focus the discussion about casework and infrastructure systems based on functional need, and
not simply first costs. This has promoted the use
of more moveable casework solutions that allow
greater flexibility in making lab modifications,
according to Reynolds. Design firms have also
encouraged lab users to not overpopulate labs
with casework to allow more floor space for large
equipment.
Open-plan labs are getting smaller. After
a number of new buildings coming on line
with very large open labs, most users are realizing these environments aren’t very inviting
and conducive to effective collaborations and
interaction. “So instead of planning 10 to 12
module open labs, we are now planning five to
eight open module labs, which are large enough
to maintain the flexibility, but small enough
to foster collaboration,” says Victor Cardona,
director of lab planning, SmithGroupJJR,
Detroit. Due to space constraints and in order
to maximize space utilization, lab design firms
see more sharing of space and equipment within lab groups—what might have been shared by
a group, now is shared by an entire lab zone.
Many clients are seeking to balance the flexibility created by open labs with a more intimate
scale that promotes collegiality. “The pendulum
seems to have swung from the large ‘ballroom’
labs common in recent times to smaller-scale
‘neighborhoods’,” says Evans. This provides
owners with the ability to adapt to changing
research needs while meeting researcher’s desires
for open labs that limit noise and disruption.
For teaching labs, the use of moveable benches has created the ability for space in the center
of the lab where students can gather for a short
instructional session, and then distribute themselves into small groups for experimental work.
For research labs, modular and “plug-and-play”
systems have been introduced, in which all
lab utilities are contained in a modular ceiling
grid and casework below is attached to the grid
at locations where work counters and utilities
are needed. “This provides a flexible, self-contained infrastructure that can be placed within
a generic open building space or shell area,”
says Arlen Li, director of lab planning, Payette,
Boston.
A FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY
Energy-efficient technologies are focusing
on many significant components. There is an
active discussion about appropriate air change
rates in wet labs in occupied and unoccupied
modes. While safety remains the critical fac-
tor, there’s significant data that indicates labs
can reduce air change rates and maintain safe
environments. “Specifically, there are many
institutions that are actively monitoring air
quality in labs to control air change rates,”
says Reynolds. “That monitoring has a direct
and positive impact on lab energy use.”
There is also an increased emphasis on water
conservation in both building design and lab
system design. It is commonplace to harvest
rain water to supply gray water systems, but less
prevalent, according to Evans, is the capture of
RO/DI system reject water.
Five years ago, it was revolutionary to put
chilled beam heating and cooling in a lab; the
concern was that air wasn’t moving through
at the necessary exchange rates. Humidity was
also a problem with this type of hydronic heat-
ing and cooling system early on. Europeans
have used chilled beams for over 10 years, but
they don’t have the humidity extremes seen in
the U.S. However, today, chilled beam tech-
nology has become viable in labs, as they are
a more efficient use of space than air ducts.
“It’s smaller, so the space devoted to heating
and cooling ductwork can be significantly
reduced,” says Manfredi. Chilled beam tech-
nology is also a way of reducing operating
costs and addressing lower floor-to-floor
heights.
Many projects seem to incorporate chilled
beams regardless of whether they’re really
appropriate for a lab’s load profile, says Evans.
A more critical examination of whether a lab
is ventilation-driven or cooling load-driven
is especially important given the high capital
continued on page 12
Wide, brightly lit stairways at the New York Genome Center encourage collaboration between floors. Image:
©David Joseph Photography
Trends in modern lab design
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