Putting People First: Designing the Forensic Lab of the Future
Katharina Babcock, forensic lab director of the New Mexico Department of Public Safety’s Forensic Laboratory. Image: Jerry Walters
Katharina Babcock, forensic lab director of the New Mexico Department of Public Safety’s Forensic Laboratory, offers a firsthand narrative of working with design team members Crime Lab Design and Dekker to develop this innovative space. Dekker received the Excellence in Interior Design prize for this facility in the 2024 Design Excellence Awards.
Great work that solves problems, answers critical questions, and moves the world forward can’t happen without people. Laboratories have long been designed for the science done within them, often considering scientists’ individual needs as an afterthought. When the time came to design a new facility for the New Mexico Department of Public Safety’s (NMDPS) Forensic Laboratory, I wanted to help to change that.
As the facility’s laboratory director, I had a big picture view of how lab design and the overall space affects our team. Working in the existing facility since 1999 gave me first-hand knowledge of just how flexible and forward thinking this type of building must be. From the very beginning of the design process for the new facility, I worked with the partnered design team to advocate for health, safety, and inclusivity to meet our staff’s varied needs.
The partnership between our design team members, Crime Lab Design and Dekker, brought technical lab knowledge, design expertise, an understanding of local culture, and what we value. The highly collaborative nature of the partnership and their engagement with our team led to a new facility that is functional, flexible, and supports our people and their work.
Culture and community
Many New Mexicans thrive in the outdoors, prizing our mountain views and beautiful skies; the forensic laboratory staff are no different. The new facility is inspired by the culture and landscape of Santa Fe, focusing on our teams’ quality of life and the family-like relationships among them without compromising security, chain of custody integrity, or workflows. Situated at the southern end of the Rocky Mountains, the forensic lab echoes the hospitality shown by people in our region.
In the design process, we worked from the inside-out to consider staff culture and needs. As people’s workloads increase, their workspaces become literally and figuratively crowded, leaving them feeling cramped and uncomfortable. Now, regardless of where and how our team works, they have access to nature, light, and magnificent views of the surrounding landscape. The design of the two-story, public lobby evokes memories of a slot canyon in the American southwest. Daylight washes over a living wall through high windows and casts a warm glow over the space. To address staff feedback about workplace culture, this area also features comfortable furnishings, a break area, and semi-private collaboration spaces. Staircases go beyond moving people through the building with sculptural design and key locations in the lobby that engage staff and visitors with displays of art and science, like specialty firearms.
Relationships and processes
The NMDPS Forensic Lab processes evidence through various forensic disciplines: evidence, DNA/biology, firearms/tool marks, latent prints, and drug chemistry. Image: Jerry Walters
At the NMDPS Forensic Lab, our sole purpose is analyzing evidence so organization, efficiency, equipment accessibility, and ease-of-use are critical to our operations. The local community must continue to put their trust in our lab’s work, so special attention (in budget allocation and design) was given to chain of custody and confidentiality. A robust laboratory information management system and building-wide RFID (radio frequency identification) system tracks evidence from the moment it is registered and as it is processed through various forensic disciplines: evidence, DNA/biology, firearms/tool marks, latent prints, and drug chemistry.
From the start, we painted a picture for the design team of people’s flow through the space and the relationships between teams, evidence, and processes. The resulting layout for the new facility features three entrances to maintain security and chain of custody: the public lobby for visitors, a separate staff entrance, and a secure intake lobby for evidence and law enforcement. Improving connectivity between teams and staff was also a priority as we serve the entire state, including 300 state, local, tribal, and federal agencies. The new facility houses all administrative and support staff under the same roof as the scientists. We even added space for a program specialist near the lobby entrance, to keep staff in the loop both when they arrive and when they need to leave for their legal obligations. While coming and going from the break area, staff have easy access to the law clerks for status updates for their legal obligations.
People and science
With the opportunity to design a new facility, we took care to address the staff’s workplace and personal needs in each of the lab spaces. In addition to daylighting and interior finishes that provide human comforts, we were able to add features to working spaces that make day-to-day operations easier on the team. Large rolls of “butcher” paper took valuable worktop real estate in the existing facility. Here, the design team was able to recess the rolls in otherwise unused wall space to clear countertops. Particularly useful are automatic, handsfree sliding doors in laboratories and areas where evidence is transferred. It's common for our team to move unwieldy carts of evidence through the building. Removing the daily struggle of getting in and out of these areas is one of many quality-of-life improvements that will make a significant difference over time.
In each individual lab, we found ways to go above and beyond the standards of technical design. I’ve experienced how the sound of firearms discharging affects people’s mental health and wanted to address this in the new space. It is not uncommon for other staff to hear firearms from adjoining rooms. In the Water Tank Room and Firing Range, we improved the acoustics as much as practical, helping to insulate other staff from the sound. In Drug Chemistry, tall walls separate each analyst’s workstation to better protect against contamination without isolating employees from one another. The Drug Chemistry Instrumentation Room is also completely separated from other spaces.
The Forensic Biology and DNA laboratory is our largest; we planned it to accommodate future growth and used a specialized ceiling system to provide modular, flexible service connections. The Extraction and Serology lab has spectacular views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains through windows screened with a perforated metal panel which reduces glare and combats the intense southwest sun. Adjacent to the vehicle bay is our Latent Prints lab for large evidence items, such as tarps and automatic teller machines, and use of the pantograph mounted camera. Within the Latent Prints lab is a purpose-built space to contain dust created through the fingerprinting process within a separate room.
Workplace
The new forensic laboratory in Santa Fe is designed with a deep respect for the local culture and landscape, providing staff with natural light, views, and a welcoming atmosphere that enhances both their quality of life and productivity, all while preserving essential security and operational integrity. Image: Jerry Walters
Science differs from one forensic discipline to another, so each laboratory has all the amenities required to support the team’s work, health, safety, and individual needs. The DNA and Latent Prints labs have alternate light source rooms; the DNA lab has Pre- and Post-Amplification rooms connect with a sealed passthrough device; and the Drug Chemistry lab has separate rooms for Reagent Prep and special Instrumentation like the gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GC-MS) and Fourier transform infrared detector (FT-IR). Firearms, Drug Chemistry, and DNA areas each have accompanying office space away from their lab space, but Latent Prints has office space adjacent to the lab so analysts can securely move evidence to administrative workstations without circulating through less secure areas. Administration and leadership are collected in a suite with views of the Jemez mountains, easy mailbox access, and a large break area with an outdoor balcony. The Firearms and Drug Chemistry teams both have direct access to enclosed patios with furnishings and landscape elements, providing space to relax and fresh air. Our new training area fits all staff with comfortable furnishings and natural light. To accommodate a variety of trainings and presentations, we implemented movable tables and seating, multiple visual display surfaces, and audio-visual technology.
For our staff who walk or bike to work, they can enter the site from the city-wide path network at the west end of the facility. A personnel door provides direct access to covered and secured bike parking. Staff who drive to work also have a dedicated entrance to secure parking, with infrastructure for future electric vehicle stations. We were able to maintain the existing flow of water across the site and developed ponding areas that retain precious water and support our native and drought-tolerant landscape.
Santa Fe is “The City Different,” and so is our new forensic facility. The state’s new Forensic Laboratory improves workflow and interconnectivity of our entire team. But it’s the little things that make this a great place for work and science—and make it a place where we can all stay engaged, safe, and healthy as we serve New Mexico today, tomorrow, and beyond.
The State of New Mexico Forensic Laboratory received the Excellence in Interior Design prize in the 2024 Design Excellence Awards. The project was submitted by Dekker, architect of record. Visit https://awards.labdesignconference.com/ to submit your lab for the 2025 Design Excellence Awards.
