Southeast Career & Technical Academy, Phase II

Las Vegas

Award of Merit

OWNER: Clark County School District

LEAD DESIGN FIRM: Simpson Coulter Studio

GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Sletten Construction Cos.

CIVIL ENGINEER: ACTUS

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Mendenhall Smith Structural Engineers (Now IMEG Corp.)

MEP ENGINEER: Petty & Associates Inc.

ELECTRICAL/LOW VOLTAGE: TJK Consulting Engineers Inc.

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS: Hill Clark & Associates


Following the completion of the first phase in 2011, the second phase of work on this Las Vegas campus added an administration building, a health sciences building, an information technologies building and a culinary and educational building with the only high school-operated restaurant in Las Vegas open to the public. The second phase’s design prioritizes informal and connectivity spaces, with tech hubs located at the main student entry of each academy to promote multidisciplinary collaboration with both high-tech and low-tech amenities.

To ensure success on an active campus, the team held design charrettes and workshops with teachers and administrators to define their needs. Since the project was built during the COVID-19 pandemic, the team had to test as many as 200 employees daily and sanitize tools and spaces twice a day. The project was completed in October 2020, expanding the campus to 361,000 sq ft.