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Project Name

UNLV Transit Center Parking Structure & Pedestrian Mall

Firm:

Awards Category

Unbuilt Architecture

Project Summary

With parking becoming an increasing problem for UNLV, it lends itself towards a hierarchy favoring the car over the pedestrian. Consequently, the objective for this parking garage goes beyond mere dress-up, but rather a focus down to the human scale. The proposed structure will sit on top of the existing Parking Lot H along Brussels Road which has been long worn down, creating an alienating image resulting in safety concerns and decreased foot traffic. In an attempt to bring back synergy, the six-story structure provides over 1,500 parking stalls, yet adds a mixed-use element at ground level to promote pedestrian activity. These retail spaces will nest two prospective tenants alongside the university’s Parking and Transportation Services, effectively transforming Brussels Road into an inviting plaza. The Transit Center Parking Structure & Pedestrian Mall aims to intersect UNLV’s hopeful future with human scale at the forefront.

Project Narrative

In its increasing vastness, UNLV has been turning its parking garages into landmarks of sorts. Though faceless, these facilities have absorbed the personalities of their surroundings. It would thus be especially timely for this site whose adjacent buildings have grown detached from the rest of campus continuing to expand in the opposite direction; centralization is integral to reestablishing the area’s identity. Luckily, existing aspects of this site already support this initiative. Its placement on the outskirts of UNLV would protect against its sometimes awkward and vulnerable perimeter. Taking advantage of the linearity of Brussels Road and turning it into a pedestrian mall complete with cafes and inviting landscape do well to complement its inertia with a sense of welcoming. The facade is embellished with retail and traversal elements that jut out of the structure while cars are tucked away inside, a reminder to any passenger that the students are the cells sustaining UNLV’s scarlet red heart. The UNLV Transit Center Parking Structure & Pedestrian Mall will transform the area from a place of transience into a place to be.

Sustainable Design & Materials

The Structure and Mall look to set precedence for UNLV’s revitalization efforts soon to reach this side of campus. A celebration of stair elements in the design commend users for their individual sustainability efforts. The facility offers EV-charging stations in support of the concurrent transition into electric vehicle ownership. Unique shading devices on the facade passively keep the garage airy and cool even in intense Vegas heat. On the outside, shading at the pedestrian level is abundant through use of steel and tree canopies. The plaza layout is also founded on saving existing trees and adds to it with landscape appropriate to our Mojave climate.

Project Stats

Square Feet

139392

Green Building Designation(s)

Date of Completion

2025

Project Location

4505 S Maryland Pkwy, Parking Lot H, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA

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