Entry number: B07048
Project Name: UNLV Student Union
Location: 4505 Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas
Building Type: Educational: Student Use
Completion Date: July, 2007
Architect:  Tate Snyder Kimsey Architects



Sustainable Description

Design Team:
Architect: Tate Snyder Kimsey Architects
Civil Engineer: Lochsa Engineering
Electrical Engineer: Ellerbe Becket
General Contractor: Penta Building Group
Interior Designer: Ellerbe Becket
Landscape Architect: SWA Group
Photographer: Tom Bonner Photography
Schmematic Mechanical Engineer: IBE Consulting Engineers
Structural Engineer: Thornton Tomasetti

Narrative/Project Description:
To create a new building for the UNLV students that was beautiful, comfortable, usable and accessible.

The new Student Union is a focal point for the campus community and an interactive connection to the public. The building has created an environment where UNLV students can gather informally outside of the classroom, where campus organizations can meet, where events can be staged and where the public can visit. A major design challenge was to respond to the predominantly commuter-based university population by attracting students to the campus and encouraging their involvement in student life at UNLV.

This three-story facility provides spaces for diverse functions and groups, including multi-cultural and non-traditional students. The ground floor supports public activity with dining areas, student activities and services, a 300-seat theater, and retail spaces. Semi-public functions such as a computer lab, computer help center, student lounges, meeting spaces, and a ballroom are located on the second floor. Offices for student organizations share the third floor which is accessible to the public by day, but secured, and accessed only by authorized individuals at night.

When the design process began in early 2004, UNLV intended to remodel and expand the existing 77,000 square foot Moyer Student Union, which was constructed in 1967. The design team discovered that the structure did not meet current building codes and determined that it would be more cost effective to construct a new building than to renovate the original facility. To maintain on-campus dining options and other essential functions, a two phased construction plan was developed for the new Student Union.

The first wing of the new Student Union was built on the site of the planned expansion. Upon completion in July 2006 the original facility was demolished. Construction on the second Phase of the project was completed in July and adds 40,000 square feet on two levels, as well as several exterior spaces intended to extend the Student Union's usable program area.

On the north elevation, a 20-foot-wide terrace stretches the length of the building, providing a gathering place overlooking an existing plaza area. Below this terrace, two monumental exterior stairs lead to a landscaped forecourt with seating. To the south, a large courtyard framed by the building is shaded with tensile fabric canopies. This shading structure extends the dining space outdoors and create a stage for special events. The west half of the courtyard is terraced with concrete benches to provide amphitheater-style seating.

Sustainability Description:
The UNLV Student Union reuses the site of the old student union building as well as part of a parking lot. Thus, it does not occupy any previously landscaped areas of the campus. As evident by its footprint, number of floors, and proximity to adjacent structures, the Student Union was designed to facility increased campus density. Located at the junction of several circulation arteries on UNLV's campus, the building's foodcourt and various other public spaces were designed to promote community connectivity. The landscaping of the UNLV Student Union was designed to exhibit xeriscaping and minimal irrigation. The primary public arteries, namely the foodcourt and its adjacent spaces, are completely daylit, sparing energy costs that otherwise be incurred through the use of artificial lighting and the cooling loads provided by those lights. Cooling loads are further reduced by the use of low-e glazing. Shading devices were also employed to reduce heat gains from direct beam radiation. The outdoor public assembly spaces make use of rainscreens, which facilitates thermal comfort. The concrete used for this project contains a considerable amount of flyash; while much of the stone veneer used for this project comes from regional quarries. High-performance, high-quality paneling from Trespa were specified for a portion of the building's exterior. These durable panels are partially composed of recycled wood pulp.