University of Nevada Las Vegas
PAE-3: Physical Campus Plan

Five stated goals of the UNLV Master Plan address the general spirit of sustainability as follows:

1) Growth & Capacity
Assess and quantify the campus' ideal development capacity including thresholds where significant, high performance infrastructure improvements are required to support the desired growth.

2) Distinctive Environment
Identify appropriate development patterns and design guidelines representing the campus' urban and high desert environment.

3) Image & Identity
Establish planning recommendations and design guidelines that will provide a high quality image and identity for the campus.

4) Student Life
Improve the physical environment for students in terms of facility types and facility quality.

5) Implementation
Establish a flexible overall planning framework that will define general directions while maintaining the ability to respond to unanticipated opportunities.

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However, in addition to the five stated goals outlined above, an integral part of the UNLV master plan with respect to sustainability is the UNLV Maryland Corridor Precinct, known as Midtown UNLV.

The Maryland Corridor/Midtown UNLV Precinct Masterplan, of which this document is a summary, benefited from the participation of UNLV Planning and Construction, UNLV Administration, UNLV Alumni Relations, and The Vista Group with EDAW and was led by a consultant team of Robert A. M. Stern Architects of New York with SWA Group of San Francisco. During the planning process this team:

• Analyzed existing conditions on campus using existing documents, on-campus meetings with the project work group, and observations of current physical conditions.
• Studied current transportation, traffic, and parking conditions and assessed future needs within the parameters of UNLV’s current campus masterplan.
• Developed design options addressing the goals and vision of the campus.
• Examined strategies for phasing demolition and construction of new buildings.

On the basis of these analyses a precinct masterplan concept was developed and refined by exploring a range of options through an interactive and iterative process of on-campus presentation, review, and discussion.

The precinct master plan creates image, ordered spaces, and clear circulation by following distinct guidelines regarding building configuration, building height, the linkage between outdoor spaces, the creation of a main gate, and the usage of landscape.

The plan not only creates an enjoyable environment for the UNLV community, but also increases the gross building floor area (above that of the present UNLV masterplan for the precinct) by 254,838 square feet. The masterplan proposes to slow traffic on Maryland Parkway creating a pedestrian-friendly precinct and intentionally removes vast parking lots from the “front door” of the campus.

New parking is concentrated in the proposed parking structure to the south of the precinct with the exception of the proposed convenience parking at the main vehicular drop off in front of the Student Union.

The precinct masterplan’s basic recommendations were tested against the visioning goals set forth by UNLV and the project team. The goals include:

• Replace all current gross floor area and provide for future growth
• Create a “Wow” factor
• Acknowledge the Harmon Entry to the UNLV campus on Maryland Parkway
• Emphasize the Lied Library axis
• Engage the existing historic malls and the greater campus
• Strengthen the pedestrian crossings of Maryland Parkway
• Incorporate a reasonable vehicular drop off
• Accommodate accessible parking
• Increase visibility of the TAM Alumni Center
• Create a defined alumni outdoor space
• Create places for sculpture and art
• Develop a landscape language
• Incorporate sustainable design initiatives
• Develop a language for materials along Maryland Parkway
• Plan for logical phasing of the proposed masterplan strategy'

For additional information on UNLV Campus Master Plan, see:

http://masterplan.unlv.edu