UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA LAS VEGAS SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY
COLLEGE OF ORAL MEDICINE, CLINICAL SCIENCE AND BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH

RAFI was commissioned to prepare an Academic and Facilities Master Plan for a proposed School of Dentistry at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. The master plan was intended to provide a framework for the development, implementation and future growth of the dental school academic program. The interconnected aspects of the master plan result in a vision that links academic requirements for dental education to physical space that supports the teaching goals and methodologies of the UNLV School of Dentistry.  The master plan also assists in the administration, management, teaching and research direction of the UNLV School of Dentistry as it proceeds towards its goals and objectives.  

To prepare this master plan, RAFI joined the client in visiting seven dental schools throughout the country and worked with them in creating a mission statement for the school.  From this point, preliminary bubble diagrams evolved into space needs analyses and adjacencies and a basic form of the building began to take place.  Architectural renderings were produced along with floor plans, elevations and the master plan.  These items were submitted to the Nevada State Legislature for funding approval.

In 2001, RAFI was requested by UNLV to update development of the project for a second UNLV site and assist in an international academic forum on “Dentistry in the 21st Century”  as teaching and practicing relates to facility requirements and the needs for ever-changing environments