University of Nevada Opens Advanced Engineering Building

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas opened the $73 million Advanced Engineering Building in February of 2024. Designed by SmithGroup in association with PGAL, the 52,000-sf facility will enable the Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering to increase total enrollment from 3,000 to 5,000 students to address a national need for skilled professionals. On the ground floor, a flexible classroom is strategically sited next to a maker space to foster the application of academic knowledge to hands-on exploration. Three equipment rooms illuminated by floor-to-ceiling glazing provide students with access to 3D printers, mills, lathes, oscilloscopes, wave-form generators, and soldering stations.

With a welcoming atrium for informal interaction, the three-story building houses divisible classrooms equipped with the latest technology for active learning, as well as a multipurpose lecture and event venue called the Flexatorium. The upper floors accommodate research, office, and conference settings in a mirrored layout with collaborative work areas on one side and laboratories on the other. The second story features a 6,000-sf dry research environment for the creation of new electronic components, data-based tools, and cybersecurity solutions. On the third level, open wet labs will drive innovation in water resources management, sustainable energy, and biomedical science.

A shaded outdoor courtyard is complemented by a drone aviary for the development of unmanned aerial vehicles. Connectivity to the nearby Thomas T. Beam Engineering Complex is enhanced by a pedestrian bridge. CORE Construction broke ground in February of 2022 on the sustainably designed project.