The strategic use of specialized doors and biocontainment cubicles in Weill Cornell Medical College’s new academic research facility maximizes flexibility by allowing the floor plan to be easily reconfigured for different levels of containment and program size.
In response to evolving needs and changing research emphases, a major addition to the Institute for Human Performance (IHP) at the State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University expands the research focus beyond human activity and rehabilitation to encompass exploration of disorders of the nervous system, including behavioral disorders, such as ADHD; diseases of the eye; and neurodegenerative diseases, such as ALS, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security broke ground in May of 2015 on the $835 million National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kan. Created in partnership with Kansas State University, the 574,000-gsf facility will provide shared BSL-2, BSL-3, and BSL-4 research space for the study of infectious diseases and select agents. The project is being built by the joint venture construction team of McCarthy/Mortenson.
Iowa State University's transgenic swine facility at Zumwalt Station Farm in Ames received an Award of Distinction from the Modular Building Institute in May of 2015. The 2,904-sf project was designed, manufactured, and installed by Art's Way Scientific. Supporting research on the genetic modification of domestic animals for agricultural and biomedical applications, the standalone facility incorporates biosafety features to protect a closed herd of swine.
Purdue University is planning to build the $60 million Agricultural and Life Sciences Facility complex in West Lafayette, Ind. The 123,000-gsf project will provide consolidated teaching and research space for the Department of Animal Sciences. Construction will begin in February of 2016 with occupancy expected in July of 2017. Purdue will also construct the $8.8 million Centaur Regional Equine Diagnostic and Surgical Center in Shelbyville which will house academic space for the College of Veterinary Medicine as well as providing health services to horses.
The National University of Singapore opened a 7,000-sf biosafety laboratory for the study of infectious diseases in May of 2015. The BSL-3 facility is located at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine's Centre for Translational Medicine and will support the development of new diagnostics, vaccines, and therapies.
The University of Washington’s new multi-species vivarium and animal program consolidation overcomes the challenges of combining two distinct research facilities and achieves goals of flexibility, efficient operating procedures, improved animal and personnel welfare, and a sustainable financial model—thanks to the early involvement of all affected parties, detailed team-based planning, and mockups.
The University of Delaware celebrated the opening of the newly renovated Lasher Laboratory in April of 2015. The BSL-2 facility is located in the Elbert N. and Ann V. Carvel Research and Education Center in Georgetown and supports research on the detection and diagnosis of avian diseases including avian influenza. Supported by $4 million in state funding, the project was completed in December of 2014 and included new MEP, fire, and life safety systems as well as significant improvements to the building envelope.
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research is planning to renovate a 67,000-sf animal research facility in Silver Spring, Md. Constructed in 1972 to provide biomedical laboratories and vivarium space for large and small animals, Building 511 will be extensively upgraded with new electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and building automation systems. New wall, floor, and ceiling finishes will be installed as well as vibration mitigation technologies for specialized research equipment.
The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) is planning a $75 million mouse production facility in Ellsworth, Maine. The project involves the complete renovation of an existing 143,000-sf building to create advanced vivarium space for the breeding and housing of mice for genetic research. The facility will consolidate all of JAX’s East Coast production operations in a single location, enabling the company’s Bar Harbor campus to provide additional research, education, and conference space.
The University of Nebraska broke ground in late April of 2015 on a $45.5 million veterinary diagnostic laboratory in Lincoln. Located on the Nebraska Innovation Campus, the 65,000-sf facility will provide labs for diagnostic testing, animal science, and medical research. The project architect is RDG Planning and Design of Omaha. Completion is expected in 2017.
The University of Washington is building the $123.5 million Animal Research and Care Facility in Seattle. Housing the Department of Comparative Medicine, the 83,000-sf subterranean structure will accommodate rodents, pigs, dogs, and non-human primates. Comprising two floors of approximately 40,000 sf each, the facility will provide labs, procedure rooms, imaging suites, cage and equipment wash, storage, and support. Construction began in early 2015 and occupancy is expected in August of 2017.
Minerals research firm Mintek opened a cleanroom and biocontainment laboratory in April of 2015 in Johannesburg. Supported by $2.4 million in funding from South Africa's Department of Science and Technology, the project includes an ISO 5 cleanroom and a BSL-3 suite to accommodate the development of advanced diagnostic technologies for diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV. The facilities feature sophisticated controls for the regulation of temperature, pressure, moisture, and airborne particles.
University College London has awarded Graham Construction a $25 million contract to renovate the existing Courtauld Building to create a biomedical research facility. The project will house the Medical Research Council's Prion Unit and will accommodate the study of dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
A new animal facility at the University of Massachusetts Medical School features more efficient cage handling and cleaning, interstitial catwalks for maintenance, and a dual-corridor layout that minimizes contamination, all of which are best practices for decision-making and design, according to Jerry Silverman, director of the university’s Department of Animal Medicine, and laboratory/animal facility planner Josh Meyer. The Albert Sherman Center, the third such facility to be opened on the campus, contains several of these improvements over its predecessors.
