Project Profile: Arranta Bio Manufacturing Facility
Cleanroom lab at the Arranta Bio facility in Watertown, MA
DC BEANE
Facility name: Arranta Bio Manufacturing Facility, Watertown, MA
Size: 80,000 sq. ft.
Project team: Arranta Bio (owner), DC Beane and Associates Construction Company (construction manager), TRIA (architect), DPS Group (process engineer, process architect, MEP engineer), VHB (site and civil engineer), Goldstein/Milano (structural engineer)
Completion date: end of 2020
The first phase of Arranta Bio’s new manufacturing facility for microbiome therapeutics has been completed, with the multi-phase project expected to be mechanically complete and ready for full occupancy by the end of 2020. Founded in 2019 with the acquisition of a 10-year old microbiome service provider, Arranta Bio is a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) specifically established to focus on serving companies seeking to develop and commercialize therapeutics targeting the human microbiome. The microbiome refers to the genetic material of literally trillions of microbes—bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses—that live inside and on the human body. Scientists have called it the second genome and over the last decade, there has been a rapid acceleration in scientific understanding of the composition and functions of the gut microbiota. Today, around 200 companies are focused on understanding the human microbiome and its linkage to areas including infectious diseases and oncology, with the goal of identifying therapeutic targets.
The project team developed a plan for the renovation and fit-out of a former warehouse space into a cGMP development and manufacturing facility. Among the many challenges was converting the warehouse building into a state-of-the-art manufacturing space which has the capacity and flexibility to handle a broad range of drug production for Arranta Bio clients. Designed for full process stages along with lyophilization and capsule filling, all new process equipment and building utility equipment were installed along with new clean utility generation. The facility is configured to allow for expansion to larger scale production as demand increases. Current maximum fermentation capacity is 2 x 2000 L, with a total of 13 cGMP suites. The Arranta Bio facility design allows for agility in process configurations, incorporating single use equipment, strategically located utility panels, and a centralized Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide (VHP) routed to each room to streamline changeover decontaminations.
When complete, the rear portion building will feature a 9,000 sq. ft. research and development (R&D) lab suite and a 6,000 SF quality control (QC) lab suite on the first floor, with conference rooms, huddle rooms, and a large forum/kitchen above on the second floor. Coordinating the MEP requirements to the first floor lab areas was another significant challenge with the existing building. Located right off the parking lot, the front portion of the building will serve as the lobby/reception area and it will include lounge seating, kitchenette, conference rooms, offices, and huddle rooms for use by visitors to the facility. Taking a cue from Arranta Bio’s branding, the look is clean and modern with navy and teal accent colors used throughout the space, helping to create a holistic, cohesive design between lab and office. Open ceiling, patterned carpet, and warm wood toned luxury vinyl tile form a welcoming environment for employees and visitors alike. Upgrades to the exterior included new cladding, exterior lighting, and repairs to the roof. In addition, windows were added on the second floor to bring natural light into the offices and storefront windows were added to the front office.