Facilities
Startup Incubator facilities feature a Fab Lab (and Heavy Duty Lab), a Coding Lab, and a Digital Media Studio. In the Fab Lab and Heavy Duty Lab, ten single-filament FlashForge Finders and ten dual-filament Creators are available, providing quick-and-easy rapid prototyping. A Gigabot 3D printer is available for larger print jobs. Hand tools, sewing machines, basic construction materials and electronic components, soldering stations, extensive storage and display areas, large workspaces (tabletop and floor), whiteboards for brainstorming, and comfortable seating afford a comfortable and well-appointed work environment. A high-speed network with multiple access points and display projectors assures students and teachers an uninterrupted work experience. Additionally, an exit and stairwell branching from the Fab Lab provide quick access to the Arts patio and outdoor areas to spray paint an artifact or fly a drone. The Coding Lab provides a cozy programming environment for 14 students, featuring an instructor station and projector, sliding whiteboards, hidden storage, table-level charging, both wireless connectivity and ethernet ports, and easily reconfigurable tables for lecture, brainstorming sessions, and team projects. The Digital Media Studio offers 16 high-end, large-display Macs, digital cameras and storage lockers, an elegant Pro-Cyc green screen, black and white photo backdrops, music keyboards and mixers, a professional grade sound booth, and extensive software for performing all forms of digital production.
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The space represents a renovation of a previously existing library/media facility and adjoining flex space. Simpson Coulter provided the architectural and interior designs, and Kalb Construction conducted the retrofit. Because the Incubator is intended to represent the fluidity and crossover between both digital and physical design, the work spaces are connected, visible to one another, and visible to the larger school facility through glass walls. Sound-suppressive flooring, wall panels, and ceiling tiles dampen excess noise and transference among the spaces. An RGB (red-green-blue) color theme tempered with gray shades provides thematic aesthetics, with a nod to the digital themes of the facility. At the same time, the Incubator fosters a connection with nature via large windows to the sunny outdoors, as well as a newly created exit and stairwell providing access to the arts patio and fields below. Hints of nature are also included in the textured "brick" tile of the Fab Lab, and the pebble texture carpet of the Coding Lab.
The motivation for developing the Startup Incubator derives from the school's commitment to providing a 21st century education in a project based learning context. Generous financial gifts from Steve and Dawn Mack, as well as Sheldon and Miriam Adelson, made possible the retrofitting and outfitting of the innovation space. As technology evolves, the Adelson Educational Campus plans to continue upgrading the space and obtaining new, progressive technologies for students to explore and master. Instructors and industry mentors engage in ongoing professional development to ensure that the work pursued in the space represents the most cutting edge for precollege audiences in the Las Vegas region and beyond.