The Importance of Quality Infrastructure in Lab Facility Design: Part 1
By: Scott Paden (Harvey | Harvey- Cleary), Skye Smith (Kirksey Architecture), and Tanvi Solanki (Kirksey Architecture)
As laboratory facilities become more complex, it has become important to consider both industry trends and their impact on lab personnel when dealing with infrastructure. Longevity, quality of equipment, abundant capacities, and accessibility have long been thought to be the main considerations when defining quality infrastructure. The definition, however, of quality infrastructure for laboratories has changed in recent years, becoming somewhat more synonymous with future flexibility. Although the concepts of quality infrastructure and future flexibility may be intertwined, the former encompasses more than the idea of providing spare circuits or excess cooling capacity for Day Two needs. It considers smart planning ideas like the scalability of systems, “relatability,” adaptable interfaces, and “obvious” accessibility while focusing on safety and operability for the facility users. When accounted for and implemented according to the project in question, these strategies can optimize and future-proof the building.
Defining Project Requirements
When a project commences, the first step is to define how the final product will be used. It is essential to respond to the current needs of the client, but it is just as fundamental to plan in accordance with the client’s growth plan. As a result, spending time to establish the parameters for each of the following timeframes can set the project up for success:
Day One: the facility is ready for research.
Day Two: the near-term growth that constitutes the initial changes to research.
Beyond: long-term growth plan of the organization and the changes it wishes to seek over a specified period.
When planning for these needs, there should be an alignment with the institution’s overall energy and environmental goals as well as an alignment with operations and environmental health and safety (EHS) personnel. It is worth noting that sometimes these groups’ goals may be in conflict, for reducing energy usage can add to maintained components in a project. These concerns, however, can be mitigated if the additional components can be designed with preventative maintenance in mind. With the right planning, servicing can become more feasible for operations personnel in tandem with reaching energy goals.
Defining Quality Infrastructure
Once the framework and goals have been determined, strategizing for the appropriate infrastructure becomes clearer. Although the following smart planning strategies have overlapping commonalities, the implementation will vary based on each project’s needs. These strategies also do not necessarily require a big capital investment; the key is to find what areas to invest capacity upfront while allowing flexibility for future scale-up. If designed properly, future revisions should cost less and be easier to execute and maintain for the building operator.
Scalable Parts
Buildings are becoming more technically complex, with growth, change, and rework assumed to be occurring throughout their lifespan. As a result, having an abundance of spare capacity for a technology that will eventually become obsolete is not a worthwhile investment. Instead, it is more beneficial to provide scalable infrastructure that allows for growth alongside the development of newer technologies. Templating and prefabricating elements streamline planning, installation, and maintenance. Not to mention, it brings a level of safety and adaptability for personnel when valves and tie-in provisions for utilities are provided at regular, predictable intervals.
Infrastructure Template. Providing a lab template is necessary for efficiency, but providing the right infrastructure is more conducive to lab operations. Instead of allowing the walls of lab modules to define the implementation of the template, design with the building operator in mind by creating long-term predictability of where infrastructure is in each lab. Focus on repeatability and collaborate with the prefabrication and installation teams to develop lateral infrastructure planning zones that define where hoods, service panels, and other utilities will be. Then, translate this approach to finalize planning with the lab users, customizing as needed for any unique processes that may be occurring within each lab module.
Task exhaust is an infrastructure component that is always moving due to the equipment it may be associated with. Establishing a regular rhythm of exhaust connection points that are slightly oversized allows users the ability to connect multiple pieces of equipment while mitigating the need for adding tap points later.
The project on the left employed a strategy where the walls dictated the placement of the infrastructure. Although the lab modules themselves were on a template, the infrastructure was responding primarily to the Day One needs. In contrast, the project on the right creates a regular pattern of infrastructure, allowing lab modules the opportunity to combine or subdivide as needs change. This pattern paves the way for prefabricated solutions along with giving the user the ability to know where utilities, such as the general exhaust and task exhaust, are located for future modification.
(Kirksey Architecture)
Prefabrication. By creating a common kit of parts, elements can be employed to build larger components dozens or hundreds of times. A prefabricated kit of parts allows more to be provided within a budget, for offsite labor typically costs less due to union agreements, better lighting conditions, and greater craft ergonomics. Since prefabricated elements are engineered to be installed and removed easily in the field (typically with a mechanical connection), serviceability is also dramatically improved. The possibilities are extensive when prefabrication is maximized. Analyzing each project’s requirements and thinking ahead can lead to unique prefabrication opportunities.
In the example above, a prefabricated header was developed to lower the maintenance zone of the valves. This allowed facility personnel the ability to add fume hoods to the space without getting on a ladder.
(Kirksey Architecture)
“Isolatability”
Since labs require continuous operation, dedicating space for serviceable areas allows for better-planned shutdowns and emphasizes the safety of the building operators. Consider both building equipment planning and space planning to maximize infrastructure solutions.
Interstitial Spaces. An interstitial space is an area located outside of research operations that forms the organization of all utilities for each lab. Due to its location, interstitial spaces prevent unnecessary lab shutdowns when performing regular maintenance checks. As a result, preventative maintenance becomes easier and much more likely to occur.
An interstitial space stacked on top of the service corridor offers three levels of distribution into the labs. This selective height improvement prevents excessive building volume while keeping serviceable infrastructure out of the lab module and plenum. When a serviceable component is located on a horizontal plane, the likelihood of components getting installed underneath and impinging access on Day Two and Beyond is high. With the use of the vertical plane, there is plenty of space to go behind piping or below the plenum ducts, further increasing the opportunity to maintain and access services in the long term.
(Aker Imaging, Kirksey Architecture)
Planning for Specialty Labs. When planning for specialty research spaces, such as microscope rooms and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) labs, provide more layers of isolation if the budget can allow for it. Dedicated studies, such as electromagnetic interference (EMI) analyses, may be required due to particular equipment that is planned, but best practice shows that providing more layers of isolation to your client is better in the long run as it allows for a broader range of sensitive equipment to be brought into the lab space. If an isolation system is to be considered in the future, a trench with a depressed slab for access flooring can be provided for Day One.
If an extensive solution, such as a utility trench, is not required for any specialty conditions in the project, providing more isolated slabs on Day One can also allow for eventual modifications. An isolated slab separating the service corridor from the lab spaces can be provided. Lab modules can be further divided into smaller slabs to adapt to future processes. However, since slabs need thickness and connectivity, there may be diminishing returns if too many small slabs are deployed. As a result, separations should be planned carefully.
(Kirksey Architecture)
In Part Two, strategies and examples for adaptable interfaces and “obvious” accessibility will be discussed.
For the adjoining webinar, please visit https://www.labdesignnews.com/events/facilities-infrastructure-webinar-series.