The University of Michigan is constructing a $70-million facility at its School of Public Health in Ann Arbor. Part of 200,000 sf of new construction at the University, the high-rise project is an air-rights building connecting two existing public health buildings known as SPH-1 and SPH-2. Designed by Centerbrook Architects and SEi , the facility will allow greater collaboration among students, faculty, and departments. The project, which broke ground in Ocutober 2003, includes demolition of a portion of the WWII vintage building, 75,000 sf of gut renovation in the original facility, and 125,000 sf of new construction. With multiple construction phases under way, the facility is slated for completion in 2006.
In addition to research labs, tissue culture, specialty labs, vivarium and cage wash facilities, insectory, offices, library, meeting rooms and classrooms, the building includes BSL-3 containment labs and Class 10,000 cleanroom environments for the trace metal labs. The BSL-3 labs incorporate strict pressurization control, fail-safe modes of operation, and integrated operational procedures for room decontamination. The trace metal labs are built without any metal in any of the construction, including the use of FRP ductwork, plastic registers and diffusers, fiberglass fume hoods, and Class-100 laminar flow hoods.
