Lab of the Year: Renovated
|
Daylighting, mostly via corridor skylights, transformed the large, dark facility. Photo: Anton Grassl
|
The Project:
Univ. of Connecticut Health Center, Cell and Genome Sciences Building (CGSB), Farmington. Major
renovation of a single-story 117,813-ft2 laboratory facility; $30.5 million.
This project received the Renovated Laboratory of the Year award for its successful
transformation of an uninspiring, outdated science facility. The use of daylighting techniques,
addition of communal/public spaces, shift to open and flexible lab areas, and intelligent
repurposing of a toxicology-oriented lab to a facility for interdisciplinary research prompted
judges to give this entry the highest level of recognition.
The Team:
Goody Clancy, Boston (architect, interior designer); SST Planners, Alexandria, Va. (lab
consultant); Cosentini Associates, Cambridge, Mass. (MEP engineer, mechanical/electrical); BVH
Integrated Services, Bloomfield, Conn. (MEP engineer, plumbing/fire protection); LeMessurier
Consultants, Cambridge, Mass. (structural engineer); VHB/Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc., Middletown,
Conn. (civil engineer, landscape architect); Strategic Building Solutions LLC, Old Saybrook, Conn.
(commissioning agent); Viridian Energy and Environmental, Norwalk, Conn. (environmental
consultant); Acentech, Cambridge, Mass. (acoustical/AV consultant); FIP Construction, Farmington
(construction manager).
The Users
The new CGSB houses the Center for Cell Analysis and Modeling (focused on cell imaging and laser
microscopy and part of an NIH-funded group of five similar centers); portions of the department of
genetics and developmental biology (home to the division of human genetics); the Stem Cell Core
facility (used by UConn, Wesleyan Univ. and cooperating institutions); the translational genomics
core; and a small-animal vivarium. The faculty comprises biologists, chemists, biophysicists,
mathematicians, theorists, computer scientists and biochemists. The building also includes
incubator labs for small businesses created by, or affiliated with, UConn research. The planned
occupancy is about 220, including 26 PIs and their teams, plus other administrative and support
staff.
The Schedule
The university purchased the former Stauffer Chemical facility (400 Farmington Ave.), which had
passed through numerous hands since its construction in 1978, in 2007, along with more than 25
acres of land. The design commenced in March 2007; demolition inside the facility began in August
2009. Construction began in February 2010 and was completed in June 2010 via a CM at risk process,
modified by state procurement rules.
click to enlarge
Before renovation, the building had very little access to daylight, with half the footprint dedicated to either vivarium/holding or mechanical/back-of-house. Plan: Goody Clancy |
|
The Goals:
In 1995, Connecticut passed a $2.3 billion bond initiative, UConn 2000, for facility upgrades
within the UConn system. The original Health Center campus in Farmington needed more lab space,
even after the 1999 construction of the ~200,000-ft2 Academic Research Building.
However, density on the campus would have made construction of another tall structure—which would
have been needed to provide the required square footage—difficult and disruptive. With the
purchase of 400 Farmington Ave.—a sprawling facility with a 2-acre floorplate—the school acquired
an existing lab building as well as a 20+ acre property for long-term growth. The shell was
reusable; the site was accessible and open; and its location off the main campus would provide a
separate home for stem cell research.
The decision to create new research space at a satellite site also had drawbacks. The property
was contaminated from an unremediated oil leak, though the offending tanks had already been
removed. Building systems were inadequate and obsolete. The floorplan consisted of a mass of
small, closed labs, with an overly high percentage of the building devoted to a largeanimal
vivarium and related functions.
The prior focus on industrial research meant that amenities were few. Ceilings were low, labs
were windowless, and public spaces were almost nonexistent. Only a few offices clustered in the
northeast corner had natural light. In addition, many faculty felt that being situated at 400
Farmington—though it was less than half a mile from the main campus—would represent a form of
exile, and detrimental separation from the main research community.
click to enlarge
The overall circulation pattern was retained in the renovation, but the new design introduces important public spaces, starting at a new entrance and centering around a daylit “crossroads.” Plan: Goody Clancy |
|
The client needed the design team to deal with all these issues within a tight budget and
limited schedule. A collegial, welcoming, interdisciplinary and adaptable environment was
envisioned. A further challenge was the passage of new state mandates during the design process,
requiring at least LEED Silver certification. No additional budget beyond the initial allotment of
~$260/ft2 was available to meet this mandate.
The Solutions:
Due to financial constraints, a major floorplate reconfiguration was not feasible. Thus the
primary corridor pattern was largely retained, though some sections of the building previously
devoted to animal holding were repurposed as large open labs, and other existing lab/support zones
were opened up. Where possible, lab space was oriented to the building perimeter.
The southwest quadrant of the roughly rectangular building, to the left of the new main
entrance, is devoted to the department of genetics and developmental biology, with the Stem Cell
Core in an adjacent interior zone that also adjoins the vivarium. At the right of the main
entrance is a large zone of labs and offices for the Center for Cell Analysis and Modeling, as
well as a small block of administrative offices. The northeast quadrant of the facility is
reserved for leasable lab/office space in the UConn technology incubation program and the Office
of Technology Commercialization; these labs have newly punched exterior windows, adding to their
appeal.
|
Existing lab spaces were low-ceilinged and had no access to daylight; they were toxicology-oriented and did not support the work to be performed at the CGSB. Photo: Goody Clancy
|
The original toxicology-oriented labs were old-fashioned and not well-suited to more general
cell and genetics research. Many walls were removed, and piped and powered services were relocated
to the ceilings, then dropped to the bench via vertical pylons. A mix of fixed and flexible
casework was selected to meet UConn’s needs and budget. The reconfiguration updated a portion of
large-animal vivarium to its new use as a rodent facility; cage washing and storage spaces were
right-sized to reflect the species shift as well as the smaller overall demand for animal
space.
To provide a welcoming space for interaction—sorely lacking in the prior layout—a new
"crossroads" common area was carved out at the center of the plan, not far from the main entrance.
This zone connects the major north-south and east-west circulation axes and is directly adjacent
to food service, a demonstration lab, a poster area and an imaging suite, as well as a new
100-seat auditorium. The demo lab, available for use campuswide, can be closed off from the
crossroads via an upward-acting door (similar to a garage door, but glazed), or opened to allow
the crossroads to be used as overflow space. Cheerful warmtoned furniture, jolts of blue paint,
and wood on the floor and at the sloped ceiling all contribute to the lively atmosphere.
Clerestory windows bring ample light into the space.
Sophisticated AV systems were provided to link major conference rooms to remote sites as
needed, keeping researchers in touch with their colleagues worldwide. New boilers, chillers,
cooling towers, air handlers and lab water and gas systems save energy and enhance reliability,
coupled with a modern control system. For the sake of the budget as well as environmental
responsibility, some equipment with a decent amount of remaining service life was retained,
including emergency generators and oil tanks as well as electrical service. (A second, parallel
electrical system was added to support a data center that handles a high volume of data generated
by the imaging equipment and a Virtual Cell visualization facility.)
|
The crossroads is adjacent to the buildings’ food service, demonstration lab, poster area, auditorium and major conference rooms. Photo: Anton Grassl
|
The Highlights:
The design team decided that a sophisticated daylighting scheme would be the primary “bang for the
buck” component in making the environment much more pleasant for the teams that would work in the
building. Offthe- shelf, barrel-vaulted skylights in widths of 4 and 6 ft were implemented over
464 linear ft of corridors, bringing a changing experience of light throughout the day to people
deep inside the facility. The skylights were deployed selectively on key north-south and
subsidiary east-west corridors, bringing a clearer hierarchy to the building circulation.
New windows were also added to large swaths of the exterior, excluding retained vivarium space
and building support. Interior glazing opened up the lab spaces to the corridors. Where small
spaces such as PI offices had to be situated at the building perimeter, glass lites were provided
next to doors on the hallway side to enhance daylight penetration.
Since the original building had been designed for a constant volume, low-pressure mechanical
system requiring a large amount of ductwork, revamping the HVAC to a VAV system left large volumes
of above-ceiling space open. Thus 10-ft ceilings became achievable in the labs, further increasing
daylight penetration. In "dry" spaces such as corridors and perimeter writeup space, ceilings were
omitted entirely, contributing to a generous feeling of space.
"Arguably the most innovative achievement of the architects was their success, through picture
windows and extensive skylighting, in bringing exterior light at just the right dosages to all of
these diverse activities," says Leslie Loew, Boehringer Ingelheim chair in cell sciences,
professor of cell sciences, professor of computer engineering, and director of the R.D. Berlin
Center for Cell Analysis and Modeling.
Careful attention to remediation and sustainability were required to get the building to
its LEED Silver goal on a constrained budget. Cost control was also a major theme, notably in
choices made for HVAC systems and exterior detailing.
Sustainability and cost control
The UConn CGSB achieved required points for LEED Silver and hit its budgetary target through a judicious use of renovation techniques, including an up-to-date HVAC system (VAV) and building controls. A remediationin-place plan dealt with oil-contaminated soil beneath the structure, using chemicals pumped through bore holes in the slab to neutralize the pollution without the need for significant excavation. Asbestos-containing materials in the roof were removed before re-roofing.
Augmenting the inherent sustainability of building reuse, the design team chose locally sourced, renewable and recyclable materials, including recycled and sustainably harvested wood. When possible, existing casework was refurbished and reinstalled (notably, for the incubator labs). The auditorium fit-up incorporated wood panels taken from another UConn Health Center facility.
New landscaping with native and adaptive plants contributes to stormwater management; runoff drains into new bioswales and retention basins. The scheme allows better control of water even though the site parking capacity was doubled to 300 to accommodate the new and larger user population.
Daylighting was a key to the sustainable design and is discussed in the article beginning. Adding windows to existing exterior walls required multiple approaches. In parts of the building incorporating tilt-up precast concrete, window modules were modestly sized to prevent structural problems and were used individually. Where walls were concrete block, windows could be clustered so sections of wall could be rebuilt; clusters were kept far enough apart to avoid compromising structural integrity.
The new purpose of the facility was accented with a sculptural metal and wood entry canopy, differentiating the structure from others in the area. Window trim was painted a dark maroon and sunshades were added, contributing to a distinctive new look for the facility, at a budget price.
|
Formerly solid corridor walls now feature windows that allow daylight into both corridors and labs, increasing the impression of openness and connectivity. Photo: Anton Grassl
|
The Results:
Lab users, once concerned about being isolated in a substandard facility, have been complimentary
about the rehab. "The architects are to be congratulated on designing an appealing and efficient
space that serves to enhance the scientific endeavors within. It is a joy to come to work in the
morning," says Ann Cowan, assistant professor of molecular, microbial and structural biology and
deputy director of the Center for Cell Analysis and Modeling.
Lab of the Year judges were impressed with the smart choices made to maximize the client’s
investment. Jim Contratto, VP at McCarthy Building Cos., St. Louis, says, "This is a wellexecuted
renovation of an older facility into a very attractive laboratory, using lots of natural light at
a very restricted budget--a great example in this economy of well-done retrofitting. It should
open the eyes of current owners and potential future users that there are wonderful opportunities
for most existing buildings."
Dave Withee, manager/sales and marketing, Diversified Woodcrafts, Suring, Wis., adds, "It is
amazing how many windows and skylights they were able to put into this building without affecting
the structural integrity. They were really able to lighten up a large floorplate to make this an
attractive facility for researchers, despite the away-from-campus location. This renovation
succeeded because of its focus on what is important to get the right people to be willing to work
in this facility."
The Contact:
Roger Goldstein, FAIA, LEED AP, principal, Goody Clancy,
roger.goldstein@goodyclancy.com.
