In the heart of the vibrant and dynamic City of Las Vegas, NV exists a project important to the future of the entire state and its growing population. The Kirk Kerkorian Medical Education Building at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is more than just a structure, it is a testament to the seamless integration of landscape architecture and cutting-edge medical education. At the intersection of nature and knowledge is a captivating design of landscape features that make this building a unique and harmonious addition to the desert landscape.

The Landscape Architect
LAGE Design's scope of work on this project included conceptual site design, construction documents for site materials and furnishing, planting, irrigation, construction administration, and visualizations. They also contributed to the exterior lighting design and LEED certification process on top of collaborating with the civil engineers to troubleshoot accessibility, grading, and drainage issues.

The Site
The UNLV Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine, spanning 135,000 square feet, marks the institution's inaugural permanent facility on the 9-acre expanse that formerly contained the Southern Nevada Health District Clinic. This transformative project not only doubles the school's class size, ensuring an increased number of doctors for Southern Nevada, but also lays the foundation for future innovation.

The design of both the site and building prioritizes flexibility to accommodate evolving needs. LAGE Design will continue working on the two additional buildings that are currently in schematic design for this site.

The Amenities
Situated in the core of the Las Vegas Medical District, this flagship facility boasts a range of unique outdoor features. Among them is a 7,500-square-foot green roof, a rejuvenating 35,000-square-foot healing garden adorned with native and medicinal plants, and a mile of walking paths and trails weaving through restored native habitat.

While the green roof presented challenges, including the task of sustaining plant life in the harsh Southern Nevada climate, collaborative efforts with the design team, UNLV, and external experts resulted in a project-specific standard. This ensured the creation of a thriving, intensive green roof with lightweight soil at a depth that supports four trees that will grow to be 30' x 30'. There is also an assortment of shrubs and desert succulents with minimal water requirements. The roof garden is wrapped around a well-lit outdoor seating space perfect for evening events and studying.

A winding walking trail extends from the main entrance, around the outer edges of the campus, and through nearly 150,000 square feet of enhanced desert landscape and restored native habitat, offering a reprieve nestled within the medical district's urban grid.

 
Reclaimed boulders were stockpiled after demolition and utilized in the habitat restoration areas.

Looped pathways provide natural space, encouraging movement for users. Shaded canopy trees and flowering shrubs line the path, creating a serene atmosphere. As future expansion occurs, every effort will be made to preserve the trees and habitat for pollinating insects, birds, and other small native critters.

The Healing Garden
Enhancing the building's surroundings, this space serves as a buffer from the parking lot at the main entrances and will continue to be a central courtyard when the site is built out to its maximum potential. The design was driven by creating pathways that maximize access to the plants and follow the topography of the site.

Twelve oversized, custom concrete benches designed by LAGE Design are located at the most advantageous spots within the healing garden. The pathways create circulating routes of various widths and materials, offering the users a meditative experience and an opportunity to connect with nature. The healing garden lies beneath the main curtain wall of the building and was designed knowing that it would be seen from above.
Three distinct wellness gardens within the greater healing garden are themed Mind, Body, and Soul. They each showcase plant species chosen for their nutritional or medicinal connections. The designers dug deep into the LAGE Design library to find a document cataloguing the medicinal uses of plants by the Shoshone, Paiute, Washoe, and Moapa Paiute people of Nevada from the 1930s to the 1950s. They searched nursery stock all over the Southwest looking for the right plants for the wellness gardens.

To create a water-conscious garden, they designed waves of various decorative rock sizes, textures, and colors, forming edges where the density of the planting contrasts and flows. The use of seven different rock types and two concrete colors and finishes created an immediate visual impact for the grand opening while the plants were still young and just beginning to fill the garden.

This variety also has the benefit of maintaining interest through all the seasons, especially when the deciduous plants lose their leaves and the perennials go dormant. The contrasting bands of sparse desert plantings alongside lush shrub and perennial mass plantings run through the garden and spill out onto the rest of the site. This project showcases LAGE Design's most diverse planting palette to date.

An Unforeseen Calamity
One of the primary challenges of the project was the paradoxical nature of TSK's Robert Hersch's tragic passing in the midst of constructing a space dedicated to the training of future medical professionals. As Hersch was the project's lead architect, his untimely death introduced an unexpected hurdle, as his deep commitment to the quality and experiential design were integral to the project's success.
The irony of Hersch's passing, juxtaposed against the backdrop of a medical education facility, highlighted the fragility of life and underscored the urgent need for the very professionals the building aimed to produce. The Landscape Architects faced the challenge of continuing the project without Hersch's direct input, yet they recognized the profound importance of honoring his legacy by increasing their direct interaction with the contractor to ensure the outdoor spaces maintained their intended quality and harmony with the
built environment.

The Big Picture
The UNLV Medical School's expanding campus serves as the heartbeat of the Las Vegas Medical District, a testament to the collaborative efforts between UNLV and the Nevada Health Bioscience Corporation. Through their shared vision, the district has become a model for integrated healthcare ecosystems, showcasing how strategic partnerships and investments can transform a city's literal medical landscape, elevate educational opportunities, and ultimately improve the health and well-being of its residents.

TEAM LIST
Owner - NHBC - Nevada Health and Bioscience Asset Corp., UNLV - University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Owner's Rep - Sletten Construction of Nevada
Architect - TSK (Windom Kimsey president)
Landscape Architect - LAGE Design Inc.
General Contractor - MJ Dean
Landscape Subcontractor - Park West (Tracy Ryder)
CO Architects - Interior Architecture
Green Roof Consultant - Horticulture Consultants Inc.
Civil Engineers - Kleinfelder (Poggemyer Design Group)
Structural Engineers - MA Engineering
MEP - Harris Consulting Engineers
Lighting Consultant - Coherent Design (Ellen Kuklinski)
Fire/Life Safety Consultant - TERP Consulting
Curtainwall Design Consulting