ince 1890, UNT's facilities have been home to scientific breakthroughs, artistic achievements, professional collaborations and lifelong friendships. As our dedicated, creative community of scholars, artists and innovators continues to grow, so does our campus, each improvement thoughtfully designed to empower our students and faculty to succeed.
This spring, the newly constructed Welcome Center opened as the "front door" to our university. Centrally located at the corner of Maple Street and Avenue A, the center is designed to connect the thousands of prospective students, families and guests who visit our campus each year with the information they need to see themselves here at UNT.
The spacious new building is decked out with Mean Green pride from floor to ceiling, and digital information along the walls offers virtual tours and in-depth information about our programs and facilities. One of the Welcome Center's most unique features is a mock residence hall that allows prospective students to envision what campus life is really like. The Dining Services, Housing and Residence Life offices were relocated to the Welcome Center's adjacent and second floor so that questions can easily be answered before or after a campus tour.
Joe Greene Hall is the newest addition to UNT's student housing. Named for football legend and UNT alumnus Joe Greene, the 580-bed residence hall features double occupancy rooms primarily for freshman students.
Each floor's layout offers residents endless ways to make the hall their own, from lounge and recreation areas for studying and socializing to private music practice rooms. There's even a large community kitchen on the first floor where students can make a quick bite to eat or enjoy a meal with friends. Details like these are why students from all over the world proudly call UNT their home away from home.
Designed to promote interdisciplinary research that fuels innovation, our newest creative research and academic facilities provide collaborative spaces where ideas are sparked and problems are solved.
Discovery Park, UNT's 300-acre research campus and the largest in the North Texas region, houses numerous new laboratories and state-of-the-art instruments. This enables faculty researchers to push the boundaries of science, technology and creativity while providing students with hands-on experiences that ready them for careers.
The Materials Research Facility is one of the most advanced university research facilities in the nation for materials analysis and 3D characterization. Researchers from a variety of disciplines -- from materials science and engineering to physics, chemistry and biology -- work alongside industry leaders to solve real-world problems and create new products and technologies. As part of the facility, UNT's new Center for Agile and Adaptive Additive Manufacturing was awarded $10 million from the Texas Legislature this year to develop smart materials and environmentally friendly technologies while providing high-level training for the industry's future workforce.
The College of Engineering's new home for the Department of Biomedical Engineering houses one of UNT's fastest-growing undergraduate degree programs. The 26,250-square-foot building contains two large research labs, three teaching labs and three classrooms, in addition to a virtual dissection table that takes learning human anatomy to the next level.
Back on the main campus, the recently renovated Science Research Building encourages faculty and student researchers to collaborate across disciplines. Its flexible, open-concept lab spaces better equip faculty and student researchers to discover the latest bio-based materials, biopolymers and techniques in metabolic engineering.
At the Life Sciences Complex, the Genomics Center provides high-quality, low-cost DNA sequencing using innovative technology and research techniques to improve the health of humans, plants, animals and the environment.
The Pecan Creek Pollinative Prairie is a native North Central Texas tallgrass prairie reconstruction project located in the east field at Discovery Park. In May 2016, UNT ecology staff and students initiated the project to provide a space for students, faculty and staff to promote conservation and sustainable urban landscaping of native habitats for declining pollinator populations.
In late 2018, the College of Visual Arts and Design unveiled its new four-story building complete with sky bridges and wide hallways for pop-up exhibitions. One of the most technologically advanced art facilities in the world, the building is constructed with UNT's signature green consciousness and offers extensive back-of-house research and study spaces, but its heart is the multi-purpose courtyard where students and faculty can meet, collaborate and find inspiration.
The College of Music's new outdoor courtyard, scheduled to open this fall, is the perfect place to catch a live performance. It will feature a large video wall and a covered walkway that extends from the Voertman Concert Hall lobby to Avenue C.
Two new athletic facilities are transforming Mean Green athletics: the North Texas Track and Soccer Complex and the Lovelace and McNatt Families Practice Facility.
Located behind the award-winning Apogee Stadium, the new track and soccer complex boasts a fieldhouse, a sand-based soccer field, an eight-lane track and seating for 1,500 fans to cheer on UNT's conference-winning teams. Part of the 20-year Light the Tower Master Plan, the complex is designed to improve the experience for student-athletes and fans. The facility also features coaches' offices, locker rooms, a team meeting area and a student-athlete lounge.
The Lovelace and McNatt Families Practice Facility is a climate-controlled, multi-sport practice space featuring a full-length football field and track running lanes. A spacious lobby and elevated platforms for photography and videography make the indoor practice facility the perfect place to host new recruits and a variety of special events.
