenspun College offers two doctoral programs-public affairs and environmental studies-in addition to eight bachelor’s and seven master’s degrees. 

Key Players

Developer: Nevada State Public Works Board
Construction Managers: American Nevada Co.; UNLV Facilities & Management
General Contractor: Clark Construction Group
Architects: Robert A.M. Stern Architects; HKS, Inc., Dallas
Electrical: Helix Electric; Bombard Electric
Masonry: Frazier Masonry Corp.
Steel: Century Steel Inc.; Southwest Steel
Mechanical: US Mechanical LLC

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