From Groundbreaking to LEED Platinum: How UNLV Built a Model for Sustainable Operations

McKinstry helped University of Nevada, Las Vegas prepare the Kirk Kerkorian Medical Education Building for long-term success, reducing energy use, improving facility operations and achieving LEED Platinum Operations and Maintenance certification.

When the Nevada Health and Bioscience Corporation (NHBC) broke ground on the 135,000-square-foot Kirk Kerkorian Medical Education Building, it envisioned more than a new facility. It wanted a flagship building designed to serve University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) for generations through innovation, sustainability and long-term performance.

To ensure the building would perform as intended from day one, the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine engaged McKinstry while construction was still underway. Through our Transition to Sustainable Operations (TSO) offering, McKinstry helped establish the operational foundation needed before the first student entered the building.

Preparing for Success Before Opening Day

Before occupancy in fall 2022, McKinstry developed a five-year operations analysis to help the school forecast staffing and funding needs. The team also supported facility management planning and organized critical building data, including asset information, maintenance schedules and warranty records within UNLV’s computerized maintenance management system (CMMS).

With the right systems and information in place, the school’s facilities team was prepared to operate and maintain the building from day one.

Improving Performance Through Partnership

As the building owner, NHBC partnered with McKinstry to implement post-occupancy monitoring-based commissioning, an ongoing process that uses building performance data to identify inefficiencies, optimize operations and support continuous improvement.

Since the building’s first year of operation, electricity use has decreased by nearly 20% and natural gas use has dropped by nearly 50%. The project also earned a $16,000 rebate through NV Energy’s monitoring-based commissioning program.

“We are now in our third year of providing monitoring-based commissioning in the building,” said Sean Fabian, program manager at McKinstry. “Every time we bring improvement opportunities forward, the team within the school of medicine is quick to act and implement the solution. That responsiveness is what makes the numbers move.”

The efforts enabled the Kirk Kerkorian Medical Education Building to achieve LEED Platinum Operations and Maintenance certification, one of the highest sustainability designations for existing buildings.

A Long-Term Approach to Facility Stewardship

More than four years after first engaging with the Kirk Kerkorian Medical Education Building, McKinstry continues to support the school of medicine with energy performance monitoring, CMMS asset management, preventive maintenance oversight and capital planning.

“Working with McKinstry has helped us develop a more proactive and data-driven approach to facility management,” said Joshua Meyer, building operations manager at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine. “Their ongoing support with energy performance monitoring, CMMS asset management, preventive maintenance program oversight and capital planning has strengthened our operations, improved visibility into our building systems and helped ensure we are making sound decisions for both current performance and long-term asset stewardship.”

The Kirk Kerkorian Medical Education Building stands as a model for what’s possible when owners, institutions and partners align from the start. The collaborative efforts of NHBC, UNLV and McKinstry, from funding and ownership to operations and ongoing stewardship, demonstrate that operational excellence begins long before occupancy and continues through ongoing stewardship, data-driven decision-making and strong partnerships.