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
Building Technology | Jun 18, 2024
Could ‘smart’ building facades heat and cool buildings?
A promising research project looks at the possibilities for thermoelectric systems to thermally condition buildings, writes Mahsa Farid Mohajer, Sustainable Building Analyst with Stantec.
University Buildings | Jun 18, 2024
UC Riverside’s new School of Medicine building supports team-based learning, showcases passive design strategies
The University of California, Riverside, School of Medicine has opened the 94,576-sf, five-floor Education Building II (EDII). Created by the design-build team of CO Architects and Hensel Phelps, the medical school’s new home supports team-based student learning, offers social spaces, and provides departmental offices for faculty and staff.
Healthcare Facilities | Jun 18, 2024
A healthcare simulation technology consultant can save time, money, and headaches
As the demand for skilled healthcare professionals continues to rise, healthcare simulation is playing an increasingly vital role in the skill development, compliance, and continuing education of the clinical workforce.
Mass Timber | Jun 17, 2024
British Columbia hospital features mass timber community hall
The Cowichan District Hospital Replacement Project in Duncan, British Columbia, features an expansive community hall featuring mass timber construction. The hall, designed to promote social interaction and connection to give patients, families, and staff a warm and welcoming environment, connects a Diagnostic and Treatment (“D&T”) Block and Inpatient Tower.
Concrete Technology | Jun 17, 2024
MIT researchers are working on a way to use concrete as an electric battery
Researchers at MIT have developed a concrete mixture that can store electrical energy. The researchers say the mixture of water, cement, and carbon black could be used for building foundations and street paving.
Codes and Standards | Jun 17, 2024
Federal government releases national definition of a zero emissions building
The U.S. Department of Energy has released a new national definition of a zero emissions building. The definition is intended to provide industry guidance to support new and existing commercial and residential buildings to move towards zero emissions across the entire building sector, DOE says.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 14, 2024
AEC inspections are the key to financially viable office to residential adaptive reuse projects
About a year ago our industry was abuzz with an idea that seemed like a one-shot miracle cure for both the shockingly high rate of office vacancies and the worsening housing shortage. The seemingly simple idea of converting empty office buildings to multifamily residential seemed like an easy and elegant solution. However, in the intervening months we’ve seen only a handful of these conversions, despite near universal enthusiasm for the concept.
Healthcare Facilities | Jun 13, 2024
Top 10 trends in the hospital facilities market
BD+C evaluated more than a dozen of the nation's most prominent hospital construction projects to identify trends that are driving hospital design and construction in the $67 billion healthcare sector. Here’s what we found.
Adaptive Reuse | Jun 13, 2024
4 ways to transform old buildings into modern assets
As cities grow, their office inventories remain largely stagnant. Yet despite changes to the market—including the impact of hybrid work—opportunities still exist. Enter: “Midlife Metamorphosis.”
Affordable Housing | Jun 12, 2024
Studio Libeskind designs 190 affordable housing apartments for seniors
In Brooklyn, New York, the recently opened Atrium at Sumner offers 132,418 sf of affordable housing for seniors. The $132 million project includes 190 apartments—132 of them available to senior households earning below or at 50% of the area median income and 57 units available to formerly homeless seniors.
