The Vermont Department of Health and the University of Vermont in late October held ribbon-cutting ceremonies for a 60,000-sf public health laboratory that is nearly twice the size of the 62-year-old lab it replaces. The laboratory will be used to perform a wide range of analyses to detect biological, toxicological, chemical, and radiological threats to the health of the population, from testing for rabies, West Nile, pertussis and salmonella to water and food contaminants.
The new $31 million facility, located at the Colchester Business and Technology Park, took 18 months from its notice to proceed to its completion. It is distinguished by highly specialized Biosafety Level 3 and Animal Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3 and ABSL-3) laboratories, as well as high-performance building enclosure, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire suppression systems to conduct specialized laboratory work.
That mechanical system accounted for about 40% of the project’s total cost, and posed the biggest installation challenge for Vermont-based PC Construction, the contractor on this project, according to Matt Cooke, PC’s senior project manager. “The building’s ‘penthouse’ is all mechanical, and the facility is jammed-packed with air recovery and exchange equipment.
He says that “to make everything fit,” PC and the Building Team did extensive BIM modeling That team consisted of HDR (architectural design), Scott & Partners (exterior envelope), Krebs & Lansing (civil engineering), Zero by Design (energy consultation), as well as the State of Vermont Department of Building and General Services and the university (owners).
Westphalen Photography
PC Construction has built a number “clean rooms” in the past, but nothing as elaborate as this facility, which includes one of the few BSL3 labs in the country, says Cooke. He notes that some of the lab space requires zero leakage, so everything—including the electrical boxes and windows—needed to be sealed. Cooke adds that what also makes the facility unique are its “systems and automated controls” for the anterooms and air exchange machinery.
The building sits on a foundation supported by 180 H-piles that are driven to depths of between 70 and 90 feet. The original plans called for piles that would only need to be 60 to 65 feet deep. “But once we got out there and started drilling,” Cooke says PC found that the geological survey hadn’t sufficiently taken into account the location of underground rocks, which dictated far-deeper piles.
The facility design called for its six flue-gas stacks to be 75 feet above ground, which required FAA approval and a non-reflective coating due to their height and proximity to Burlington International Airport.
Westphalen Photography
PC Construction
PC Construction
PC Construction
Related Stories
| Aug 24, 2011
Deadline Extended: 2012 "Best AEC Firms to Work For” Awards
We’re looking for firms that create truly positive workplaces for their AEC professionals and support staff. In other words, this awards program will recognize those AEC firms that nurture and develop their most valuable asset—their people.
| Aug 23, 2011
Acoustical design education model
Pass this exam and earn 1.0 AIA/CES Discovery learning units. You must go to www.BDCnetwork.com/EnhancedAcousticalDesign to take this exam.
| Aug 19, 2011
Thought Leader: Boyd R. Zoccola, chair and chief elected officer of BOMA International
Boyd R. Zoccola is Chair and Chief Elected Officer of BOMA International. A BOMA member since 1994, he has served on the Executive, Finance, Investment, and Medical/Healthcare Facilities Committees. An Indiana Real Estate Principal Broker and a board member of the Real Estate Round Table, he is Executive Vice President of Hokanson Companies, Inc., of Indianapolis, and has been involved in the development of $600 million worth of real estate. On a volunteer basis, Zoccola was president of Horizon House and a board member of Girls, Inc. He holds a BA in biology from Indiana University.
| Aug 19, 2011
How and why AEC professionals choose flooring systems
Design and construction professionals who completed our flooring survey had strong opinions about their preferred flooring type.
| Aug 19, 2011
Underfloor air distribution, how to get the details right
Our experts provide solid advice on the correct way to design and construct underfloor air distribution systems, to yield significant energy savings.
| Aug 19, 2011
Enhanced acoustical design
Ambient noise levels in some facility types are trending up and becoming a barrier to clear communication between building occupants.
| Jul 22, 2011
The Right Platform for IPD
Workstations for successful integrated project delivery, a white paper by Dell and BD+C.
| Jul 22, 2011
High-performance windows and doors
Learning objectives After reading this article, you should be able to: Understand issues of thermal performance and energy efficiency in relation to window and door systems; describe optimal detailing of the window-wall interface and how it contributes to building performance, sustainability, and occupant well-being; understand how durability contributes to sustainable windows/doors; and list sustainable O&M requirements for window and door systems.
| Jul 21, 2011
Falling Architecture Billings Index reflects decrease in design demands
This months Architecture Billings Index (ABI), provided by the American Institute of Architects, is almost a full point lower than last month’s reported score. June’s reading of 47.2 was short of the required 50 to achieve billings increases, making July’s reading of 46.3 an unwelcome sign of market tidings.